In general, most recruiters and staffing agencies look for candidates that have the right skillset and experience for a given position. But maybe it’s not just skill that you should be looking for; as we discussed last week, experience is an important factor in recruiting, but so are other things like personality and experience. Sometimes you have to see if you can truly spot success before it even happens. It seems like an impossible task, but it’s not.
The thing about spotting potential is that it’s kind of a necessity when looking for workers, and finding team members with potential will ensure that the business does not remain stagnant. Giving people a chance to prove themselves in their line of work is key to the growth of a company. Finding people that can easily adapt to a situation and become a better worker from it are essential to the workforce. Like any other job, growing is key. If you can’t move up in the company, then what? If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, here are some signs that an unqualified candidate has great potential, courtesy of LinkedIn:
1. They Know What You Are Looking For
The resume, cover letter and interview should say it all: they researched your company. If they put the thought into finding out how the little things work, then they are a keeper. An employee who’s clearly interested in working at the company and understands what they’re about rather than just seeing them as one of many potential sources of income will likely put more of themselves into their work.
2. They Know Their Weaknesses And How To Play Them
One of the biggest indicators of success is when you can turn your weaknesses into potential strengths. If you’re willing to admit your faults and how to move past them, that’s also extremely important to a staffing agency trying to hire for their agency or another company. Obviously no candidate will be flawless, and those who are aware of their shortcomings and have demonstrated initiative in moving past them are likely to have long-term success.
3. They Stand Out With Uncommon Application Methods
Sending a resume is the thing that everybody does. But what makes you truly stand out? A unique, well-written cover letter. The thought put into a cover letter and a resume really shows, and a precise, personalized and well-researched cover letter will be demonstrative of a hard-working employee.
4. They’re Willing to Learn
Try asking questions that gauge how willing an employee would be to ask for help or learn something new. Ask what they’d do if they were given an assignment that they weren’t experienced in, or ask how they plan to further develop their skillset. An employee who says that they’d be willing to ask more experienced workers for help or is planning on taking courses or undergoing training to improve their professional skills will be open to learning new things and could easily grow with the position. On the other hand, an employee who doesn’t feel that they need further training or says that they would just try to figure out a difficult assignment without input from anyone else may not have the potential to grow as they work.
Keep in mind that you should not be recruiting egregiously unqualified candidates. If an employee has no experience in the field and does not seem like they would handle the day-to-day work of a position well, then hiring them would likely be a waste of time and money. However, if a candidate meets some (but not all) of the job description and criteria, it may be worth looking at their overall potential.
As your staffing agency works through the recruitment process, make sure you have a staffing agency insurance program, particularly one that includes Direct Hire coverage for the hiring process.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (800) 245-9653 to speak with one of our representatives.