Have you ever deemed someone too “high risk” to hire?
Honduras, with highest murder rate per capita anywhere in the world, is an absolute hidden gem to travel in the right places with the right approach.
Honduras is admittedly one of the countries you wouldn’t dream of visiting but what if you considered the upsides rather than the downsides and decided it was worthwhile to invest the time and focus on the strengths of the country.
Caribbean islands, sheltered by a coral reef created limited currents along with some of the best white water rafting and grandest Mayan ruins on the mainland, does this outweigh the extreme violence mainly isolated to the capital?
For me, yes those aspects did make it worth the perceived risk of a visit, even during the elections!!
Relating this to interviewing, I’ve heard before in feedback that someone might be considered “too high risk for the company”. As an example perhaps their skills are exceptional but their communication style isn’t a cultural fit and might upset some members of the team.
Valid thoughts, but what if those skills are so rare and their skills so exceptional they could create the next multi-million idea or take the organisation to another level you hadn’t even considered?
At this point could it be worth trying to adapt the plan slightly for the chance of something truly unique. The returns could be huge and if you’re having an open dialogue with a candidate around your concerns and your hopes then having a grown up conversation on moving forward could be all that is needed.
I have seen this approach work and fail but sometimes you can take a chance if both parties are going in with eyes wide open.
Honduras was a surprise and it would have been easy to avoid but I have absolutely no regrets about a week diving every morning on a peaceful Caribbean reef with a beer during sunset, even if I did need to keep a close eye on our situation.
Being open minded and knowing how to interview is not simple but just imagine what the rewards could be.