Are You Too Picky?

Two things inspired this Blog.

The first was a TV series I’ve begun watching on Stan called ‘Younger’. For those who don’t know the synopsis, it’s about a ’40 something’ woman who is returning to work after 15 years. She can’t seem to get a job due to her age, so she says she’s 26 and scores herself a job in a publishing agency.

The second thing that inspired this blog was a post I saw on LinkedIn by a CEO in Colorado, USA that was discussing that if you reject job seekers due to them being too old, having a zigzag career path or having their education/ experience from a different country, then you need to broaden your horizons.

One thing I hear from Hiring Managers when they reject job seekers is that they’re too ‘senior’. Whilst I agree that there is risk involved in hiring a senior person as they may get bored and leave, this isn’t always the case. If a job seeker who has a wealth of experience is willing to work in a role, which may be considered too ‘junior’ for them, then you are essentially getting a Bentley for the price of a Toyota.

A lot of varying factors need to be taken into account when there is a hiring process underway. But one aspect should always be left open, your mind and thought process. Be aware of unconscious bias. We need to broaden our search parameters and consider people we may not have thought could succeed in the role. It may surprise you, that the sort of people you meet and the perfect job seeker, may end up being someone who you originally wouldn’t have considered.