Hiring someone for your firm can be difficult – so is it better to hire someone for their experience or their potential?
Well, that depends. Obviously, hiring someone who has experience in your field offers certain benefits. But, don’t count out the newbies or fresh-out-of-college applicants. And let me tell you why:
They bring in a fresh and ambitious perspective.
If you feel you and your firm are just going through the motions, maybe it’s time for something new. Hiring someone who is new in the field can offer a fresh perspective on your workflow procedures, client relationships, general firm management and more. If they’re fresh out of college or maybe even an internship, they have learned about the latest tools and technology, in an in-depth and education-centered environment. They will have the tools – and education to support those tools – that your firm needs to continue to succeed.
Hiring an ambitious, young person who is excited to be there will be contagious to your other employees, your clients and you. Their energy will be electric. You can teach skills to most, but you cannot teach a positive and ready-to-learn-anything attitude.
You can train them to be the employee you need.
With little experience comes great potential. They are developing their professional habits and who better to teach them the best habits and practices than you?
Often times, bringing in very experienced people can create friction between, ‘How I did things at my old job,’ and ‘How you do things here.’ One of the benefits of hiring someone who is still new in the industry, offers you the unique ability to shape them into the employee that you want.
Look at their resume for their potential – do they have good problem-solving skills? Do they seem to adapt to new places and people easily? Are they organized and ambitious? Do they follow through? These are the skills that you want in your employee, to help train them into the exact fit you are looking for in your firm. Take the time to show them how you talk to clients, how the technology is designed to help take your advising to the next level, and how you do a whole lot more than “crunch numbers.”
A new generation of ideas.
A new generation of workers will bring you a new generation of ideas. As previously mentioned, someone coming out of school or an internship will have learned the industry with all of this new technology in their pocket. They can show you how to utilize this technology to the best of your firm’s ability.
Not only do they have this technology advantage, but with each generation comes a new way of looking at problems, advancements, the world and their place in it. This can be a huge benefit to your firm.
In the words of Robert W. Wendover, “One of the major differences I have noticed between Baby Boomers and Generation X is their approach to problem solving. Boomers are more likely to believe in the system, at least initially, while Xers bring their inherent skepticism to the table.” He goes on to say that Millennials grew up in a world of shortcuts and questioning traditional procedures. These differences in ideas can help your firm grow by allowing the different generations to work together. All parties have a point – listen to them all and decide which concept works best for that situation. The more angles your team can logically look at something from, the better they can thoroughly think it through. Which means your team and your clients will know this is the best possible route for their problem.
While you might not always want to go down the route of hiring someone who is new to the industry, don’t count them out. Experience goes a long way, but it’s not everything. Next time you’re looking for a new team member, consider looking at their skills, ideas and personality traits, to see if they’d be a good fit for your firm.
And remember, everyone remembers the employer who took a chance on them.