Hire Beyond the Obvious

A few months ago we had a not unexpected, but still very sad departure when one of our canine coworkers retired. The space Lola left will never be filled, but we decided it was time to welcome another pup into our lives.

After aligning on hiring specs for someone to work across two very different companies based in the home office, we agreed to go against the grain in our search and specifically seek out someone older, who might not have direct experience in this exact situation, but had demonstrated a willingness to learn and adapt and was pleasant to be around. We interviewed a few candidates, all of whom were lovely and had great qualities but weren’t quite right for us right now. Then we met a middle aged, HUGE dog who'd been tossed around quite a bit in the past 2 years of pandemic who needed a home - we knew she was the one. 

Think beyond traditional candidates. Consider someone older, or who doesn’t look like what you thought you wanted (I never thought I’d live with a 120lb fluff ball). Don't expect them to be exactly like others in your organization, get to know them, give them a chance and be open to learn with them. You might be surprised. 

Welcome Sadie! If you're lucky you'll see her in the background of a meeting. She's hard to miss!