My passion is bringing the right companies together with the right job candidates. This is why our nation’s current statistic of having 11.2 million unemployed individuals (actively and nonactively seeking) while nearly 9 million jobs are being advertised in industries such as retail, technology and financial services is so intriguing.
Putting politics aside, I’d suggest a simple solution to bridging this gap: Hiring companies should learn how to repurpose a portion of their positions to take advantage of skilled applicants they might be overlooking.
Utilized in the hiring process of the New England Patriots, repurposing resulted in Malcolm Butler, a nondrafted, rookie, making the winning play. “Mr. Irrelevant” is a nickname given to the player picked last in an NFL Draft, and Butler wasn’t even a draft pick.
However, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichik, who is known for remodeling the standard NFL hiring process by looking past draft status, realized Butler’s skills could be fine-tuned to fit the needs of his team.
Repurposing is successful by asking yourself the following questions:
Could the candidate gain the needed skills? The adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is based upon the dog’s attitude and ability to learn, not on its age. Expand your criteria to acknowledge candidates who have the experience of learning something challenging or new. You will quickly delineate between those seeking a paycheck and those motivated to make great things happen for your company. New England quarterback Tom Brady recognized Butler’s eagerness to be and do more beginning early at training camp. Look for the Butlers willing to be molded into the needs of your position.
Does the applicant have transferable skills? Every job, at its base, requires a desired skill-set that might be cross-functional from one industry to another. Do not limit your candidates simply because their experience is outside your industry. Butler was one of the best players in the country — for Division II. Belichik gave him a chance by recognizing Butler’s speed and ball-handling skill-set that ultimately won the Super Bowl. Look for similarities instead of differences.
Are you fully utilizing your current employees’ potential? Your best fit for satisfying a vacancy could already be within your company. You know from firsthand experience their work ethic. If they satisfy the two previous qualities, they could be an optimal fit for advancement. Also, make sure to use your employee referrals. Statistics show that employee referrals produce better qualified candidates who stay with the company longer than non referred applicants. Although Belichik saw potential in Butler, a recommendation from fellow coach Chan Gailey, now the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator, allowed Belichik to know Butler existed. Use your resources and be open to promoting from within.
Does your interview process uncover inconspicuous skills? The information you want to uncover in an interview is more than a repetition of what is already available on a resume. Ideal interview questions direct job applicants to present relatable work experiences not just descriptive, trendy adjectives. Repurposing the interview to allow more open-ended, experience-based responses helps to reveal transferrable skills. When vetting Butler, Belichik must have realized the innate talent of reading plays and resilience that Butler possessed. On the second to final play of the game, Jermaine Kearse of the Seattle Seahawks miraculously caught the ball with Butler covering him, leaving Seattle with a prime opportunity for a winning touchdown. With seconds left on the clock, Butler said he knew what he had to do, “jump the route and make the play.” Recognizing the opponent’s formation and determined to make a difference, Butler used his skills to intercept what would have been the game-winning touchdown. The rest is Super Bowl history.
Finding your company's Butler could be easier than you expect. Repurposing your hiring process identifies the “diamonds in the rough” that increase company productivity and contribute to the narrowing of the nations hiring gap.
Taylor Cotterell is EVP of executive search and recruiting firm NaviTrust. Readers can reach him at NaviTrust.com or @headhunterinUT.