Why should you look outside your industry for your next hire? You hired…who?? Elite talent that comes from a different industry can be, for some positions, a tremendous advantage. Change in careers is inevitable. Key soft skills such as problem solving, team-building and leadership, will transfer to a new job regardless of the industry. You will significantly increase your talent pool and cast a much wider net by tapping into candidates from other industries. Organizations can benefit tremendously by bringing in candidates from the outside with fresh perspectives, and a broader outlook. This may seem disruptive, but the focus shifts to progress and innovation. Candidates will be able to ask the questions an industry veteran would be afraid to ask! Maybe you can’t or shouldn’t fill every job opening with someone from outside the industry. But you should assess the transferable core skills each candidate brings, and have a broad, big picture approach to engage with these candidates. By doing so, new ideas and solutions can help to accelerate and drive innovation within your company. Job seekers from outside your industry embrace change – and with the right combination of attributes – they are crucial in today’s tight labor market.
