As the leaves begin to turn and fall, it's a perfect time to reflect on how we evaluate talent in our organizations. Just like a forest is more than its falling leaves, a candidate is more than their resume. In a rapidly-evolving business landscape, creativity and adaptability are the lifeblood of innovation and success. Training your recruiters and human resources folks how to look beyond the surface to find the true potential in your talent pool is essential to innovating, growing, and succeeding.
Job roles evolve these days as quickly as technology, which means traditional resumes are becoming outdated as fast as last year's smartphone. While they provide a snapshot of a candidate's history, they often (usually? always?) fail to capture the most crucial qualities for success in today's workplace: creativity and adaptability. As we navigate new business landscapes, it's time to reevaluate how we identify and nurture talent.
Traditional hiring methods often create an "autumn illusion" - a pile of impressive-looking resumes that, like fallen leaves, are usually more show than substance. We've all encountered candidates who look perfect on paper but fall short in practice. On the other hand, I promise we've overlooked potential stars whose resumes didn't quite fit the mold. In our quest for the perfect candidate, we risk missing out on the seeds of innovation hiding beneath the surface.
Know what resumes are TERRIBLE at capturing? Creativity.
Creativity isn't just for artists and designers - it's a critical skill in literally any role, from accounting to customer service to operations to facilities. To uncover creative potential, think about moving to story-based interviews where candidates describe how they've solved problems in unconventional ways. Use problem-solving scenarios that test a candidate's ability to think laterally and creatively. Try situational judgment questions to see how candidates might handle hypothetical challenges. Look for signs of learning agility - candidates who actively seek out new experiences and knowledge are great at thriving in nimble, dynamic environments. Even for non-creative roles, consider asking for a portfolio of successful projects or innovative ideas. Remember, creativity can bloom in unexpected places.
Resumes are, in the words of America's Greatest Living Songwriter*, Fergie, "so 2000 and late." Way, way, WAY too often, hiring managers get caught up in specific job titles or industry experience. But in doing so, they miss out on candidates with rich, diverse skill sets that could bring fresh perspectives to their team. A former teacher, for instance, might have excellent project management and communication skills that would be invaluable in a corporate training role. A retail manager might have honed customer service and conflict resolution skills that would make them an excellent account manager. And don't even get me started on the simply bonkers array of skills and abilities of someone with a Ph.D. transferring out of academia -- their ability to learn, retain, and apply information by itself should rise them up to the top of your interview list.
*(ish...)
We're talking about transferable skills. Burn those two words into your brain and make them your North Star. When evaluating resumes, focus on the core competencies required for the role rather than exact match experiences. Look for evidence of:
Problem-solving abilities
Communication skills
Leadership potential
Ability to learn quickly
Emotional intelligence
Consider creating a skills matrix for each role, focusing on these transferable skills rather than specific experiences. This approach not only widens your talent pool but also increases diversity of thought within your organization.
Remember, some of the most successful career pivots have come from seemingly unrelated fields. Steve Jobs famously credited a calligraphy class he took in college with influencing the design aesthetic of Apple products. The key is to look for candidates who can draw meaningful connections between their past experiences and your open role.
It's time to crush and kick to the curb the most pervasive myth in hiring: that more years of experience always equate to better performance. While experience can certainly be valuable, it's no guarantee of success, especially in rapidly-evolving industries. Instead of focusing on the number of years a candidate has worked ("Must have seven years of management experience." What if I only have six, but I supervised more people? What if I never managed an office, but I taught high school - because I definitely then know how to manage people in a way that your corporate management candidate can't even dream of. And so on...), dig into the quality and diversity of their experiences. A candidate with five years of diverse, challenging experiences may bring more to the table than someone with ten years doing the exact same thing day in and day out.
If your job description calls for a certain numbers of years of experience, you are not getting all of the best candidates for the position. I cannot be more plain about that. That is a guaranteed innovation killer.
Instead, consider these factors when evaluating experience:
Variety of challenges faced: Has the candidate dealt with a range of problems and situations?
Learning and growth: How has the candidate evolved throughout their career?
Measurable impacts: Can the candidate point to specific achievements and improvements they've made?
Relevance to your needs: How do their experiences align with your organization's current challenges and goals?
Don't overlook the potential of "green" talent - those early in their careers or making a career change. Hiring for potential rather than a perfect fit can yield significant long-term benefits for your organization. It's like planting a sapling instead of transplanting a fully grown tree - it requires more care initially, but it can grow to fit your environment perfectly. As you move forward with your hiring processes, challenge yourself and your team to look beyond the surface. Become the kind of leader who can spot and nurture talent -- you'll cultivate a workplace that's better equipped to weather whatever comes your way.
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