Every time we recruit, it's the same story: managers paint an idealized portrait of an employee who is both daring and cautious, creative and conventional, empathetic but not sensitive. All this with the know-how of an Einstein in their field of expertise.

Sure, it's a stretch, but the idea is there. So, how do you convince your manager once and for all that there's no such thing as a 5-legged sheep? If you've run out of ideas, here are a few arguments to draw on.

Recruiting a 5-legged sheep: a game in which the manager (always) comes out on the losing side

Take a degree from a top business school, add 5 years' experience, some of it abroad, then sprinkle it with rare knowledge and fashionable soft skills like critical thinking. Shake it all up and here, you've got yourself a 5-legged sheep. By looking for a profile that's as reassuring as it is utopian, managers engage in a never-ending recruitment process, and lose out every time. The reasons?

Firstly, a job advertisement that portrays the ideal employee as a 5-legged sheep will discourage and demotivate applicants. In fact, many candidates refuse to apply because they don't meet all the criteria, even though their profile could be a good match for the position and the company.

Secondly, managers put aside applications deemed too junior or not bankable enough.

But by being too demanding, managers run a serious risk. Indeed, with recruitment dragging on, team members are going to have to take on an excessive workload. If the situation persists, the social climate and well-being will deteriorate, and performance will plummet. For the company, the consequences are increased absenteeism and staff turnover. Conclusion: let's avoid setting the bar too high.

Looking for the 5-legged sheep is a sign that the manager doesn't know how to identify priorities

When we're looking for a house to buy, we know we'll have to make concessions. It's up to us to identify which criteria are essential and which ones we're prepared to overlook. In recruitment, it's the same thing!

If your manager is looking for the 5-legged sheep, it's because he's not clear about the important criteria for success in the job. To open his eyes, confront him with his contradictions. In concrete terms, how can you conduct structured interviews if the recruiter doesn't know which criteria are most important to the N+1? How can you evaluate candidates and sort them out? How do you get qualified candidates?

To help the manager prioritize the skills needed, take inspiration from the critical incident method. This technique involves looking at the behaviors of employees who occupy the same position as the one to be filled, and who have a positive or negative impact on the business. The idea is to ask the manager to tell a story about a behavior, a fact, an action that led to a positive or negative result. Let's take an example.

During a meeting with a prospect, the sales rep pitched the product. Although he followed the script to the letter, everything was done in an aloof, academic manner. The sales rep failed to convey any emotion, and as an observer, the manager was bored. The prospect didn't sign, so the salesperson's behavior led to a negative result. In this case, knowing how to convey an emotion in a meeting is an important criterion for being a salesperson.

By analyzing the behaviors that have had a positive or negative effect, your manager will be able to draw up a grid of important criteria and thus get out of the paradox of the 5-legged sheep.

Top talent is recruiting you!

Despite your arguments, the manager refuses to lower his demands? Then you've got one last card to play. Make him understand that if there is such a thing as a 5-legged sheep, it's not the manager who recruits him, but the other way round!

Your N+1 must not lose sight of the fact that these rare profiles are well aware of their value on the job market. On the contrary. They are already employees of a company, and not just any company. A company with a strong employer brand, a culture and values that appeal to them. A company that offers a pay package to knock your socks off and challenging assignments.

In other words, if the organization can't offer everything these talents are looking for (remuneration, work/life balance, meaning...), there's no chance of recruiting them! But if it is difficult to recruit them, complete your pitch by explaining to the manager that it is possible to help employees become as competent as a 5-legged sheep. How can you do this? Through training and corporate culture.

Training

Training is the ideal way to develop skills and know-how. For example, a candidate who has never worked with the Adobe suite will be operational after just a few weeks' training.

Some companies go even further, creating a culture of continuous learning. For example, the BNP Paribas Group has created a self-service digital learning platform to make every employee a player in his or her own development.

Corporate culture

Corporate culture encompasses the organization's history, practices and operations, internal and external communication, and values. An organization that encourages initiative and the right to make mistakes provides a working environment conducive to creativity and daring. Employees can develop these soft skills internally and put them to good use within the group.

In short, getting managers to understand that the perfect candidate doesn't exist is a difficult task, but not impossible! The next time you're recruiting, put these arguments on the table before you lose your temper.