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Do you hire qualifications over experience?

It’s the age-old debate isn’t it? Do you give the person with qualifications the gig over the person with the runs on the board and a wealth of experience?

I know what you’re thinking, go with experience right? But experience doesn’t always equal performance. It is actually possible to do the same job for many years without achieving any goals or objectives and be pretty ordinary at it. 

In today’s competitive market and with the explosion of more digital options than you can poke a stick at, and more emerging technologies right around the corner, we have found that one particular quality rates higher than qualifications and experience. But you will have to read a little further before we share what we think it is…  

Education can quickly become out of date. Ask anyone with a Marketing Degree or Bachelor of Business that graduated more than 10 years ago, and they will tell you that their industry has been turned on its head. Marketers predominantly had four main choices when it came to allocating a marketing budget and that consisted of television, radio, newspapers/magazines and billboards. Now, thanks to digital media, we have endless opportunities at our fingertips and recognising a good or bad opportunity is more challenging than ever. 

It is easy to be seduced by dazzling qualifications, but don’t let a degree from an elite institution stop you from looking at the big picture and whether the fit is right for what you need right now. 

“At the very core of our business is the beating heart of creative thinking and something we like to call our ‘Superbrain’.”

The number one quality that we believe is the most important when choosing the right people to work on your business is, creative thinking and a track record of results. Creative thinkers look at life differently. Traditionally, they have been referred to as “out of the box” thinkers and can visualise things that are not obvious. Creative thinkers can solve problems, meet challenges and bring a fresh and sometimes unorthodox perspective to the table. Even some people who you would expect to have creative thinking qualities fall short, due to not keeping their skills up to date or simply losing their passion. So how can you recognise a creative thinker above others? Here we list a few tips to follow when appointing someone new to work on your business;

1. Request a recent testimonial – Yes, the individual or company may have been brilliant at what they did five years ago, but what have they done recently that you can see aligning to what you need from them today in the 21st century. Even better, ask for the contact details of someone that can speak about what it’s like to work with them and don’t be afraid to ask the questions you really want to know. 

2. Put them on the spot – Now we aren’t suggesting you make this too difficult, but in a meeting with them provide a problem you are currently experiencing and ask them to solve it. Right in that moment you will see how they handle pressure and if they are able to come up with ideas on their own, or whether they prefer to Google the answer when you are gone. Even if the answer they provide isn’t the winning answer, at least you will see their creative thinking ability right in front of you. Creative thinkers naturally enjoy solving problems as it is innate to them. If you are seeing signs of stress or uncertainty, then creative thinking levels might be low. 

3. Ask if they could change one thing about your business, what it would be – By asking this question, again it will bring forward the creative thinker. Remember these people are traditionally analytical, open minded and enjoy solving problems. 

At the very core of our business is the beating heart of creative thinking and something we like to call our “Superbrain”. Each member of our team is an individual creative thinker, but when we come together, we are something much more powerful. 

Our Superbrain has allowed us to win multiple industry awards and win contracts over and above our southern counterparts, truly proving that location does not determine skill level. We have a great array of talent right here in North Queensland, and as proud locals, we punch above our weight. 

With all this in mind, it is easy to see why business owners and managers have such a tough time making the right decision and possibly end up not making a decision at all.

But if nothing else, we hope this article has prompted you to take a second look at who you are appointing in important roles within your business. Are these people guiding you on a road to success, or down a road of uncertainty?

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