Our BLOG

You Found a Great Candidate, But Don’t Have an Open Position. Should You Create One?

Share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Has this ever happened to you? You’re interviewing a candidate for an open position, and you realize they’re not the right person for that job —but they’re a highly skilled, intelligent person who would fit very well into your corporate culture. And you know if you let them go, they’ll be snapped up by another company and probably not available the next time you’re looking. What can you do?

One idea is to examine your team or your department and see if there is another role this person might take on. Are you or anyone else spending too much time on tasks that don’t need your expertise? Is there another area that’s lacking (besides the one you’re hiring for)? Creating a new role could actually help you increase revenue or productivity.

Another option is to take a look around your organization and see where this person might fit. Is there another department that is actively hiring? Or one that has a consistent work overload? You may be able to find another use for her skills and experience than in your own open job.

Finally, does your company regularly use contractors or other temporary workers? Might creating a new, permanent role for this terrific employee be the best way to get the most value for the company’s money?

Determine why you or your team needs additional help, and identify the benefits that an extra person would bring. There are protocols and procedures you’ll have to follow when you ask HR to create a new role. In order to get your request approved, be sure you can explain to the powers that be:

  • What impact this new role would have on business growth
  • How this role or person would help you meet company goals
  • What skills this candidate possesses that would make them the right fit
  • How this candidate’s expertise would help grow the company (possibly in a new or unplanned direction)

And while every organization is different, you’ll probably need to:

  • Calculate the cost of the new team member
  • Provide a written business case for the new role
  • Write a detailed job description for it

Being proactive in hiring can give you an advantage in hiring your industry’s best talent. How do we know? Because one indicator of a great recruiting firm is that when they find a great candidate, they give you a call – even if you aren’t hiring! At Smith Hanley, we’ve been savvy enough to bring great talent to our clients who weren’t actively looking. Call us if you’d like to speak to our references.

Share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Related Posts

AI in market research

AI In Market Research

In a survey by Qualtrics.com 93% of researchers see AI in market research as a force for good. Even though this 90%+ are convinced of

Read More »
data science in the military

Data Science in the Military

The Department of Defense consumes over a third of the national budget every year. They employ the world’s largest workforce with 3.2 million people. Programs

Read More »