Every hiring manager wants a great hire.
But in a saturated, cautious, and competitive market, some teams are still holding out for the perfect hire, and it’s slowing everything down.
Job descriptions read like wish lists. Budgets don’t match expectations. And the roles sit open for months while teams burn out.
Here’s the hard truth: Your perfect candidate might not exist.
But that doesn’t mean you have to settle.
It means you need to get clear on what actually matters. and hire with precision, not perfectionism.
The Common Traps That Derail Good Hiring
Let’s start with what’s getting in the way.
🔹 Laundry list job descriptions: Ten-plus bullet points, six competing skill sets, and a requirement for industry experience and niche tools and advanced degrees. This creates confusion and pushes away qualified candidates who assume they don’t check every box.
🔹 Unrealistic salary-to-skill expectations: Wanting a senior-level leader with cloud architecture, team leadership, cybersecurity knowledge, and a transformation track record… all for a mid-range salary. Candidates can spot misalignment quickly, and they move on.
🔹 Internal disagreement on what’s most important: If your team isn’t aligned on the top priorities for the role, your search will drift. And the longer it drags, the harder it is to attract top talent.
Refocus on “Must-Haves” vs. “Nice-to-Haves”
One of the most powerful exercises in hiring strategy is brutally simple:
Ask your team:
What will this person actually need to do in their first 90–180 days?
That usually uncovers the true must-haves – not what looks nice on paper.
- Does the role really require X years of experience, or just a proven ability to lead similar projects?
- Is that certification truly essential, or just preferred?
- Would a strong problem solver with adjacent experience be able to succeed?
Refining the list opens up a wider — and often stronger — candidate pool.
The ROI of Hiring for Potential and Culture Fit
A candidate who checks 100% of the boxes might feel like the safest bet. But often, the best hires are the ones who grow into the role, not just sit in it.
Hiring for potential means:
- Prioritizing adaptability, learning mindset, and business acumen
- Choosing someone who brings fresh perspective and energy
- Investing in training or onboarding that pays off in loyalty and performance
Hiring for culture fit means:
- Looking beyond technical skills to assess how the person aligns with your team’s values and communication style
- Reducing the risk of misalignment that leads to quick turnover
- Building a team that’s more cohesive, and ultimately more productive
Real-World Example: From “Almost” to A+
One of our clients was searching for a Senior Systems Engineer with experience in two very specific platforms, plus management skills. The job sat open for 5 months with no success.
Eventually, they expanded the profile to prioritize deep experience in one of the platforms and a strong track record of cross-functional collaboration.
They hired a candidate who had never worked with the secondary platform, but ramped up in 30 days, exceeded integration goals, and became a team lead within six months.
They didn’t settle. They realigned.
Final Thought: Don’t Lower the Bar – Focus It
Your perfect candidate might not exist.
But your best-fit candidate absolutely does.
By narrowing your focus to what really matters — impact, potential, and alignment — you move faster, hire smarter, and reduce costly delays.
👋 Want help refining your role requirements or realigning a stalled search? That’s where we come in. Let’s connect.
By Jessica Werlinger | Paradigm Group