*Missing The Boat

It’s rough waters out there. The current job market has many employers struggling to find qualified candidates to fill open positions *based on the organization’s job requirements. 

(Emphasis on the *asterisk.)

It’s this footnote, that clarifier–the little ( * ) – that I believe can prevent an organization from finding their Ideal Candidate in a sea of resumes. 

It all begins with the traditional process of developing a job description and the checklist that typically requires a four-year undergraduate degree. From my 30+ years of experience, I can tell you that this list doesn’t always produce the best and the brightest candidates. It’s the necessary skills and expertise required to be successful at the job that makes the Ideal Candidate. Many times, I’ve had to respectfully push back on hiring managers when I identified the perfect candidate that checked all the boxes except one, *the four-year degree. 

As a recruiter who is relentlessly searching for viable candidates to present to my clients, my team and I use every resource available. Sure, LinkedIn and other employment boards have useful filters to sort and identify candidates by education level, degree, and graduation years–but we strategize each search for creative ways to find more–specific skills, certifications and expertise. 

Looking beyond the four-year college degree and the traditional checklist of job requirements could greatly increase the qualified candidate pool. Organizations that consider this forward-thinking, skills-first approach to hiring won’t miss the boat on finding that next great hire. So why not consider a candidate who has the necessary skills, a model attitude and a drive to succeed *without a college degree?

Check out this article by the Harvard Business Review. It takes a deep dive into employment inequities, labor shortages and how many companies are rethinking the hiring process. 

I think you’ll find there’s actually plenty of fish (*talent) in the sea.

(Emphasis on the *asterisk.)

To read more about recruiting trends, check out this Harvard Business Review article.

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