By Chris Hillman, Executive Search Expert
SearchPath of Chicago
http://www.searchpathofchicago.com
Experienced vs. Inexperienced Hires: Pros and Cons
Employees characteristically fall into one of two categories: experienced or inexperienced. Typically candidates with vast experience come with a higher price tag while ones will little or no applicable working history may fall lower on the salary spectrum. While this can definitely be the case, there are many other attributes that these candidates have.
Experienced
Yes, these candidates may come with a higher price tag but what that entails may be worth it if the position requires. Experienced professionals have most likely encountered, and overcome, many common challenges in the workplace and learned many valuable lessons that inexperienced candidates are not familiar with. Hiring someone with working knowledge can help cut down on training and on-boarding costs due to their skill set, which would allow for faster productivity.
There are possible downfalls that come with years of experience. After years in the field, many people develop habits and office etiquette that can be difficult to alter. The attitude of “Been there, done that, I know what to do” may come into play, which could lead to headstrong people who are not willing to bend their ways.
Inexperienced
With inexperience comes a fresh perspective: a new outlook on an old problem, a novel approach existing workflows or a forward thinking view on current processes. A benefit of hiring a worker who hasn’t developed “bad” habits is that they can be molded to fit into a desired culture and work pattern without the task of breaking unwanted routines. Typically, employees who lack experience are ready to prove their worth and are eager to impress which will motivate them to work hard in order to gain trust and respect.
A prolonged on-boarding process may be necessary with inexperienced hires in order to get them up to speed on all processes, which could result in delayed productivity output. With a lack of first hand understanding of potential problems employees may buckle under the pressure that more practiced professionals can easily handle.
Understanding the job requirements is imperative in determining what type of professional would be a best fit: a free-thinking individual who could be molded to fit into any culture that brings new, innovative ideas to the team but may possibly require additional training and time or an individual who can jump straight into the role and immediately start providing value and bring real-life lessons learned but may possibly be unwilling to adjust to news ways of doing business and would prefer to stick to the their set in behaviors. There is not a right or wrong choice but rather a better fit for the opening.
For a further FREE evaluation of your specific hiring process, needs and evaluation please contact:
SearchPath of Chicago, Inc.
Chris Hillman, Executive Search Expert
email Chris Hillman or dial (815) 261-4403 x 100
http://www.searchpathofchicago.com
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