Have you made a mistake today? If you have, that could be good news! Here’s why:
When we make hiring decisions, we often look for people with a lot of relevant experience. But, if we apply that criterion too strictly, we could be missing out. Bear with me as I start with those “good” mistakes.
Wrong to right
I like giving young, inexperienced people an opportunity to learn. It’s true that they may not always know the best course of action to take. Allowing them to make “mistakes” or wrong decisions has the huge benefit of a possible life or career lesson.
Think about it: What mistakes did you make when you first started in your career? The outcome of those rough patches stung, but the emotional, financial or social pain helped you in the long run. You didn’t want to slip up in the same way again. You gained valuable experience, and next time, the right decision came more easily.
Thankfully, learning from mistakes doesn’t end after we’ve put in a few years on the job. Consistent growth for all of us is nurtured by the ability to make mistakes and move on with new insights.
Drawing the line
You might be shaking your head right now and thinking, “There’s no way I’m going to hire some newbie for my team.” I understand that point of view. Some jobs — especially those that require technical skills — may not lend themselves to on-the-job training. I wouldn’t hire a maintenance technician who didn’t know which end of a wrench to use. But, if given the choice between equally trained candidates with varying levels of experience, choosing the person with less experience could mean getting an employee with less to “unlearn.”
This article offers a handful of reasons to hire someone inexperienced. Among them are:
- You can avoid the ruts and mental laziness that workers fall into when they’ve been doing the same tasks for years.
- Inexperienced people ask basic questions that could lead everyone on the staff in a new, innovative direction.
- Employees from outside your industry bring fresh insights.
If you’re sifting through a pile of resumes looking for that “perfect” candidate, try adjusting your expectations. Could someone untested or new to the fleet world bring unexpected benefits?
