Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1169316
19.09.19 13 OPINION Kevin-James Fenech Experience is everything, right? I don't necessarily think so. Like in al- most everything: it depends. 'Job Ex- perience', defined as the number of years worked, the number of jobs held, tenure of each job and experience in a similar role; is important up to a certain extent and does not necessarily predict success of external recruits. e problem with job experience is that it doesn't reveal / explain the qual- ity or significance of that same experi- ence. is is precisely why we have in- terviews and why skilled interviewers are needed to dig deep and look beyond the experience listed in a CV. e experience a candidate acquires from a previous job in a similar role, doesn't necessarily predict future suc- cess in a same or a similar prospective new role. To elucidate: if the candidate was in his current or previous job sur- rounded by high-performing co-work- ers who to some extent 'carried' the candidate or the candidate was lucky to operate under the wings of a first-rate Head/Manager, the experience men- tioned in a CV needs to be qualified, if it is to be understood properly. In ad- dition, one also needs to evaluate the knowledge and skills and how the can- didate learnt from past mistakes and developed/grew. Context and a deep understanding is everything here and this is why insightful / analytical inter- viewing is crucial. Added to the above, and given the cur- rent job market (too many jobs chasing too few job seekers), let's admit it but 'experience' has become a bit of a lux- ury or even a rare trait. One is actual- ly and probably better-off recruiting young high-potential talent without any job experience. In such a case, my ad- vice is to go for aptitude, problem solv- ing skills, emotional intelligence and self-motivation. You might find it is eas- ier to integrate this kind of talent and in the medium-term a surer way to ensure recruitment success. I am actually starting to think that job experience is a bit passé. Just like age (too young or too old) became irrele- vant in the previous decade. Skilled in- terviewers now-a-days look beyond ex- perience. What really matters is the 'fit' of the candidate with the job opportu- nity on offer. e interviewer, therefore, needs to ask himself/herself: given the culture at this company; given the man- agement style of the direct report; giv- en the team dynamics of the recruiting department/unit; given the weaknesses or even gaps of the team; etc; what does the candidate need to be or have. is is how fit is determined and I think the focus of a good interview should be pre- cisely this. One also has to properly assess the personality and character of the candi- date. is is more art than science and based on the instincts of (excuse the pun) an 'experienced' recruiter or HR interviewer. You have to ask yourself, if I am in a sticky-situation and the future of my job depends on this candidate, would I want him on my team? Can I see this candidate adapting and learn- ing in different scenarios? Will he/she be a positive force? is is why earlier I mentioned: aptitude, problem solv- ing skills, emotional intelligence and self-motivation. is is what you need to look at, not job experience. Another reason why sometimes, and ironically, job experience is not a deter- mining factor in certain circumstances is because sometimes an employer is not ready for an 'experienced' candi- date. Sometimes as an interviewer or recruiter, you have to be honest with yourself (& the employer) and recog- nise that a candidate is simply too good at this moment in time. Ultimately, we are trying to ensure that the recruit- ment is a success for both parties: the candidate and the employer. ere is little point in only one party gaining, since eventually this will al- ways lead to a premature end. Admit- tedly, not everyone sees it like I do but to my mind, one is not just looking for a good fit but long term recruitment success. Granted sometimes it is necessary to go for a short-term fix but this is the exception not the rule. An employer goes for a short-term solution in talent acquisition knowing the risks and costs involved and only knowingly does so because 'needs must'. Otherwise, re- cruitment fails and doesn't deliver long- term, sustainable value. I hope I am not misunderstood. Job experience and (I would add) qualifi- cations are necessary and a lack or ab- sence of one or both, could mean you don't even make it to the first interview but having relevant experience (prima face) doesn't mean you'll get the job. A good example, perhaps, is the re- cruitment of Alexis Sánchez, when the footballer moved from Arsenal to Man- chester United. Clearly this highly dec- orated (ex-Barcelona) player had plenty of 'experience'; experience of playing for a top European club; experience of cop- ing with pressure; experience of work- ing under a demanding football coach. Yet for some reason or another, his recruitment was a complete and very expensive failure. is is precisely the point I am trying to make. Put simply: We need to look beyond 'job experience' when recruiting; there is so much more that determines re- cruitment success and delivers sustain- able value. Kevin is the founder and owner of JOB Search - jobsearch.mt and FENCI Consulting fenci.eu. He is a management consultant and business advisor by profession, focusing on strategy, human resources and recruitment. He has a passion for anything related to business and has written about the topic for over 10 years in most major newspapers or journals