Recruiters must overcome employer biases to find the best candidate
Recruiters, both corporate and professional, are frequently approached by aspiring candidates who, on the surface, are not an ideal match with selection criteria.
Many of these candidates, when a narrow view is taken, are considered unsuitable because they do not have relevant industry experience. Recruiters refuse, or fail, to identify the elements of transferable skills and experience that could make them viable candidates. In the process, the best candidate for the job may be overlooked.
When considering candidates with experience in another sector, the question becomes, “Can they take their skills and experience and apply them successfully in another industry?”
The answer lies in the difference between transferable “skills” and transferable “experience.”
Skills candidates have learned, acquired and employed effectively in their careers are inherently transferable to any role in any industry.
Skills such as analyzing, problem-solving, managing projects, managing a business, making presentations, developing and motivating staff, are arguably all important to any organization, regardless of the business they’re in.
But transferable experience is often the stumbling block for candidates changing industries.
The problem isn’t that the candidate can’t make the leap and be successful in a new career.
Sometimes it’s employer biases or the inability of candidates to translate the elements of their experience and achievements into a language that would be understood by — and attractive to — the companies they’d like to work for.
The higher up, the easier it is
As a rule of thumb, the more senior the position, the more strategic its focus, and therefore, the more transferable the experience. Taking on the leadership of a company may not require in-depth industry or technical knowledge. More CEOs tend to cross industry boundaries than do operations managers. At the mid-management level, knowledge of product, process and industry often takes on greater importance.
Transferable experience is better recognized and appreciated in some functions than in others. For example, in financial management, it is viewed as less critical to have specific industry experience (GAAP crosses all industries and sectors). Similarly, other senior roles such as in-house counsel or head of human resources have more opportunity to change industries.
On the other hand, some senior sales and marketing positions are seen to require at least some knowledge of the company’s marketplace, products and services, customers and competitors. Likewise, roles such as heads of manufacturing and engineering, and plant management often require specific industry or product experience.
Employer biases
For more than 30 years I have worked in executive search and the issue of transferable experience has been on the table with clients at the outset of almost every recruiting assignment.
There are biases and perceptions that, with some clients, are difficult to overcome. These are clients that invariably feel that someone who does not know their industry intimately is at most unacceptable or at the very least would be at a decided disadvantage compared to candidates who do.
But some employers are receptive to the notion that fresh-thinking, unfettered by directly related industry experience, may be to their advantage. They are more open to considering those candidates who can ably demonstrate the benefits of their transferable experience.
I can recall many searches that began with the clients’ agreement to consider candidates from outside their industries, as well as those within. In these cases, the position to be filled did not necessarily require specific industry, market or product knowledge.
In such cases, the search was for people who possessed certain skills and competencies that were critical to success in the roles, not necessarily industry know-how. But it often became apparent that the employer wanted to minimize risk by focusing only on candidates within their industry.
A good example
There are instances where employers move outside this “comfort zone” after the recruiter insists they meet an outstanding non-industry candidate who brings a value-added slate of skills and experiences to the table.
A couple of years ago, we conducted a search for an executive director for a non-profit trade association. The criteria established by the search committee of the board included the requirement for previous executive director experience in the not-for-profit sector.
In the environmental scan we carried out before starting the search, we learned that one of the primary concerns of association members was the regulatory environment, specifically the spectre of impending legislation that would affect how member companies conducted business and had the potential to negatively affect profits.
As a result of this finding, we introduced into the mix of candidates a private-sector general counsel who had an impressive track record in dealing with governments and the legislative process. Regulatory affairs were her strong suit, but she lacked not-for-profit-sector experience and had not been a general manager.
The candidate did her homework and impressed the search committee with her knowledge of the workings of government and strategic approach to the issues.
Despite the fact that there were candidates with more directly related association management experience, the lawyer was offered the position and to date, has done an outstanding job. Through her initiatives, new legislation was significantly revised to the benefit of the industry. This was a classic case of transferable experience that was not initially on the client’s radar.
Candidates may have difficulty translating experience, achievements
Last, but by no means least, a primary reason that many employers overlook candidates from another sector is that jobseekers are ineffective in identifying and articulating the elements of their transferable experience.
They rely on promoting their transferable skills, but as noted earlier, these are accepted — and required — criteria for just about any role in any industry.
Recruiters can help candidates uncover these transferable elements of experience that can benefit an organization. Let’s take a lesson from the story of the corporate lawyer who is now successfully managing a trade association. Through analyzing her own experience and identifying the challenges faced by the prospective employer, she was able to address a critical need. As a result, against stiff competition, she became the candidate of choice.
