Why you shouldn’t hire a perfect fit
Don’t hire the perfect match for the job — hire the person for whom the job will be an upgrade, a challenge to be met. You’ll be rewarded with a high level of motivation and performance.
Job listings rightfully have a detailed description of the roles & responsibilities of the person to be hired in the position listed. Recruiters will scan each applicant’s profile to see how much of a fit she is for the role. Most will use automated Applicant Tracking Systems and automated keyword matching services to create an initial match score for each applicant. The assumption is that the closer the matching score to 100%, the better the applicant for the position. If all the tasks & responsibilities expected from the applicant in the new role were performed in the past— perfect, she will be able to do the same again and deliver all that is expected. She’s done it in the past, she’ll be able to do it again, the reasoning goes.
Zero risk, high value, right? Wrong.
Such an approach misses the point of why an ambitious person would be looking for a new position — which is looking for new growth opportunities. And for such a reason, she would not be interested in a position that is a perfect match for her. She’s looking for new opportunities because she wants to grow beyond to what is available to her right now. She’s looking for challenges in an environment that is beyond her present. She’s looking to expand, into the future, and not to remain in or replicate the past.
A person switching teams or companies to get into the same old same old that she’s leaving may mean she’s not really performing in her current position too well. Or she has conflicts that she cannot resolve at her current place, and hopes switching context will not replicate the same situation.
It’s not a good sign if the biggest challenge with a new position is to learn a new route towards the office, otherwise all remaining the same. During COVID-19, one might only need to use a new style of video conference service. Hiring the perfect match has the danger of getting into a situation without challenges, without growth opportunities, resulting in a demotivated person, repeating the same grind she’s been doing before. This is a recipe for mediocre performance and stagnation. As boredom results in a reduced level of alertness, a lack of challenges results in a reduced level of performance.
Instead, finding a candidate that is almost but not totally a perfect match, who gets an upgrade in the new position will result in a personal growth opportunity for the applicant. A challenging environment brings inherent motivation to the person and results in high productivity, similarly to a moderate level of stress resulting in a higher level of alertness.
Managing growth always requires attention and energy from the environment — both for internal team members and new hires. The company might focus on what areas they really want the candidate to have and where they are encouraging growth and challenges, balancing an established foundation with growth areas. Only looking for a foundation but nothing to be built on top results in a barren landscape.
Don’t hire the perfect match for the job — hire the person for whom the job will be an upgrade, a challenge to be met. You’ll be rewarded with a high level of motivation and performance.
Ákos Maróy is a seasoned manager and founder of several for-profit and non-profit ventures.
