By: Trish Valenzuela

One of the most common hiring challenges I see isn’t a shortage of qualified candidates. It’s a hiring process built around finding the ‘perfect fit.’ On the surface, that sounds reasonable. Every organization wants to make the best possible hire.

The challenge isn’t finding talented professionals. It’s that the definition of “perfect” can become so restrictive that excellent candidates are overlooked. As hiring teams continue adding preferred qualifications, they unintentionally reduce the number of professionals who could be successful in the role.

Instead of asking, ‘Who can help us achieve our goals?’, the conversation becomes ‘Who checks every box?’ Those are very different questions.

Start With the Business Objective

Before beginning a search, I encourage hiring managers and recruiters to take a step back and clarify the role’s purpose.

• What business problem are we trying to solve?
• What will success look like after one year?
• Which skills are truly essential?
• Which capabilities can be developed after someone joins the organization?

Conversations like this will reveal that many of the ‘must-have’ requirements are actually preferences. Once everyone agrees on the objective, recruiting becomes much more focused.

Don’t Let Assumptions Drive the Search

One key thing I’ve reinforced in my 11 years of recruiting is that assumptions create unnecessary barriers. It’s easy to assume someone won’t relocate. We may also think they don’t have enough industry experience. Compensation, travel, or geography might make us believe they wouldn’t be interested.

But assumptions aren’t recruiting strategies. Conversations are. If you never ask – you’ll never know. Some of the strongest candidates that I have worked with weren’t initially obvious on paper. What made the difference was taking the time to understand their motivations, career goals, and what they were actually looking for in their next opportunity.

The Value of Hiring for Potential

The strongest professionals aren’t always people who have done the exact same job before. Sure, there are boxes to tick – like any role – but instead of asking whether someone has gone and done the list of things prior, instead, get into:

• Can they learn?
• Will they adapt?
• Can they solve problems?
• Will they contribute to the culture we’re trying to build?

The answer to these often predicts long-term success far better than a checklist.

Think Beyond Today’s Search

Recruiting shouldn’t be viewed as a single transaction. Every search is an opportunity to strengthen your recruiting process. Each and every conversation builds market intelligence, and every prospect or candidate interaction expands your professional network.

The hiring process doesn’t always end with an offer. A respectful candidate experience can lead to future opportunities, referrals, and lasting professional relationships.

Build a Better Process

A strong hiring process begins before the first résumé is reviewed. Start by defining the role and what success looks like, then separate the qualifications that are truly essential from those that are simply preferred. Use consistent interview questions, verify information instead of making assumptions, and evaluate every candidate against the same criteria. Finally, continue building relationships with talented professionals—even when there isn’t an immediate opening. A structured, relationship-driven process leads to better hiring decisions over time.

Final Thoughts

The perfect candidate is a myth. However, unicorns do exist. The right candidate for the job is someone who can get the job done, and build the business forward. This is someone whose strengths align with the organization’s vision, and whose values fit the culture you’re building.

When we shift our focus from perfection to purpose, we make better hiring decisions.  And when we build thoughtful, relationship-driven recruiting processes, those better hiring decisions become repeatable. Because the goal isn’t to find perfect people.

The goal is to build stronger teams. Before your next search, bring your hiring team together and answer one question: What business problem are we trying to solve?

That conversation often creates more value than rewriting the job description.