James Parr is vice-president at the executive search firm Michael Stern Associates Inc. in Toronto. He can be reached at www.michaelstern.com.
Many of these candidates, when a narrow view is taken, are considered unsuitable because they do not have relevant industry experience. Recruiters refuse, or fail, to identify the elements of transferable skills and experience that could make them viable candidates. In the process, the best candidate for the job may be overlooked.
When considering candidates with experience in another sector, the question becomes, “Can they take their skills and experience and apply them successfully in another industry?”
The answer lies in the difference between transferable “skills” and transferable “experience.”
Skills candidates have learned, acquired and employed effectively in their careers are inherently transferable to any role in any industry.
Skills such as analyzing, problem-solving, managing projects, managing a business, making presentations, developing and motivating staff, are arguably all important to any organization, regardless of the business they’re in.
But transferable experience is often the stumbling block for candidates changing industries.
The problem isn’t that the candidate can’t make the leap and be successful in a new career.
Sometimes it’s employer biases or the inability of candidates to translate the elements of their experience and achievements into a language that would be understood by — and attractive to — the companies they’d like to work for.
The higher up, the easier it is
As a rule of thumb, the more senior the position, the more strategic its focus, and therefore, the more transferable the experience. Taking on the leadership of a company may not require in-depth industry or technical knowledge. More CEOs tend to cross industry boundaries than do operations managers. At the mid-management level, knowledge of product, process and industry often takes on greater importance.
Transferable experience is better recognized and appreciated in some functions than in others. For example, in financial management, it is viewed as less critical to have specific industry experience (GAAP crosses all industries and sectors). Similarly, other senior roles such as in-house counsel or head of human resources have more opportunity to change industries.
On the other hand, some senior sales and marketing positions are seen to require at least some knowledge of the company’s marketplace, products and services, customers and competitors. Likewise, roles such as heads of manufacturing and engineering, and plant management often require specific industry or product experience.
Employer biases
For more than 30 years I have worked in executive search and the issue of transferable experience has been on the table with clients at the outset of almost every recruiting assignment.
There are biases and perceptions that, with some clients, are difficult to overcome. These are clients that invariably feel that someone who does not know their industry intimately is at most unacceptable or at the very least would be at a decided disadvantage compared to candidates who do.
But some employers are receptive to the notion that fresh-thinking, unfettered by directly related industry experience, may be to their advantage. They are more open to considering those candidates who can ably demonstrate the benefits of their transferable experience.
I can recall many searches that began with the clients’ agreement to consider candidates from outside their industries, as well as those within. In these cases, the position to be filled did not necessarily require specific industry, market or product knowledge.
In such cases, the search was for people who possessed certain skills and competencies that were critical to success in the roles, not necessarily industry know-how. But it often became apparent that the employer wanted to minimize risk by focusing only on candidates within their industry.
A good example
There are instances where employers move outside this “comfort zone” after the recruiter insists they meet an outstanding non-industry candidate who brings a value-added slate of skills and experiences to the table.
A couple of years ago, we conducted a search for an executive director for a non-profit trade association. The criteria established by the search committee of the board included the requirement for previous executive director experience in the not-for-profit sector.
In the environmental scan we carried out before starting the search, we learned that one of the primary concerns of association members was the regulatory environment, specifically the spectre of impending legislation that would affect how member companies conducted business and had the potential to negatively affect profits.
As a result of this finding, we introduced into the mix of candidates a private-sector general counsel who had an impressive track record in dealing with governments and the legislative process. Regulatory affairs were her strong suit, but she lacked not-for-profit-sector experience and had not been a general manager.
The candidate did her homework and impressed the search committee with her knowledge of the workings of government and strategic approach to the issues.
Despite the fact that there were candidates with more directly related association management experience, the lawyer was offered the position and to date, has done an outstanding job. Through her initiatives, new legislation was significantly revised to the benefit of the industry. This was a classic case of transferable experience that was not initially on the client’s radar.
Candidates may have difficulty translating experience, achievements
Last, but by no means least, a primary reason that many employers overlook candidates from another sector is that jobseekers are ineffective in identifying and articulating the elements of their transferable experience.
They rely on promoting their transferable skills, but as noted earlier, these are accepted — and required — criteria for just about any role in any industry.
Recruiters can help candidates uncover these transferable elements of experience that can benefit an organization. Let’s take a lesson from the story of the corporate lawyer who is now successfully managing a trade association. Through analyzing her own experience and identifying the challenges faced by the prospective employer, she was able to address a critical need. As a result, against stiff competition, she became the candidate of choice.
James Parr is vice-president at the executive search firm Michael Stern Associates Inc. in Toronto. He can be reached at www.michaelstern.com.
