You have been trying to fill a role for a long time, but no one is quite hitting the mark, could it be that you are being too narrow with your requirements?

We find it is very much a Middle Eastern issue, as brand new candidates from overseas coming into the region find some requests too strict.

Like most recruiters, we have many stories to tell about clients who want the impossible, or sometimes the absurd, some examples of which are here:

“I have been approached by a client who told me that they ‘have interviewed everyone in the region who ticks all boxes on paper, but none of them are suitable’ and yet they will still not relax their requirements”.

“The client stated that the candidate ‘must have a university degree with 10-15 years’ experience, but we want someone younger than 30’”!

“I have even been briefed that the client will only consider certain star signs”.

Whilst this is undoubtedly the exception, it is very common for the Hiring Manager or HR representative to insist on tight requirements, which can at best lead to a whole group of potential candidates being overlooked, and at worst mean that the role is impossible to fill.

Taking our first example, if the requirements are so narrow that only a handful of people meet them, by stringently sticking to them, the role will never get filled. What is the cost to the company if a Sales role is sitting vacant for months, or a Finance Director is not available to properly control the cashflow?

In a recent survey, we asked our social media followers: ‘which is most important, skills or attitude’ https://inspireselection.com/hiring-advice/what-is-more-important-attitude-or-experience/ Overwhelmingly the response was attitude as skills can be taught, however, when to comes to writing job descriptions skills, experience and qualifications take precedent over attitude or potential.

There are, undoubtably, crucial skills and experience that cannot be compromised on for all roles, however, we are noticing more and more that there seems to be a mismatch between what the candidates think they can offer, and what the employer believes the candidates to be capable of.

Being so strict on requirements can mean that employers could be losing a diamond of a candidate with the right attitude and drive to succeed.  After all, hiring is so much more than just simply filling a vacancy. The focus should be on hunting down a future valued employee and team member who will play a key role in enhancing your business.

Please speak to your Inspire Selection consultant if you need any help with your hiring needs https://inspireselection.com/contact/

‍