Hiring decisions shape the future of your company, but choosing who to hire isn’t always clear-cut. One of the most common dilemmas hiring managers face is deciding between a candidate with proven experience and someone with the potential to grow into the role. Both paths come with advantages and risks, and making the right choice often depends on what your business needs most right now.
So, which is the smarter hire: the seasoned professional or the up-and-coming talent?
Let’s break down what it means to hire for experience vs. potential, and how you can evaluate which approach best fits your team.
What Do We Mean by “Potential” and “Experience”?
Experience-Based Hiring
Candidates hired for experience typically offer industry familiarity, faster onboarding, and lower training requirements. They’re often selected to deliver immediate impact, especially in roles where technical proficiency or past performance is critical.
Hiring for Potential
These candidates may not check every box on paper, but they often bring a growth mindset, fresh ideas, and the ability to evolve within the company.
Hiring Experienced Candidates
Best for:
- Roles requiring certifications or niche technical skills that cannot be easily taught on the job
- Positions demanding immediate execution or minimal onboarding, such as interim leadership or client-facing roles
- Senior leadership roles where prior strategic decision-making is essential
- Small teams or lean departments that lack the time or resources to train new hires
- Projects with tight deadlines or high-stakes outcomes, where failure to deliver quickly could impact revenue or reputation
Hiring for Potential
Best for:
- Entry-level or mid-level roles with a clear growth path, where the hire can evolve into a long-term asset
- Companies prioritizing culture, engagement, and internal promotion as part of their talent strategy
- Industries undergoing constant change, such as tech, fintech, or digital marketing, where adaptability outweighs static experience
- Organizations building out future leadership pipelines, especially when planning for succession or scaling
Teams looking for new perspectives, creativity, or diverse backgrounds to challenge the status quo and fuel innovation
What the Research Says
Choosing between potential and experience is not just a hiring philosophy; it is a measurable decision. While experience may feel like the safer bet, it does not always translate to long-term performance.
According to a Forbes Human Resources Council article, companies that prioritize potential often build stronger and more adaptable teams. These organizations look for qualities like curiosity, coachability, and problem-solving ability, which often lead to better engagement and retention over time.
Instead of relying solely on resumes or past roles, Forbes recommends using structured interviews and real-world assessments to uncover a candidate’s ability to grow with the company. This approach helps leaders identify not just who can do the job today, but who could thrive in the role tomorrow.
Why Many Teams Combine Both
A blended approach is becoming more common, balancing the certainty of experience with the upside of potential.
How to do it:
- Use situational or behavioral interviews to assess adaptability and learning ability
- Include skills assessments or case studies to objectively measure performance
- Hire for experience where it’s essential, and potential where it can be developed
This strategy helps you mitigate risk while still investing in your team’s future.
So… Who Performs Better?
Short-term? Experienced hires often outperform. Long-term? Candidates with potential can catch up and sometimes surpass their experienced peers, especially with the right training and support.
The truth is, performance depends on:
- The complexity and urgency of the role
- Availability of mentorship and onboarding resources
- The candidate’s ability to align with your company’s goals and values
Ready to Build a Stronger Team?
Ask yourself, are you hiring for who someone is today, or who they could become?
The answer should align with what your business needs most. Whether you need someone to hit the ground running or you’re building a pipeline of future leaders, understanding the difference between hiring for potential vs. experience is key to long-term success.
Looking to hire? Our recruitment firm can help you find the experienced pros or the rising talent you’re searching for.
