Don't underestimate the value of your experience

Recently I read a quote that really resonated with me – “People don’t pay you for the time it takes you to do the job, they pay you for the years of experience you have had that enables you to do the job in that time”. This resonated with me because I am expert level at undervaluing my experience.

For years I have told people that recruitment is not rocket science and perhaps it is not. However, you still have to understand the technical side of recruitment, the legalities, how to establish a valid process that covers all elements and know when to trust your gut feeling. This knowledge and these skills take years to fine tune. If you fail at your recruitment, it can cost your business dearly – three times the annual salary for the role on average to recruit and retrain the right person and not discounting the impact on the team’s dynamic if the wrong person starts.

My recommendation is that you get some advice. In today’s market where we are experiencing a skills crisis, some will settle for an extra set of hands to fill a spot. Don’t do it – this will impact your culture. You need the right set of hands. Don’t settle! Look at the structure of your team – can you move duties around and redefine the position? There may be other options. Involve your team in these discussions and investigate your options thoroughly before settling.

It is only from my 23 years’ experience in recruitment and leading teams that I know the negative impact of recruiting the wrong person on the overall team and culture. In addition, I understand the alternative options to look at that may support your business and allow you to deliver the same quality of work within a different structure whilst maintaining a strong culture.

This is not information I have researched but experiences that I have lived. I have made mistakes and learnt lessons from them that have fine tuned my knowledge and skills. I understand the demands on business and the impact of being short staffed and the stress placed on the team. I have worked with other businesses to find solutions that work for them and these experiences have made me more effective in identifying potential solutions for other businesses. This is the experience I bring to the table and as such, I should be so much better at valuing the contribution I bring to the conversation.

“The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely” William Osler