Why the Obsession With Sector Experience for HR Hires?

[Joywtome231]

Several years of recruiting in the HR space has furnished me with plenty of viewpoints on the need (or not) for HR candidates to demonstrate experience of certain sectors. The recessionary years saw multiple businesses (in a buyer’s market) able to demand experience in their sector when hiring.

Despite those times being firmly behind us many clients still retain a preference for candidates with experience in their sector. Why is this? And does sector experience matter for your HR hires?


Less risk or just lazy hiring?
The main reasons seem to revolve around a view that it is less ‘risky’ to bring someone in with industry/sector experience or that they’ll make a quicker impact because they know the market already. There is something too around the attitudes of some hiring managers, a view that people can’t succeed in the business without sector experience.

I also think it is sometimes about lazy hiring. Shortlisting is a lot easier if you dismiss ¾ of the china phone number library applicants based on lack of sector experience! Whilst that might have worked well during the recession with an abundance of candidates for certain roles, it’s no longer tenable.


A difference of opinion
The difference in opinions on this subject was brought into focus in the last week when I attended meetings with two different Financial Services businesses each looking to hire HR Business Partners.

Client 1 felt strongly that FS sector experience was vital fortheir shortlist. It was about credibility with managers, fitting the team (many of whom had come from the FS sector) and hitting the ground running.
Client 2 however expressed a totally different view: FS experience was unimportant; it was mostly learnable. What he was after was the right behaviours and a deep knowledge of people and engagement to really help drive business growth. “Afterall,” he said, “people are people whatever the sector.”
Client 1 is entitled to her opinion but I felt Client 2 had a more modern, flexible attitude especially in a market short on talent. My concern with the ‘hire for sector experience’ approach is that it is out-dated, willmiss real talent and sends out a very confusing message which implies that the business doesn’t want anything ‘new’.