The ideal job candidate probably only exists on paper, and only actual people are eligible to apply.
This is the age of disclaimers, so let’s dispense with that first. We operate under the belief that there is no such thing as a purple squirrel. They do not exist in nature—although it’s probably easy to catch one and dye its fur purple. Excepting this possibility, they don’t exist.
So, when people in the recruitment industry make reference to a purple squirrel, they—like us—are talking about something that can’t be found. The rest of this article rests upon that premise. The “Purple Squirrel Syndrome” can be a major frustration and a financial loss to employers and the professionals they retain to help them find candidates.
Like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, there comes a time when it’s necessary to let go of the belief in people who don’t exist—like the ideal job candidate. Here’s how to avoid chasing after purple squirrels.
Wait, purple squirrels DO exist!
Of course, they do. The ideal job candidate is always out there. However, recruiters know that locating a purple squirrel is about as likely as seeing Halley’s Comet more than once in a lifetime. (In case you’re wondering, it was last seen from Earth in 1986 and won’t be around again until 2061.) They often wish that their clients understood this, as well.
It’s possible to attract and hire the ideal candidate, but that requires a “perfect storm” where everything has aligned. It’s possible, but unlikely. Here’s why.
You can’t blame them. Hiring managers want the perfect employee. This candidate will possess every skill—both soft and hard—required to execute the job, and their resume will make the keyword search algorithm go off like a jackpot on a slot machine. Alas, these candidates are rare. Or, they’re nonexistent. This possibility increases as you head into highly competitive industries where the perfect mix of skills and experience makes a purple squirrel so valuable that their current employer appropriately compensates them to keep them off the market.
In other words, purple squirrels are alive and well but not receptive to your opportunity.
Someday my purple squirrel will come
The longing for perfection keeps hiring managers passing on job candidates who almost-but-not-quite have checkmarks next to every single requirement. The position remains open for weeks, and then months. Department heads grumble, co-workers scramble to cover, and yet the hiring manager remains hopeful that the ideal candidate will appear.
Patience is a virtue. However, in nearly all cases, an ideal candidate as envisioned by the hiring manager will never materialize. This is a loss in 2 important ways.
1. Time spent by the recruiter trying to fill the opening
2. Productivity sacrificed by a company compensating for the open position
How to “de-purplize” squirrels
There is nothing wrong about being selective. It might be time, though, to take a more strategic approach to identifying and hiring ideal candidates.
- Apply triage to your job descriptions. Some qualifications may be non-negotiable. The specific software program proficiency you insist the ideal candidate must possess: what if a candidate is only so-so with it? It might cost less in the long run to hire them and help them gain proficiency than keep the position open in the hopes you’ll find an ideal candidate.
- Embrace “in lieu of” opportunities. An English major who has won multiple national-level advertising awards is an awesome snag for your marketing department. And yesterday, a potential candidate who took home several statues from Cannes last year passed on your job posting because they dropped out of college. Ouch.
- Make your own people purple. One of the most underutilized opportunities companies have in developing successful working relationships with their recruitment partners is in the area of internal development. Recruitment companies have the ability to canvas your staff and determine how to cultivate tomorrow’s employee superstars.
- Turn it on and leave it on. Your recruitment process, that is. Reactionary hiring further removes the possibility of finding an ideal candidate who has an unusual combination of education, skills, and experience. Proactive hiring cultivates a much more valuable partnership with your recruitment partner. They become continual talent seekers instead of passive administrators.
If you know how and where to look, you may just spot the most perfect-shade-of-purple squirrel for your company. Having a partner can make the search much easier. At Mankuta | Gallagher we’ve been helping companies find the best candidates since 1994. How can we help you in your quest?