When looking to hire a new employee, companies often look at specific qualifications. Has the person done a similar job before? What is the person’s education level? Does the person have experience working with a specific program? According to a recent Daily Monitor article, a person’s current qualifications are not necessarily a good indicator of a quality candidate. When looking to acquire talent for your company, sometimes the person who appears under-qualified might actually be the best option.

While the Daily Monitor is a foreign newspaper, much of the same information applies here. Sometimes, there are qualities beyond the listed skills that you should look for in a potential employee, whether the person fits the ideal employee mold, or the person does not appear on the surface to be fully qualified for the position.

Willingness to Learn

Unfortunately, sometimes the candidate who appears qualified on paper is also sometimes the candidate who is already set in their ways. Perhaps the person has done the job a specific way for years. If that way is not the most efficient or best way to perform the task, their unwillingness to change the way they perform a task could hurt the company. The person who has not done the job before but who is willing to be trained and who wants to be the best employee could be a better option in this case.

Longevity

The person who has higher qualifications is more likely to only stick around for a while, especially if there is little to no chance of a promotion within your company. The less-qualified individual is more likely to stay around, to gain more experience, training, and knowledge. The less-qualified person can grow with the company.

Of course, there are certain jobs that do require the candidate to possess specific qualifications, but if you are interested in hiring the best person for the position, sometimes you have to look beyond what the person offers on the surface and see the person’s potential. If you need help finding quality employees, contact us.