Here is what a QUALIFIED job candidate looks like

We recently revamped our Hiring Services Process and now are guaranteeing our clients will have 3 - 5 qualified candidates to review. This change has everyone asking, "What does a qualified candidate look like?"

As Inner Circle University's Hiring Services Manager with 20 years experience in recruiting, hiring, and human resources, I am here to answer that question! 

Qualified can have a different meaning for different people.

At the current time, I primarily help Insurance Agencies across the US who are looking for Sales Agents. Successful Sales Agents possess the ability to start a conversation with a stranger, pull out pertinent information that's used to quote business, without trying to read from a script, build rapport and trust that leads to a long term relationship with referrals. 

Sounds pretty easy, right? What isn't included in that description is the amount of time that's necessary in this industry to properly learn how to do this. It can take 6+ months in order for someone to learn enough to feel confident in the quoting process to be able to do it without major support from peers, or a manager. This is where we lose a lot of people - it has become a popular belief that individuals should be able to learn and feel confident in a new job within a few weeks.  This just isn't the norm with Insurance. We are looking for people who can see the bigger picture - a career as opposed to a job. And this is where the difference in what my clients deem to be a qualified candidate vs. what I consider. 

Here's what my clients think "qualified" means: 

Previous proven sales experience, Solid work history and, Ideally, an insurance license. While all these things are great, the world that we live in today makes a candidate with all 3 of these qualities a unicorn!  A big part of what I do is screen for potential. Everyone needs to start somewhere. A sales person doesn't get experience in sales until an employer takes a chance on them and teaches them how. 

Qualified to me means any combination of the following: 

• Previous proven sales / customer service experience
• Great personality
• Ability to think quickly and on the fly
• Level of interest in the position
• Education - this does not necessarily mean all candidates need to have a 4 year degree - but sometimes it can fill a gap in with prior experience
• Job history - I will consider a candidate who has been with the same organization for 5 years with little to no sales experience over a "sales" professional that has jumped jobs every few months
• How they do with our process - I put candidates through a pretty intense process - they have to 1. schedule an interview with me 2. show up for this interview 3. complete a 30-45 minute assessment 4. express interest in the position after all of this and want a meeting with the Hiring Manager.  Someone who completes this process in a timely manner and interviews well with me, is going to get my "qualified" stamp of approval. 

All in all, what I am trying to say here is that a qualified candidate can mean so much more than just previous experience. In today's recruiting world, we need to be open to looking at other skills, experience, abilities, and qualities where we see potential and work to nourish the new hire with training and support to develop the top quality employee we are seeking. 

To learn more about Inner Circle University's Hiring Services or about the author Tasha Mills, click here