EXPERIENCED v/s fresh talent

EXPERIENCED^v/s fresh talent

WHO HAS AN EDGE DURING RECRUITMENT - A FRESH GRADUATE OR SEASONED PROFESSIONAL?

THOUGH fresh talent and its unique perspectives play a very important role in the innovation process of the company today, the experienced lot is also invaluable to the daily functioning. An experienced employee can yield a sense of authority and maturity that is essential for people management while the young guns can lead the ‘innovation’ bandwagon. On the whole, both have an equally critical role in companies today.
    Ashwin Shirali, regional director, HR Accor, India, tells us about the advantages of having experienced talent aboard, “An experienced person brings with him/her a pool of knowledge and sense of maturity. Such employees are better positioned to identify the problem areas and give immediate attention as their past experience enables them to tackle any situations in the best possible manner. On the other hand, a fresher maybe able to identify the problem, but would not have possible solutions to manage the situation swiftly.”
    But there are certain problems associated commonly with experienced employees. Ashit Ranjan, associate VP, Tecnova India Pvt. Ltd, explains, “The biggest disadvantage is an unspoken assumption that what worked before will work now. Someone who has been successful with a particular approach in the past is usually inclined towards using it again in the future, which doesn’t fit in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Another major disadvantage is the lack of ego management. Over-experienced employees can sometimes inflate their egos beyond reason, thus making them very hard to work with.”
    There is an inherent competition between academic degrees and experience during recruitments. Ketan Kapoor, cofounder & CEO, Mettl, explains, “A good academic degree can give a good start, but eventually, it is the individual and his/her learnings that stay with him/her.”
    Hence, It can be appreciated that a healthy combination of both, experienced and fresh talent is required for the smooth functioning of an organisation.