If I was a business owner that was facing the possibility of two candidates, both possessing two different types of traits: high potential-poor consistency or low potential-high consistency; I would really need to consider what the position is going to demand of these two types of candidates.
If my job opening was a position that measured individual high achievement, such as a sales position within a car dealership or real estate company, it would be crucial for me to hire the candidate with a higher ceiling of potential even if their day-to-day consistency was average. During the time when the customer sits down and is considering a purchase, I would need a candidate that can instantly drive that customer into saying the word “YES.” The employee’s overall achievement and compensation would rely on their ability to work wonders during certain short periods of time, followed by longer periods of down time waiting for the next customer that is considering a large purchase.
On the other hand, if I was looking for a front desk clerk where their days consisted mostly of providing consistent customer service, answering phones, and directing customers to the correct locations, I would want to pick a candidate with a high day-to-day consistency. This candidate would not enjoy the pressure of having to make split moment sales with high-stakes, but the consistency of daily tasks and treating every customer as a valuable member of our organization.
Both types of employees are needed for a variety of reasons, no matter what type of business you have, it is just up to me as the owner to navigate what the position requires of the candidates, and which candidate would be more successful. I would not want to make a hiring mistake putting the wrong candidate in a position that requires quick thinking and high potential, leading to their failure along with mine as a business owner.
