As we know, being able to attract the right talent is fundamental to any business, no matter what sector you’re in. However, many organisations still find it challenging to recognise what to look for in a candidate, with some placing too much focus on degree grades over other qualities. There’s sometimes still the assumption that candidates with the highest qualifications will be the most suited to the role, but this view can be dangerous. At the end of the day, a grade reveals very little about an individual, but what else should you be looking for?

According to Jim Carroll, chairman of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, a London-based advertising agency, it’s important to hire individuals who don’t lead obvious lives. He argues that it’s beneficial to bring in new recruits that have lots of ideas and individuality, and advises jobseekers to stress their differences to land a role in advertising or similar sectors. So is this approach only relevant in certain industries, or should all recruitment processes involve searching for similar traits, no matter what the business specialises in?

There’s no doubt that hiring people who are different from you has its advantages, but this is something that organisations are still reluctant to do in some cases. Of course, part of the recruitment process should involve finding top talent who can fit in with your culture and values. There is a lot of emphasis on “what does good look like” or “blueprinting” currently. After all, you need the new employee to get on with the rest of your team in order for them to be a successful hire. But, by recruiting someone with a slightly different or eccentric background, there’s a real benefit in that it will bring in fresh ideas to the business so you don’t just have a workforce full of “clones”. Diversity is fundamental in order to avoid group think, whereby individuals view themselves as experts and struggle to recognise external factors. The only way to compete with rival companies is to stay one step ahead of them, and employees who are able to think in different ways can provide a huge advantage.

Clearly, there are a number of other factors to think about when it comes to sourcing the best talent – such as employability skills, past experiences, and personality traits – and yes, grades do need to play a key part in the decision making. However, HR and Talent Acquisition teams have a responsibility to ensure that employers don’t overlook a candidate who may have a different background to them or who has undertaken another form of qualifications. It’s important to think outside the box and be prepared to take a chance on someone that you may have previously disregarded. This may turn out to be the best recruitment decision you ever make.