Better hires start with better conversations.
I keep coming back to that because I've seen it play out too many times to ignore.
Not long ago, we interviewed a candidate for an estimator role who didn't look like the obvious fit on paper. He had solid experience, but his most recent positions didn't clearly align with what we were hiring for. If we had relied solely on his resume, it would have been easy to move on to the next candidate.
Then we interviewed him.
Truthfully, it wasn't one of those interviews where everyone walked out saying, "We've found our guy." In fact, it felt a little underwhelming. He was personable, energetic, and easy to talk to, but there was a legitimate concern about whether he would enjoy sitting in front of a computer estimating projects all day.
That's where hiring gets difficult.
A resume tells us where someone has been. An interview gives us a glimpse of who they are. But neither one tells the whole story.
The hiring manager and I talked through the risks. His references were outstanding. His work history demonstrated consistency. More importantly, there was enough evidence to believe he had the capacity to learn, the attitude to adapt, and the character to become successful if we invested in him.
The risk felt manageable. So we hired him.
Once he learned the software, understood the estimating process, and became part of the team, something remarkable happened. He flourished. His productivity grew. His confidence grew. His value to the team became obvious. The same candidate who almost didn't make it past the resume review eventually became someone others looked to for guidance.
One day, the hiring manager smiled and said, "He's the unicorn we were looking for."
That comment has stayed with me. Not because we got lucky. Because it reminded me that the right fit isn't always obvious on paper. Sometimes the best hiring decision isn't about finding the candidate with the perfect resume. It's about recognizing potential, evaluating risk wisely, and giving someone the opportunity to become what their resume couldn't yet prove.
That doesn't mean we ignore red flags or lower our standards. It means we ask better questions. Can this person learn? Do they demonstrate humility and curiosity? Do their references reinforce what we're seeing? Is the risk manageable? Does their track record reveal capacity, even if their resume doesn't tell the story perfectly?
Those are the conversations that matter.
I've often said that the resume earns the opportunity for a conversation. The conversation determines whether the opportunity should continue. Sometimes the right fit is hiding behind the wrong resume.
And sometimes the best hire you'll ever make won't be the one who looked the best on paper.
Goals are seasonal. Growth is the journey.
Better hires start with better conversations.