Shake Off Stagnation by Hiring Outside Your Industry

Conventional wisdom states that when filling an open position, it’s important to hire a candidate with intimate knowledge of the industry. But what if that wisdom wasn’t always the best way to do things? Sometimes, hiring someone from outside the given industry can bring a unique point of view and add value that could be missed if the talent pool is limited. Product specialists from adjunct industries might be a good place to start looking. Good candidates would likely be on the customer side of the hiring company’s product or service and can help the organization better understand what they should be offering to be attractive to potential buyers. They can also indicate the red flags that might make a potential customer look elsewhere. Startups are also great places to look for outsiders. Considering a candidate who has worked at an unrelated startup where they did everything from sweeping the floors to setting up high-level sales calls might be beneficial because such individuals are comfortable in loosely defined, fast-paced structures that might reignite a stagnant, slow-moving workforce.