Do you often recruit from "other" industries?

[Maureen Sharib]

“I want to see people from different industries.”

 

I sat back in my chair when he said that.  I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard that in almost-fifteen years of sourcing.

 

“May I ask why?” I countered.

 

“I want fresh eyes.  I don’t know much about lean practice but I’ve been reading a good deal about it.  Not many companies in our industry are using it and I believe it’s the way forward.  The only real quantifier I would give you, Maureen, is that the person be from a progressive US company and have a connection to the north-east.  This isn’t an easy place to live in the winters and unless they live here already or want to move back for some reason it’s going to be hard to relocate them here.”

 

I’ll keep you apprised how the sourcing and search progresses as we move through it but I’m curious.

 

How do you define a progressive US company?

 

What has your experience been bringing in someone from other industries on your jobs?

[bill josephson]

Depends on the position and the company's criteria. Sometimes technology or job functionalities transfer from industry to industry. Sometimes a company requires a person with direct business experience. I'm as flexible as my client allows me. I will say relocations, unless a person has reason to head to a geographic area, is problematic for the usual reasons of being anchored combined with current housing related issues. Best to work on positions where there's a pool of companies within proximity not requiring a relo, IMO.

[JillyanFrench]

For me, sometimes this is indicative to other things in an organization, i.e. needing 'fresh eyes' and 'new ideas'. I agree with Bill, depends on transferable skills and also what people are looking for in building out their own careers (change of industry). Aside of change of industry, though, is to be sure the cultural fit for the candidate is there. We have worked on bringing FMCG profiles, for example, into manufacturing, or heavy industry ... and the internal cultural workings of organizations in different industries can be, well ... different. So it is important for us to not only find people with 'fresh eyes' but also to ensure that they will be productive, challenged and happy.