Many companies rightly focus on hiring as one of the key ways to spur growth, attract and retain the best talent and achieve success in doing business and beyond. However, finding the best people for the job is never easy, and there are countless philosophies out there that shape how we look at the hiring process and who the ideal candidates for any given position are.
At PQE Group, we’ve recently transformed ourselves to become a TEAL organization, which means we adopted a flat hierarchical structure, promote independence and tolerance from within and are always ready to adapt as the organization continues to change and grow. This makes hiring the right people all the more important, and it’s something that other leaders should consider when looking to recruit the best of the best for their respective teams.
As for myself, I’ve always liked to hire individuals who are “outside of the box,” and I think it’s one of the most important things you should do when looking to innovate. Below are three important reasons to hire candidates who might not be at first glance the most typical or most qualified but are nonetheless vital to any organization’s healthy growth and development.
Reason 1: People are so much more than their resumes.
Prospective hires aren’t just what they state on their CV or resume. If you take a look beyond the text at the whole person instead, you’ll find that there’s so much more to people than what they normally communicate on paper. They undoubtedly have varied interests you may not be familiar with or a unique professional background or work history that differs greatly from yours and others on your team.
A resume or CV is an excellent way for people to market themselves for a position in a company, but it’s not the best way for leaders to truly get to know a person for who they are, learn more about their work ethic and discover how they interact with others. I don’t believe it’s an effective tool to gauge different perspectives, and having employees with a wide variety of viewpoints and opinions is what really moves all of our thinking and collective work forward. In fact, I never rely on skill sets identified in a CV and take that to define someone’s expertise. What’s more important is the potential they show to learn, collaborate and be curious to come up with the next great idea.
Reason 2: Diversity matters.
Diversity in the workplace has become a non-negotiable asset for companies around the world to promote and cherish, and it’s a crucial thing for businesses and their employees to value due to the countless ways a diverse workforce promotes innovation, creativity and progress. Homogeneous environments just don’t achieve the same momentum that comes with hiring diverse employees.
I don’t just mean diversity of genders, sexual orientations, race, religions and cultural backgrounds but also a diversity of ideas, education, socioeconomic backgrounds and more. People who are different bring new perspectives to the table, and they transform companies into welcoming places that outperform others because of the wealth of knowledge they gain from them.
Reason 3: Growth comes from growth-minded people.
In the long term, every company wants to develop and grow. The only way to do this is to bring people on board who have a growth mindset, and often these are the people who think outside of the box, who are eager to learn and who aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd. These are the candidates who aren’t afraid to change the way they have worked in the past to do something entirely new — with enthusiasm and excitement.
People with potential and the bravery to better themselves are, by nature, different from others, and those are the kind of people who I’ve observed often excel in any role they assume, no matter their job title. I always look for individuals who are eager to learn and try new things because if they’re growing, we’re also growing right along with them.
The hiring process can often seem formulaic and arduous, not only for the interviewees but also the companies. However, it doesn’t have to be. If you look beyond resumes and CVs to investigate more about the entire person you’re meeting with, I guarantee you’ll start to find some of the best people for the job, even if they don’t seem like the most obvious choice.
