There’s a tension at the centre of almost every permanent hiring process.
Clients want someone who can “hit the ground running.”
Candidates want “a new challenge.”
On the surface, both sound reasonable. In reality, they often pull in opposite directions.
Now, to be clear this isn’t every hiring manager. Many leaders do want to hire people who find the role challenging and who will grow into it. In fact, the strongest leaders actively seek this.
But in practice, hiring processes often drift toward certainty over potential.
Hiring managers want technical competence, proven experience, and minimal ramp-up time. Someone who can step in and add value from day one.
Candidates, on the other hand, are rarely motivated to move sideways. If they’re leaving a role, it’s usually because they want growth. A new technology, broader responsibility, leadership exposure or a step forward in their career.
And so begins the great hiring challenge. Finding someone capable of delivering immediate value while still giving them something genuinely new to grow into.
The rise of remote and hybrid work has quietly made this balance even harder.
Historically, a lot of career growth happened through what I call professional osmosis. New employees learned by proximity. They overheard conversations. They watched how experienced colleagues handled problems. They picked up the small “golden nuggets” that come from simply being around a high-performing team.
Those moments are harder to replicate when much of the interaction happens through scheduled calls and structured meetings.
At the same time, hiring managers are under pressure to deliver outcomes quickly. They need productive employees, but they are also expected to mentor, coach and develop them often in an environment where time, proximity and visibility are limited.
For many leaders, this begins to feel like an impossible equation.
So What’s the Balance?
In my experience, the strongest permanent hires sit somewhere between the two extremes.
They bring 70–80% of the capability required, with 20–30% potential.
Enough familiarity to perform. Enough challenge to stay motivated.
The mistake organisations often make is trying to eliminate all risk by hiring someone who has already done the exact same job before. When that happens, the role rarely offers the challenge candidates were seeking in the first place.
Ironically, those are often the hires that don’t stay.
The most successful hiring decisions recognise something simple. If a candidate can already do 100% of the role, it probably isn’t a new challenge.
The best hires usually arrive with most of the capability required and enough of a challenge to keep them engaged.
For a conversation about hiring or career opportunities, connect with our team.
