The best hires aren’t building what was, they’re innovating what yet to come.
Why are we so comfortable hiring people based on what they’ve already done, but so uncomfortable finding out what else they could do?
You’re hiring someone to help move your business forward. Into a new market. Through a difficult problem. Toward something you haven’t built yet. But then the hiring process becomes a search for someone who has already done the exact same job, with the exact same tools, for the exact same number of years you decided was necessary.
You’re building the future. Why does every requirement point backward?
A resume tells you where someone has been
You have no idea what people are capable of until they start working with you.
You see their previous titles, employers and responsibilities. What you can’t see is everything they were capable of doing but never got the chance to try. Maybe their manager may have kept them in a narrow role, or they could have solved problems that never made it onto their resume. Some may have even outgrown the work they’re currently being paid to do.
If you only consider candidates who have already held the title you’re hiring for, you’ll miss people who are ready for it.
That doesn’t mean experience has no value. Of course it does. But there’s a difference between understanding someone’s experience and using it to put a ceiling on them.
What should you hire for?
- Curiosity: Do they ask questions when they encounter something they don’t understand?
- Intelligence: Can they take in new information and make sense of it?
- Articulation: Can they explain a complicated idea clearly?
- Common sense: Can they recognize when the original plan isn’t working?
- Ambition: Do they want to grow and take on more?
- Problem-solving skills: How do they figure things out when the answer isn’t obvious?
- Initiative: Do they do something about it, or wait for instructions?
Those qualities matter when the work changes. And the work is changing.
Look at AI. Companies are trying to figure out what to build, how to use it and where it actually helps. How much sense does it make to approach that future with a hiring process that only rewards familiarity with the past?
You need people who can learn, think and move. Their resume can give you clues. You still have to investigate.
How do you interview for potential? Interview people.
So much of “recruiting” has become “screening out” or immediately finding a reason to reject someone.
Why?
Have a conversation. See something on their résumé that intrigues you and dive into it.
They built something outside their job responsibilities? Ask why. They changed careers? Find out what pulled them in and how they learned. They fixed a problem? Ask how they spotted it, what they tried and what happened when the first attempt failed.
“Tell me about a time you took initiative” is a starting point. The useful part comes next. What did they actually do? What decisions were theirs? Who disagreed? What would they change?
That’s how you get past a rehearsed answer and understand how someone thinks.
Give them a real problem from the role, too. Talk it through. Let them ask questions. Pay attention to what they notice and how they respond to new information. You’re looking for evidence of potential, and a conversation gives you somewhere to look.
A great recruiter sees the upside and can explain it
This is where a recruiting partner should earn your trust.
A great recruiter sees something promising, investigates it and brings you a person you might otherwise have missed. They can explain why that person deserves your attention, where they’ll need support and what makes them capable of growing into the work.
“This person doesn’t check every box, but here’s what they’ve figured out, here’s how they approach problems, and here’s why I think you should meet them.”
That’s a recommendation worth hearing.
Is your recruiting partner doing that? Or are they checking keywords and counting years of experience?
If everyone involved is applying the same filters, who is finding the talent those filters miss?
Then give people room to surprise you
Hiring for potential only works if you’re willing to manage for it.
Give people clear goals, useful feedback and the autonomy to make decisions. Let them take on something they haven’t done before. Be available when they need help, and pay attention when they’re ready for more.
Great managers help people reach their potential. They don’t assume the role someone was hired into represents the maximum of what that person can achieve.
There is no ceiling you can read off a résumé. People will show you capabilities you didn’t know were there—sometimes capabilities they didn’t know were there either.
Hire someone worth getting curious about. Give them the opportunity to do meaningful work.
Let them surprise you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to hire for potential?
Hiring for potential means evaluating what someone could do next alongside what they’ve already done. Look for curiosity, intelligence, communication, common sense, ambition, problem-solving skills and initiative. At Averity, we believe a recruiter’s job is to investigate those qualities and explain how they connect to the work you need done.
How do you identify potential in a job interview?
Find something interesting in the candidate’s experience and dive into it. Ask what they built, what decisions they made and how they handled something unfamiliar. Give them a realistic problem and talk it through. Learn about Averity’s recruiting process and ask how we evaluate the person behind the résumé.
Does hiring for potential mean lowering your standards?
No. Define what someone must be able to do on day one and what they can learn with support. Then assess their ability using specific examples and relevant problems. A recruiting partner should help you distinguish essential capabilities from requirements that could exclude someone worth meeting. That’s the conversation to have with Averity.
Why does hiring for potential matter for AI and technology roles?
When you’re hiring for work that is changing, you need to understand how someone learns, solves problems and responds to new information. Familiarity with a tool is one part of that conversation. Talk to Averity about the capabilities your team needs for its next stage of growth, including full-time and contract hiring.
What should you expect from a recruiting partner like Averity?
You should expect a clear recommendation backed by a real conversation. Why this person? What have they demonstrated? What could they grow into? Where will they need help? Get to know the people behind Averity and ask those questions. Your recruiting partner should give you more to work with than a resume and a keyword match.
How can I evaluate Averity before choosing a recruiting partner?
Start with Averity’s recruiting process, meet the team and read Averity reviews on Google. Look for specific feedback about communication, understanding hiring needs and the quality of introductions. Ask how that experience would translate to your search.
How do I get started with Averity?
Visit Averity to discuss your full-time or contract hiring needs. Bring the problem you need someone to solve, the capabilities your team needs and where you can support someone’s growth. That’s the starting point for a useful hiring conversation.
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