Stop looking for unicorns, look for camels instead.
Please stop looking for unicorns!
Finding a unicorn has been a cliché in recruitment for a while now. Since well before the current candidate-driven, tight market.
Looking for elusive, unique talent in a challenging market isn’t a good recipe for success. You know this.
It’s time for a reset
It’s time to approach talent attraction from a fresh perspective. Rather than searching for perfect unicorns, you need to start looking for camels. Why?
First of all, let’s state the obvious: camels exist.
Secondly, there is no singular ‘perfect’ fit candidate. Life’s not like that.
If you really break it down and get honest about the role, warts and all - there’s likely several different ways you could approach the search (and a couple of different talent personas which would suit (not just the shiny silver one).
Back to the camels.
Camels are strong, loyal and built for the long haul. They’re not the flashy, obvious choice, but they are incredibly resilient and offer many excellent qualities.
Attributes you should be searching for
Adaptability
This is at the top of the list of key attributes required for the future of work!
Camels live in some of the more inhospitable environments on earth. They can adapt to extreme changes in conditions and survive for long periods of time without sustenance.
At work, talent camels can adapt to a range of different environments and projects, taking initiative and striving to achieve great results.
Social skills
Every organisation needs team players and collaborators!
Often photographed alone against the desert landscape, the humble camel may seem laid back, slow and solitary, but it’s not. Camels are social animals, travelling in flocks of 20 to 30, looking for food.
At work, talent camels are part of the team, sharing their ideas and contributing to discussions in ways that support a collaborative approach to work and development.
Efficiency
You need people who know how to optimise productivity when they need to.
When a camel comes across water, it can fill up in a hurry, drinking as much as 26 gallons in 10 minutes. Plus, camels aren’t as slow as they look. They can run at speeds up to 65 km an hour, and they can carry a heavy loaf of up to 440 pounds in a day.
At work, talent camels are fast, productive employees who aren’t afraid to do their fair share of heavy lifting if that’s what it takes to get the job done.
Finding camels (and unicorns)
Despite popular thinking, the camel is not a rude, vulgar or unruly creature. It is a noble, easy-going character with lots of positive qualities. Who wouldn’t want a camel on their team?
If you need help attracting and engaging the right talent for your team, Heart can help.
We take a modern, marketing-led approach to recruitment. And our high-performing recruitment content has been known to attract unicorns.
We’re not totally anti-unicorns… but we like to keep it real and solve your talent problems.
Get in touch today.