Hiring for Potential not Perfection

In a perfect world, the kind we all like to imagine exists, every candidate would check every box on the job description. They'd bring years of experience, mastery of every tool, and the exact combination of qualities you are hoping to find. However, in reality, hiring for perfection, rather than hiring for potential, could be holding your business back.

Many job descriptions today resemble wish lists, rather than strategic hiring tools. Requiring 8+ years of experience, 15 niche tools, and 'start-up hustle' is often unrealistic and limiting. This approach can be costly to your hiring process. Top candidates may not apply if they don't meet every bullet point (especially underrepresented groups). As a result, roles stay open for longer, delaying team productivity and business growth.

However, hiring for potential shifts the focus from ticking boxes to unlocking talent. Consequently, for many employers, this shift can result in stronger long-term performance, deeper employee loyalty, and a more inclusive hiring process.

UNLOCK POTENTIAL IN PERSPECTIVE CANDIDATES

Why Hiring for Potential Matters More Than Ever

Hiring high-potential candidates often brings more long-term value compared with 'perfect-fit' hires. Why? Because they learn fast, adapt quickly, and bring new perspectives, not just the same playbook from another company. They also tend to stay longer when they feel invested in, which strengthens retention.

According to an article in HR magazine, employees who make internal moves are 40% more likely to stay at least three years and have 50% longer tenures overall. A clear demonstration of how powerful career pathways can be for employee loyalty.

In the UK, this matters more than ever. A study by PageGroup and the Centre for Economics and Business Research found that inefficient recruitment and long-term vacancy times could cost the UK economy £132.6 million in 2025. (Source HRreview) Lengthy hiring cycles driven by rigid, perfection-based job descriptions significantly contribute to this problem.

By shifting towards hiring for potential, organisations can shorten time-to-hire, expand their talent pools, and reduce the costly impact of unfilled roles.

The Hidden Cost of Overly Strict Job Descriptions

Many employers just don't realise how much their job descriptions limit them. Data from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) indicates that over half of employers (55.2%) do not explicitly encourage diverse candidates to apply. Additionally, 44% do not use inclusive hiring language. Both factors lead to fewer, less varied applicants.

This is especially important if your intention is to hire for potential, because inclusive language attracts candidates who may have the right mindset, values and learning ability, even if they don't meet every requirement listed. Likewise, job seekers, especially women, career-changers, and individuals from underrepresented groups, are significantly less likely to apply if they don't meet 100% of the criteria. Therefore, a long, perfection-oriented description can unintentionally deter exactly the kind of high-potential candidates you want.

In other words, the 'perfect candidate' mindset can keep great people out. These people could become your strongest performers with the right training and support.

Hiring for Potential in a Competency-Focused Job Market

A growing movement across organisations centres on inclusive hiring, skills-based assessment, and early-career development. The REC's employer survey even noted that EDI practices have become more embedded than ever before, contradicting earlier fears that inclusion was losing priority.

This aligns with hiring for potential, since potential-focused hiring naturally encourages:

• Broader talent pools

• More equitable access to opportunities

• Reduced reliance on narrow, experience-heavy criteria

• Better long-term retention outcomes

Another example is the growth in neurodiversity hiring. According to the Indeed Hiring Lab, job postings referencing neurodiversity have nearly quadrupled, pointing to a shift toward hiring individuals based on strengths rather than rigid experience criteria.

These developments show that hiring for potential, not perfection, isn't just a hiring trend; it's becoming imperative.

How to Reimagine Your Job Description

REIMAGINE YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION

If you are ready to adopt hiring for potential more intentionally, you don't have to start from scratch. Start with your job description; small changes can make a big impact. Here are some suggestions:

1. Distinguish Must-Haves from Nice-To-Haves

Ask yourself: What does this person truly need on day one, and what can be developed in the first few months?

If a skill can be trained, it belongs in the nice-to-have section, not the essential criteria. Most roles only need three to five must-haves. Everything else simply narrows your talent pool.

This is one of the simplest and most effective shifts you can make when hiring for potential.

2. Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Tools

Instead of listing every platform, program, or language, describe the goals of the role:

• 'Deliver high-quality reporting insights...'

• 'Build and manage multi-marketing campaigns...'

• 'Strengthen customer relationships through service excellence...'

Tools change, skills evolve, but outcomes endure. Outcome-focused descriptions naturally appeal to potential-driven candidates more.

3. Highlight Growth Opportunities

People don't just want a job; they want to grow and develop their careers. When you are hiring for potential, growth is the magnet that attracts these candidates. To attract them try including:

• The skills they will develop

• How they can progress internally

• What the first year of learning looks like

• Opportunities for mentorship or training

This speaks directly to ambitious individuals, exactly the kind of people who thrive when they are hired for their potential.

4. Use Accessible, Inclusive Language

Avoid jargon, aggressive phrasing, and unrealistic expectations like:

• 'Ninja', 'Guru', or 'Rockstar'

• 'Able to work under pressure at all times'

• 'Thich-skinned' or 'must handle constant change'

Inclusive job ads attract more applicants, widen your pool, and support hiring for potential rather than perfection by eliminating barriers. After all, these barriers can disproportionately affect underrepresented groups. REC's research emphasises how critical inclusive language is, and how many employers are still missing the mark.

5. Show That You Welcome Transferable Skills

Remember, potential often lives in transferable strengths:

• Problem solving

• Communication

• Learning Agility

• Adaptability

• Curiosity

• Team collaboration

By explicitly welcoming candidates with transferable skills, you make room for people who may not have direct experience but have everything they need to excel.

What Hiring Potential Looks Like in Practice

HIRING FOR POTENTIAL IN PRACTICE

Companies that excel in hiring for potential tend to:

• Prioritise mindset over a perfect background

• Assess how candidates think, not just what they have done

• Recognise that diverse experiences add value

• Provide structured learning, shadowing, or onboarding support

• Build roles that evolve as the employee grows

Instead of asking, 'Has this person already done every part of this job?', they ask, 'Can this person grow into this job and probably beyond it?' This tactic creates space for innovation and long-term development.

The Bottom Line: Don't Just Fill Seats - Build Futures

In today's job market, waiting for the 'perfect' candidate could mean missing out on the right one. And, when competition is fierce, talent is scarce, and vacancies are costly, hiring for potential may be the most strategic shift a company can make.

Remember, when you hire for potential, you invest in growth, not just for your new team member, but for your business. You build a culture that values learning, that develops people, and that adapts to change instead of resisting it.

So, don't just fill seats. Build futures, build capabilities, and build teams that grow with you.

Reading to start hiring for potential? Talk to one of our experienced team members today.