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Partnering with SME companies throughout East Anglia, Michelle Denny Recruitment is a recruitment agency which specialises in personalised recruitment consultancy services in Norfolk and Suffolk to help you discover that elusive new member of staff at a budget that suits you.

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With different campaign options to meet your requirements and innovative marketing strategies to captivate worthy candidates, we'll present you with a refreshing, no-fuss approach to recruitment. Whether you need a comprehensive recruitment drive with full support, or a simple campaign to find you candidates to review in-house, we'll work with you as an extension of your team, to understand your business and the people within it. 

Clients

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We'll introduce you to companies with job opportunities across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond that share your values and understand your career aspirations so you can feel confident in your job search. With guidance, support, constructive feedback and consistent communication as standard throughout our approach, Michelle Denny Recruitment Consultancy looks beyond your CV to discover what makes you, you!

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With a clear direction, straightforward application process and ongoing recommendations, we’ll provide you with the ultimate match-making service to help you find the right job, in the right company, with the right team. Learn more, view our current vacancies and upload your CV to register for upcoming roles too.

Candidates

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Why You Should Hire for Potential - Not Just Experience

  • Michelle Denny
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

When you're recruiting for a role that matters, it’s easy to default to a checklist of experience. But if that’s all you focus on, you might miss the people who could bring the most value.


This blog is part of our How to Hire with MDR series created to help SME owners and in-house recruiters rethink how they approach hiring. Whether you work with us or not, we hope this helps you challenge a few assumptions and get closer to the kind of hire that really makes a difference.



Experience isn't everything


When you’re under pressure to fill a role, it’s natural to want someone who’s “done it before.” But that can limit your view. The best hire for your business might not look perfect on paper. They might not have the full list of boxes ticked. But they could bring the drive, mindset and learning ability that you actually need.


We’re not saying experience doesn’t matter. But when it’s used as a blunt filter, it shuts out people who could succeed and stay with the right support.


What’s the risk of getting this wrong?


Focusing too heavily on experience alone can mean:


  • Attracting candidates who aren’t motivated by the role, they just know how to do it

  • Hiring someone who fits the past, not the future

  • Overlooking brilliant candidates with transferable skills, fresh thinking and ambition


And let’s be honest: experience alone doesn't tell you how someone will show up. Will they take feedback? Will they grow with the role? Will they bring new ideas, not just old habits?


So what should you focus on?


Think about potential as the ability to grow into the role, not just perform the tasks from day one.


That means looking for:


  • Learning agility: how do they take on new challenges?

  • Motivation: do they want to grow with your business?

  • Behaviours and mindset: do they bring the right attitude?

  • Alignment: do they share your team values and way of working?


These things can’t always be listed on a CV-but they show up in conversation, assessments and how you shape the process.


How to build for potential


If you're serious about hiring for potential, here are a few things to consider before you go to market:


  • Define success first: What does good look like in 12 months’ time? What really matters?

  • Shape your job spec accordingly: Instead of writing a list of tasks or past titles, write for outcomes and behaviours.

  • Adjust your interview process: Include scenarios, problem-solving exercises or values-based questions, not just a chat through their CV.

  • Bring your team in: Multiple viewpoints help you see potential from different angles.


The balance


Hiring for potential doesn’t mean abandoning the basics. You still need people who meet the core requirements and can hit the ground at the right level. But once that bar is met, we’d argue that mindset and motivation are what carry someone and your business forward.


We can help


At MDR, we help clients hire with both clarity and confidence. That often means reshaping the role before we even start the search, so you attract candidates who’ll thrive, not just tick boxes.


We use role analysis surveys, stakeholder alignment tools and structured shortlisting to look beyond the surface and find the people who’ll really add value.


👇 Book a call





If you’re hiring for a business-critical role and want to talk through how to shape it, shortlist it and select the right person we’d be happy to help. Let’s have a conversation. We care about getting recruitment right.

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