The JobSync Blog
How to Identify Talent: an Unconventional Approach
November 3, 2011
A common complaint among recruiters and hiring managers in today’s demanding job market is that there isn’t a lot of qualified talent available for open positions. According to Wall Street Journal editor George Anders, the problem isn’t talent – it’s the traditional approach of employers that often leads them astray.
In his new book, The Rare Find: Spotting Exceptional Talent Before Everyone Else, Anders studies the hiring practice of various successful companies. And what he finds may surprise many: Instead of hiring based exclusively on whether someone meets all of the short-term qualifications of a job description, companies need to concentrate on finding candidates with unique skill sets and personalities that will surpass their expectations in the long-term. In fact, Anders argues that recruiters and hiring managers should give more weight to resumes of candidates that appear to “teeter on the edge between success and failure.” His point is that such individuals will thrive dramatically when placed in the proper work environment, and any of their deficits will quickly take a back seat. Naturally, recognizing whether such individuals would ultimately make a great fit for a company depends on the insightfulness and savvy of recruiters and hiring managers to recognize the potential of candidates. And this is no easy task.
The obvious question that emerges from Anders’ book is “If companies should not be hiring candidates that match companies on paper, doesn’t that make JobSync irrelevant?” On the contrary: It makes JobSync even more important to your recruiting efforts. As noted before, recognizing great-fitting candidates with such complex work histories and personalities is not a simple matter for companies. With JobSync, not only can companies control their recruiting parameters based on experience, but more importantly, they can also spell out the unique personality type they are looking for whom they know would succeed in their unique workplaces. This is something that would never come through in standard reviews of resumes and typically leads to rejection of hidden candidate gems before they can even interview.
Is this untraditional approach right for you? Sometimes, if you want to obtain an exceptional employee, you may have to make an exception.
Page: 1
