In this current market, there is no doubt that employers are looking to hire the finest talent and expertise they can get their hands on. It’s not only a battle to secure new talent, but the search itself to find the perfect candidate can be incredibly challenging and time-consuming.

Having a wish list of skills and experience combined with matching an individual to your culture fit is one thing, but actually hiring the ‘perfect candidate’ for the job is another. Does the ‘perfect candidate’ even exist, and will you get exactly what you envisage once they join the team?

Whilst we don't advocate settling for second best, in this article we offer food for thought to the risks of wanting and waiting for the perfect candidate, and why you should think twice about hiring them as it could be a classic case of too good to be true.

So, you are ready to embark on a new recruitment process - it's an exciting time for you and the team. As any good leader would, first you assess what current strengths and weaknesses you are armed with and in turn, set about identifying what you need to get you to the next level. You think about technical skills, soft skills, experience, culture fit, perhaps even consider the current balance of gender and diversity, and come up with your list of requirements.

You trawl the internet, job boards, social media platforms, your network, beg for referrals, brief your recruitment partner, and away you go.

The first few CVs come in, perhaps even hold a few interviews but you are already disappointed. They don't quite fit the bill. You wait a little longer, hoping that the perfect candidate is just around the corner. But they never seem to come. The process drags on, and on and you find yourself no closer to making a hire. You become increasingly frustrated, the business is suffering and workloads escalate. You start to doubt yourself and the team is getting restless but you just can't find that perfect match.

Sound familiar? If you find yourself in this position, here's why you shouldn't hire the perfect candidate:

The Purple Squirrel and The Unicorn

These are terms recruiters often give to finding these rare creatures that are almost mythical. For some roles, it can be near impossible to find the exact match of skills, education, experience, personality, and when you add specific systems, industry background, and/or qualifications to that - the pool suddenly becomes little more than a shallow puddle.

If by some stroke of incredible luck, you do find someone who ticks every single box there's still every chance there is a reason they still aren't 100% right. Location, salary, and availability can all play into overall suitability. There is a reason recruitment processes drag on and on and on in the hope of finding Mr or Ms Right, perhaps quite simply what you want just doesn't exist - at least not in the way that you imagine them.

It's time to reassess and be realistic

You might think that you know exactly what you are looking for in a candidate but the truth is, nobody is perfect. Even if you find someone who seems to fit the bill perfectly, they will have their flaws. It's inevitable. The reality is that you may never find someone who is 100% perfect for the role, so it's important to focus on finding someone who has most (but not all) of the skills and experience that you are looking for to maximise your options.

The haunted house

Roles that sit vacant for months and months on end can become a bit like a house that doesn't sell. It can put potential candidates off leaving them wondering what is wrong with the company, the hiring manager, the team, or the role. It costs businesses huge amounts of time, energy, and money running processes that are fruitless and should be avoided. In this market, having to work that much harder to sell your vacancy and explain why no one has been right might not always set you in good light.

Play the long game

If you do manage to find the 'perfect' candidate, there is a good chance that they will be overqualified for the role. This can lead to them becoming bored and disengaged very quickly. In a role that they are overqualified for, they will soon become unchallenged and will start to look for other opportunities, leading to more staff turnover and disruption. By sacrificing some of the ‘nice to haves’ on your list and thinking about someone who can grow in the role, you're likely to get more out of them in the long run.

Genuine innovators?

Maybe you are looking for someone with the ability to bring innovation to the role, to really challenge the status quo and drive improvements? But wanting someone who has been there done that, you're ultimately not bringing innovation as another business has already been doing what they will come to replicate for years already? Hiring someone who has not necessarily done it all before and can look at a situation or problem with fresh eyes and bring a solution with the right guidance could be a real trailblazer.

Should you hold out?

When you find yourself in the position of wanting to hire the perfect candidate, it's important to take a step back and reassess your expectations. Think about what the most important factors are, what the ‘must haves’ are, and be very honest about what is more a ‘nice to have’. Rather than holding out for the perfect candidate to miraculously appear, it’s time to review the wish list. Good candidates get snapped up quickly and you may be overlooking some truly terrific individuals who can bring immense value to your organisation simply because they don’t tick every box.

Longevity Vs quick wins?

Perhaps it would be better to consider the recruitment of a temporary worker that is overqualified if you need a particular piece of work delivered quickly and then leave the permanent hiring until you can map out what the next 1-3 years may look like for that employee, as well as a potential progression path.

What’s in it for them?

As a hiring manager, think about your role from a candidate’s perspective for a moment. What’s attractive about the role? What skills will it add to someone’s toolkit? What value will it add to their CV career-wise – would it be a sideways move or a step up? The most valuable question here is to ask what’s in it for them. This will help you to focus on what is most important to the role and to potential candidates. If you simply want a carbon copy of someone who has just done the same role elsewhere, it may be a big reason why you can't attract the right people.

What skills could be transferable?

For a candidate to really engage and thrive in a new role they will undoubtedly want to be challenged and grow. They will want to add value and feel they are developing themselves. Consider what fundamental skills could be transferred from other roles or industries. During the height of covid, for example, Woolworths made great strides in hiring those who had been made redundant from Qantas because they recognised transferable skills.

Attitude trumps skills

Granted, brain surgeons, pilots, and the like will 100% require a certain level of non-negotiables, but for many roles that remain vacant across the corporate world, it's someone's attitude that will set them apart from others. The perfect candidate might not have exactly all the skills that you are looking for but if they have a great attitude, are coachable, show initiative, can demonstrate the ability to problem solve, and are willing to learn, they could very well be 'the one'.

Consider skill Vs will?

‘Skill versus will’ is the phrase that comes to mind here. You could find someone with skills for days, but little will to use them. Rather seek out those who have the will over the skill, as ultimately new skills can be learned. Use interview time to dive into these areas as much as possible rather than focusing on missing the use of a particular system for example. Identify what it is that sets your top performers apart from the rest of your team and look for those skills along with their overall potential.

Don’t overlook candidates who can demonstrate good levels of E.Q and self-awareness and if you need a second opinion internally, definitely seek collaboration with a trusted colleague. It’s more important to be concerned about candidates’ character flaws – if you find them to be untrustworthy or they have been less than honest, lack self-awareness, have a poor track record, or are simply lazy it’s unlikely these habits will miraculously change.

So, the 'perfect' candidate is not necessarily someone who has done it all before - they are in fact someone who has some relevant experience combined with transferrable core attributes. With the right attitude, they should be able to adapt, thrive, and grow with your company given the opportunity to do so.

What do you think? Are you guilty of wanting to hire the perfect candidate? What profile has been your 'perfect' hire? Should you wait for the purple squirrel?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and if you would like to discuss any challenges you are currently facing, please reach out to one of our team members to assist.