Recruiting new employees: choose potential or experienced people?

Standing on the side of prioritizing experience, HR Senior shared: "Candidates with more experience mean the job will be done more smoothly. Candidates with a long CV full of achievements have spent many years working in the profession, accumulating a lot of valuable experience that novices do not have. Like recruiting accountants, for example. A skilled person will know how to prepare complete and accurate financial reports, taking steps from arranging documents to accounting and closing entries all smoothly. Meanwhile, a new accountant who has just graduated from school and is not yet familiar with the profession just makes a small mistake in the balance sheet, which is enough to cause the whole department to struggle. This is the situation I encountered at my previous company and also explains why I am more interested in candidates with experience."   

Agreeing with the view that experienced candidates should be recruited, Recruitment and Training Specialist, expressed: "Experienced candidates understand the issues in their profession very well because they have worked stay there for a while. They know what they want and tend to stick with their jobs for a long time. On the other hand, candidates with little or no experience don't know what they want from their career or what their passions are. This uncertainty can cost businesses a lot of recruitment costs when one fine day employees suddenly realize they don't like their current job."

Human Resources Officer continued: "The candidate has a lot of experience and has overcome many "turbulences" in the workplace, understands different working environments and has gone through the ups and downs of the life cycle. volatile business period. They know how to behave tactfully towards superiors, colleagues and customers. In addition to having expertise, our staff also saves a lot of time to resolve conflicts or other problems that may arise."

“Potential is a very vague word. Businesses want to pay a salary to recruit someone who can do the job with proven achievements in the past rather than betting on someone with potential," commented  Recruitment consultant.

On the side supporting recruiting potential candidates, Recruitment Assistant spoke up: "Experienced people who have worked in a specific field for a long time are more likely to be emotionally numb, lack creativity and innovation. Meanwhile, young people have less experience but they are enthusiastic, like to try new things, think creatively and help the company create a breakthrough."

Senior Human Resources Specialist shared: "It is clear that highly skilled and experienced candidates tend to demand higher salaries. Meanwhile, individuals with high potential but no experience often ask for lower salaries. If recruiting them, businesses will save more money. Because they have less experience, they are also more eager to learn and often work hard to prove themselves."

“Potential recruiting gives us access to a much larger pool of candidates. This increases the chances of finding a cultural fit and individuals capable of taking the business to the next level. In many cases, recruiting leads also helps businesses build the next generation of employees.” –, Recruitment Team Leader presented his views.  

Is it more beneficial to hire candidates with experience or potential?

"Selection priority depends on many factors" - said, Human Resources Director.

“The first is the type of role you are recruiting for. If you are looking for someone to fill a senior position in a management and leadership role, you should focus more on experience and industry knowledge. If it's an entry-level position or an internship, you can choose a candidate with high potential.

Besides, there is also the time efficiency aspect. More experienced candidates can quickly hit the ground running without the need for time-consuming training. If your team or company doesn't have the time, resources, or expertise for in-depth training, experienced candidates are the top choice.

In addition, another factor that can also be taken into account is budget. It's easy to see that having experience comes with a higher salary. If your company is a startup, hiring an inexperienced candidate will be an advantage. They are more willing to work with your budget than a candidate with more experience. You can save some extra cash and use it to grow your business further.

In case your company is in need of a breath of fresh air, unique and different ideas, you can consider recruiting young people who are inexperienced but full of enthusiasm. New, inexperienced employees are willing to learn and work their hardest to prove they are worthy of the job. They will go the extra mile and make up for their lack of experience. Sometimes fresh eyes can have a fresh perspective or an understanding of the latest cutting-edge technology that will bring a new perspective to the business. This is hard to see in someone who has many years of experience and also has many prejudices ingrained in their minds" - commented.