There is no such thing as a perfect 10!
Only in the movies and if you are Bo Derrick will you find a perfect 10. If employers think that they will find the perfect candidate that fits every requirement…it is not going to happen. At Best Headhunters, we have the candidates rate themselves based on the job description. We find the majority to be quite honest and rarely hear the candidate say they are a perfect 10. If a candidate scores an 8 or above, we forward their resume to our clients. We just make sure that all the “must haves” are covered and the preferred skills the candidates can do are at least 80%. A willingness to learn and grow into a perfect 10 goes a long way.
I am covering this issue because the expectations of clients who are working with recruiters/headhunters is not realistic. We use out of the box thinking when searching for candidates for our clients. We listen very carefully to what the client is looking for and the areas of their “pain”. Fitting into the company culture is more important than being perfect on paper. Without the ability to fit into the culture, all else will fail. Of course, you want the candidate to be able to hit the ground running, so you need to make sure all the most important skills are there.
What happened to the short training period where the employer introduces the new hire to the employees they will be interacting with? What happened to showing the candidate where the various departments are such as HR or Accounting in case they have a benefits or payroll question. Lastly, what happened to the mentor that spends a few days with the new recruit to show him/her how the office systems work? If these processes are not done, even the best candidate will fail.
Everything is so rushed today. There seems to be no time to do things right, but plenty of time to correct mistakes. Time needs be taken to set up all new employees properly and that time spent will pay off big time. Finally, take the new hire to lunch on the first day. This will go a long way to make the candidate feel welcome and put them at ease so they will be able to come to you to ask any questions they might have to avoid future mistakes. Remember, no one is a perfect 10.