Widen Your Net to Find the Right Employees

With persistent skills shortages affecting many sectors in Australia, finding the “perfect” candidate has never been more challenging—or more important. But in today’s evolving workforce, that means rethinking what “perfect” actually looks like.

According to the latest Skills Priority List and reports from industry leaders, employers are struggling to fill roles in areas as diverse as healthcare, construction, technology, and education. In this environment, recruiters and hiring managers must take a broader, more strategic approach to talent acquisition—one that prioritises potential over perfection.

Look Beyond the Obvious: Hire for Fit, Train for Skill

The Teachable Fit model—popularised by global HR firm ManpowerGroup—emphasises that the right person may not always tick every box upfront, but they may still be the best long-term hire. The key is knowing what’s essential and what’s teachable.

Assessing candidates across four critical areas can help you make smarter hiring decisions:

1. Knowledge

Formal knowledge includes qualifications, degrees and certifications. It’s important for roles that require regulatory compliance or technical accuracy, such as accounting or engineering. But not all knowledge is formal—tacit knowledge gained through experience, mentoring, or exposure can be just as valuable and is often learned on the job.

Example: You might require a project management qualification, but not necessarily five years in your specific industry.

2. Skills

Skills fall into two main categories:

• Hard skills – measurable competencies like coding, data analysis, or forklift operation
• Soft skills – interpersonal abilities such as communication, adaptability, leadership, and emotional intelligence

While hard skills are easy to assess, it’s often soft skills that drive workplace success. According to a LinkedIn global workforce report, 89% of recruiters say that when a hire doesn’t work out, it’s typically due to a lack of soft skills—not technical ability.

Consider: Training new hires in hard skills via short online courses or on-the-job mentoring programs.

3. Values and Mindset

This refers to what a person values in a job—autonomy, collaboration, creativity—and whether their mindset aligns with your team culture. These traits are often stable over time and hard to teach, so hiring for alignment in this area is critical.

Example: A candidate with a growth mindset and drive to learn may thrive in fast-changing sectors like IT or digital marketing, even if they’re new to the role.

4. Personality and Intelligence

Personality traits—like empathy, resilience, and analytical thinking—play a huge role in job fit. Some roles benefit from high emotional intelligence (e.g. healthcare or customer service), while others call for logical, systems-driven thinkers (e.g. data science).

Use behavioural interviews and situational tasks to assess personality traits that align with the job’s requirements and workplace culture.

Key Hiring Questions to Ask

Is this skill or trait essential?

Prioritise the qualities that are truly required for day-one success. For everything else, ask: can this be taught or learned?

Is it teachable?

Skills that can be taught—such as software systems or procedures—shouldn’t be deal-breakers. Candidates who demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow often outperform those who rely solely on past experience.

Is there support in place?

Training is only effective if supported by strong onboarding, internal mentors, or access to upskilling resources. If your team can train, you can cast a wider hiring net.

Conclusion: The Case for Hiring Broadly, but Strategically

As Australia’s labour market continues to shift, companies that hire for cultural fit, potential, and adaptability will outperform those still fixated on “must-have” checklists. With the right strategy, you can build a team that grows with your business and evolves as roles change.

Want to help your team upskill? Explore leadership, HR, and professional development courses designed for Australian workplaces.