Most people need a job and most companies need employees. This simple equation seems like a recipe for success, but it gets complicated when both sides start to put expectations on the other. It’s obvious that everyone has to start somewhere, but how can unqualified candidates gain experience when every workplace requires experience to start?
For many employers, it seems only natural to require certain qualifications for candidates that wish to work for the company. While we’re not recommending that any company hire every person that submits an application through the careers portal, it may make sense to reduce the qualification expectations for certain positions. By giving some less qualified candidates a chance, you may see the following benefits.
A Chance to Train Someone from Scratch
Inexperienced employees have no bad habits to drop, so you can train them to perform tasks exactly the way that you want them to. In some cases, this may actually make training faster and easier. Even when training does take a little longer, it may be easier to develop a candidate that really shines because there are no preconceived notions to undo.
An Unconventional Approach to the Work
Employees that have never had a job or that are new to the field can bring a fresh perspective to the table. They may brainstorm ideas for improving systems and shake things up in a way that veteran employees wouldn’t. This can inspire creativity and drive improvement.
Lower Salary and Benefit Expectations
The primary motivation for hiring less qualified employees shouldn’t be lower pay and benefit expectations, but this fact of life may be helpful for new or struggling companies. Additionally, it makes it less risky for a company to take a chance on an under-qualified candidate. If the candidate quits, the total expenditure on that candidate was less and it will cost less to replace him or her.
Loyalty, Enthusiasm, and Pride
When a company takes a chance on a candidate that is looking to learn more about the industry, that candidate will likely be grateful. Grateful candidates often become loyal and enthusiastic employees that take pride in their work. While the ability to learn the skills needed to prosper in the industry is a must, the eagerness and drive that green candidates bring to a company can be a boon to company culture.
Unique Skill Sets
Older candidates, employees that are coming in from a different field, and individuals that are coming back to an industry after an extended period of time may bring unique skill sets to a workforce. In some instances these skill sets may translate, but in other cases they can help to enrich the position and open up new opportunities. Employers may be able to rely on in-house workers for certain services that are outsourced, for example.
Every employer wants to build the best team and employ workers that are loyal. Some employers find that taking a chance on candidates that seem eager but don’t meet the traditional qualifications helps to achieve this goal.
If you decide to take an unconventional approach to hiring such as this, HR software can help you to track the effectiveness of the change by measuring factors like your time to hire and new employee turnover. Change can be a good thing; the right tools can help you make sure it’s the best decision for your team.
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