 Unless you have been living under a rock for the past three years, you have heard of singing sensation Miley Cyrus, star of the Disney hit show Hannah Montana. Cyrus was listed in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World. Forbes magazine ranked her #35 on "The Celebrity 100" list with personal earnings of over $25 million in 2008. However, Miley almost did not get hired because she was not the fit they were looking for. Disney executives called her back for multiple interviews over a year's time, and although they did recognize her potential and chose her in the end, they almost passed on this person who went on to generate hundreds of millions in revenue and countless cross-promotional opportunities for Disney. Imagine being the executive who was most against hiring Miley, only to see her later become one of their best investments ever!
Here is an easy way to know if you should look for fit or potential:
You have to decide what your company needs most right now-consistency or innovation. You cannot have both at the same time. If your company is fairly established in its culture, and this is working to meet your standards for the most part, then hire for cultural fit. In other words, hire more people who fit the approach and practices of those people you already have on board. If, however, your company is in flux and you need to shake things up a bit, then hire someone who has talent and potential even if they seem to be less of a fit in your current workforce. This does not mean that you hire someone with "flexible integrity" to help hit your numbers. It means that you hire someone who might not fit the profile for a typical hire but who has the potential to be a star and bring a fresh approach to the job.
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