If you’re in HR or responsible for hiring, I bet this sounds familiar:
Your requisition has been open for months. You’ve screened hundreds of resumes. You’ve interviewed dozens of candidates. Nobody seems to have that magic combination of skills, experience, and qualities you’re looking for.
But the hiring manager keeps saying, “Our position is unique – we need someone special.”
And I get it. I really do. After 25+ years in workforce solutions, I’ve sat on every side of this table. But here’s what I’ve learned: you’re not looking for candidates anymore – you’re hunting unicorns.
And that hunt is costing you more than you realize.
Here’s an example. If you’re trying to hire a sales professional who also needs to handle operations, build dashboards, manage safety protocols, and run without a team – are you really hiring a sales professional?
This happens all the time in hiring. We create these hybrid roles that are too good to be true and combine three or four different jobs into one position. Then we try to pay for only the primary skill set, as if all those other capabilities are somehow free add-ons.
Think about it. Now hiring: someone who can sell like a top performer, operate like a seasoned manager, analyze data like a business intelligence expert, and handle compliance like a safety director. That’s not a job description – that’s a wishlist for a leadership team.
And while you’re chasing unicorns, good candidates who could actually do the job get hired elsewhere. Your positions stay open forever while your team drowns in work. Recruiters pull their hair out trying to find impossible combinations of skills and experience. And when you do manage to hire someone, they often fail because ONLY A UNICORN could possibly live up to those expectations.
Mikey’s recommendation: Get real about what you need—not your wish list.
Then look beyond your backyard. Some of my best placements came from completely different industries. Skills transfer better than you think. You’d be amazed at how often someone from an adjacent field brings fresh perspectives that transform a team.
But if you insist on hiring someone who can do three jobs, be ready to pay for that expertise. Thinking you can get it all in a single hire without paying for it is pure fiction. You might get the hire—but that person won’t stick around for too long.
One more thing. How about hiring someone with the right foundation and invest in their growth? I don’t know why I’m stuck on this horse analogy, but stay with me…the best thoroughbreds don’t show up at the Kentucky Derby by accident. They start with the right genes and then they are trained, fed, developed, and supported by teams who recognize their potential. Same goes for people.
Next time you’re writing a job description, ask yourself: Do I want to raise a thoroughbred or pay a fortune for someone else’s horse that ‘may’ be a winner?
The talent is out there. But unicorns? They only exist in fantasy books and Silicon Valley pitch decks.
Want to stop wasting time hunting mythical candidates? Let’s talk. At ReqReadyAI, we’re using today’s technology to help you build real teams with real people. No fairy dust required.