Episode: 765

Episode Title: Unicorns 101

Are you still searching for that perfectly qualified unicorn employee? Here’s a summary on why you shouldn’t, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 765 show:

You’re now in The Perna Syndicate—I hope you’re doing well today! As we wrap up our week-long conversation about unicorn employees, I want to recap what we talked about. 

At the end of the day, we’re all a work in progress. There are always new skills to master and new areas to expand our expertise. The rise of learning & development is ample proof that today’s workforce is not only changing and growing, but wants to. 

When we hire ‘unicorn employees’ who already have all of the necessary technical skills to complete a job, they aren’t learning or growing. They are likely bored—or going to be soon. For such employees, a career they can’t grow into is not attractive in the long run. 

Unicorns are also hard to come by and are likely being scouted by other companies, making them more likely to leave for a seemingly better offer. Great talent and technical skills can be built up from backgrounds in related fields. So when possible, don’t get hung up on requiring a specific college degree to apply at your company. 

Then when you’re interviewing, don’t ask canned questions that warrant similar responses. Find someone with the professional skills you are looking for, and above all, be sure they are eager to learn. Teachable people can accomplish just about anything they put their minds to! 

For all these reasons and more, non-unicorns might be the best bet to take your team to new heights. I say give them a shot—and watch them rise to the challenge.

Thank you for tuning in this week! I’m your host, Mark Perna, and I will see you back here next week on The Perna Syndicate. Until then, take care!