How to Keep an Open Mind When Interviewing: Finding the Right Candidate vs. Chasing the Perfect Resume

March 11th, 2025

TJ Kastning

Introduction: The Hiring Trap That Costs Companies Top Talent

Too often, hiring managers and executives approach hiring with a rigid, narrow set of qualifications that they believe are essential to solving their problem. While experience, skills, and industry background matter, an overly strict focus on matching a checklist can cause companies to miss out on the right candidate—someone who can truly strengthen the business and solve its problems.

The reality? The supply of qualified candidates is limited—often VERY limited.

If your hiring process over-indexes on resumes and recruiter descriptions instead of assessing problem-solving ability, leadership impact, and long-term fit, you’re making it harder to improve your business.

✅ Hiring isn’t about finding a perfect resume match—it’s about finding someone who can drive results.

The Math Behind the Hiring Market: Why Over-Filtering Hurts You

Many construction companies assume that if they just wait, the perfect candidate will appear. But the hiring market reality tells a different story.

Let’s say there are 300 candidates in your commutable radius who have the rough background or qualifications for your open role.

🔹 10% of them will actually make a change this year.
🔹 That means only 30 potential candidates are even considering a move.
🔹 Of those 30, how many will make a change in the next few weeks? Probably a handful.

👉 Ambassador Group has to filter through hundreds of candidates just to find a few who are actively looking.

Now, if your company artificially limits the candidate pool with arbitrary requirements, you are dramatically shrinking your chances of hiring a great person.

🚩 Common Over-Filtering Mistakes That Hurt Hiring Success:

Overemphasizing industry-specific experience instead of transferable skills.
Overlooking leadership ability in favor of a rigid job title match.
Rejecting candidates too early based on superficial screening details.
Expecting the recruiter screening to be the full interview.

If you want to solve real business problems, you need to interview with an open mind—not with a checklist mentality.

Why Companies Set Arbitrary Hiring Criteria (And Why It Backfires)

Many companies over-filter candidates as a reaction to bad recruiting experiences.

🚩 What happens?

Hiring managers get frustrated when recruiters introduce obviously unqualified candidates.
In response, they tighten their hiring criteria—often to an extreme degree.
This reduces the talent pool even further, making hiring even harder.

✅ The Solution? Work With Recruiters Who Truly Filter for Fit.

A great recruiter isn’t just throwing resumes at you—they’re finding candidates who can truly add value.
Instead of shutting out potential talent, work with a recruiter who can help refine your hiring criteria based on real market conditions.

This approach ensures you aren’t wasting time on candidates who won’t work—while also keeping the door open for high-potential hires.

Hiring Requires More Than a Resume or Recruiter Screening

Some companies expect a recruiter to do the full hiring evaluation—which is not realistic.

🚩 Why This Is a Mistake:

Recruiters are skilled at identifying viable candidates, but they don’t work inside your company.
The most important information about a candidate can’t be fully assessed until the company spends time with them.
Hiring decisions should be made through a structured interview process, not just a pre-screening judgment.

✅ The Best Hiring Decisions Happen When You Take Time to Evaluate Candidates in Context.

The first interview isn’t about making a yes/no decision—it’s about assessing problem-solving ability.
Skills, personality, leadership potential, and team fit become clearer over multiple conversations.
Assuming that a recruiter’s screening is enough can cause companies to prematurely reject great candidates.

💡 “Don’t make finding the perfect candidate the enemy of solving the client’s problem.”

How to Keep an Open Mind While Interviewing

If you want to hire the right candidate instead of chasing an unrealistic ideal, here’s how to approach interviews more effectively:

✅ 1. Focus on Problem-Solving Ability, Not Just Experience

Ask yourself: “Can this person solve my business problem?”
Don’t over-prioritize exact past titles—instead, look at their ability to lead, adapt, and execute.

✅ 2. Consider Leadership, Not Just Technical Skills

A strong leader who can build and keep a team together is often more valuable than a technical specialist.
Leadership quotient matters—can they manage conflict, mentor others, and drive accountability?

✅ 3. Understand That Resumes Don’t Tell the Full Story

Some of the best candidates don’t have the most polished resumes.
A resume won’t show work ethic, adaptability, or cultural fit.

✅ 4. Look at the Long-Term Potential of the Candidate

A good hire strengthens the company over time, not just in the next 3 months.
Instead of hiring for an exact match, look for a high-ceiling candidate who can grow with the company.

✅ 5. Work With a Recruiter Who Helps You Think Strategically

A great recruiter does more than find resumes—they help you refine your hiring strategy so you don’t over-filter great candidates.
Instead of locking into a rigid hiring profile, work with your recruiter to identify market realities and find the best available talent.

Final Thoughts: The Best Hiring Decisions Require an Open Mind

If you want to strengthen your business and solve hiring challenges, stop focusing on:
❌ Finding a resume that checks every box.
❌ Eliminating candidates before learning about their leadership ability.
❌ Over-filtering your talent pool based on arbitrary requirements.

✅ Instead, focus on:
✔️ Hiring someone who can solve your problem.
✔️ Keeping an open mind during the interview process.
✔️ Assessing leadership ability—not just past job titles.
✔️ Working with a recruiter who filters strategically—not arbitrarily.

💡 When you stop chasing the perfect candidate and start focusing on business solutions, hiring becomes easier, faster, and more effective.

Need Help Finding the Right Candidates Without Over-Filtering?

At Ambassador Group, we help companies:
✔️ Identify and attract the best available talent—not just the perfect resume match.
✔️ Refine hiring strategies so businesses don’t miss out on great candidates.
✔️ Build teams that solve real business problems and drive long-term growth.

📅 Schedule a call here → Ambassador Group Exploratory Call

Let’s find the right candidate to solve your hiring challenge. 🚀