My new clients often tell me “there is no one out there” for their tough searches. This is usually after they’ve tried to find candidates themselves, and become exhausted and frustrated in the process. I disagree with the statement – there is ALWAYS someone available (whether they know it at first or not), and they stay hidden not because of the market, their magical powers of invisibility, or fill in the blank. They often stay hidden because of my clients’ over-stringent screening in processes.

Pretend you are dating. Yes, dating! You have a list of 100 traits that your prospective mate must have, non-negotiable. How long would it take you to find this 100-trait gem? Chances are, it’d be very, very tough. What normally happens is you whittle that list down to the real requirements as the charm of your newfound love makes the rest seem irrelevant. Compromise is part of dating, life, and hiring. If you keep an open mind and are willing to negotiate certain points, it’s a lot easier to find that “perfect person”.

And so it is in hiring. When beginning a search I ask my clients to give me 3 non-negotiables and 3 nice-to-haves in a candidate. That is admittedly oversimplifying, but the point is to start screening IN before we screen OUT. Make sense? Once we get candidates with the basics in our sights, we can then begin to see the big picture, e.g. who is actually out there. We can also make logical assessments about the position’s requirements, versus an aribitrary wish list.

Some requirements make sense. If you’re a developer in a JV with an equity firm, you just might need someone with an exceptional educational pedigree so he can be bragged about when raising money. On the other hand, if this is a boots-on-the- ground role and existing problems need to be taken care of quickly, past experience should reign supreme. So, when you make your list of requirements think of it as a desires list that will morph into a useable one as the search progresses.

Two of the items that are most often modified when hunting unicorns are geography and money. A while back I conducted a search for a company that was located in a geographically undesirable location. They had tried on their own and with a different search firm to find a candidate – to no avail. When I was hired, the first thing I explained was that we were going to have to bring someone in from another market, pay for relocation, and potentially up the budgeted salary by as much as $50,000 (that was a fun call – NOT).  My client trusted me, and it worked. We located and secured our unicorn in a different market, relocated him and his family, and paid top dollar for his skills and experience.  He is, by the way, pretty much perfect.

Money fixes are more difficult in a public company structure. Publics normally have strict pay grades in place, and good luck getting them set aside, even for the perfect candidate. In these instances we can play with car allowances, time off, work from home arrangements, stock, etc. – anything that won’t take the candidate out of the “range” but will add to the total compensation package.

So, where are the perfect candidates? Probably right in front of you, IF you stay flexible and listen to what the market tells you. And if you can’t do this on your own…well, you know where to find me.

Happy Hunting!