Has anyone ever experimented with a candidate who did not meet the required criteria?

Hi Ajay, I guess we have all come across this situation sometime in our Recruitment Experience.
I remember one such fond memory from2003, while I was working as a Recruitment Consultant: An HR manager from a Telecom Company called me one day and asked me for a Data Analyst.
He needed to close this position at the earliest and wanted a person who was good with numbers and data.
He had asked for a Graduate with similar experience.
I had a candidate who was qualified as a MBA - Finance and had no working experience.
He had struggled for6 months without a job.
From my interactions with this candidate, it appeared that he had a lot of potential and wasn't being given a chance.
When I mentioned this candidate to the HR Manager - he was very reluctant.
I had to convince the HR Manager stating that this candidate had potential and could fit this role, if they could meet just once.
End result - This candidate was interviewed and offered on the same day.
And he worked with this Telecom Company and the concerned Department for almost5 years.
All concerned were very happy and satisfied.

Interesting question Ajay! We’ve done this when we’ve hired fresh graduates (regardless of their specialization) for entry level sales positions.
We believe that anyone can sell a great product; hence whenever we hire a fresh graduate for a sales position, we hire them in the hope that the candidate will be a HIPO in the future.
But again we hire these graduates because they are a cultural fit.
They might not have the required sales experience, but the “spark” in them or rather the fact that they can be a potential top performer is definitely reflected in the interview.
More often than not, these employees have become sales superstars.

Interesting question Ajay, I believe any recruiter crossed by such type of candidates that is why there is probation period before you get confirmed employemnt contract.

For me I beliebe there are primary reasons for any company to get such candidates: 

1. Recruiting overseas or even inside the country but without acurate competency measurement.
2. Many candiates are not honest about their experience and expertise which make it more difficult for recruiters to validate and screen properly.
3. Some candidates migt have good experience and qualifications yet not culturaly fit in the organisational strategies; this might lead to resistence of some strategies and work method and lead to their failure although they might successed in another organisation and the same role.

 

Yes a lot.and it works great People have many skills and there are various aspects of human behavior too as science says.
We have to give people situations and opportunities to see that they are good at many things and they do deliver.
The typical industry stereotype that we need only specialized guys to do the job is wrong as individuals like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Edison, Newton, Einstein have consistently proved this theories wrong.
There are lot of creative sides of a person which needs to be explored and exploited putting him/ her into different states.
By specializing we kill lot of creative aspects of human behavior.

Yes, there have been instances wherein as a Manager I have hires resources who do not perfectly fit the job requirements, however I have receruited them mainly because of the strong passion they have shown for work, the practical experiences and scenarios which they have illustrated from their past work experience as well as their ability to challenge difficult issues which havce helped them groom into new roles with great success

Well it is not an experiment, in work life of recruiter, labour supplier, or HR manager, these events comes many times, but such adjustments are made at junior staff or labor level where anyone from experience, skills or education lacks, many times it happens in restaurant jobs e.g. hiring of waiters or rider staff, hiring of fresh graduates in sales force etc.

i think usually recruiters dont take these kind of risk of appointing a person with no experence in the field but sometimes you dont know who you are employing...