In this episode, Tony Payne discusses the importance of hiring for potential over experience. He explains that hiring for potential can lead to faster, cheaper, and more diverse hiring, as well as increased sustainability for the business. Tony compares hiring potential to gardening, where you focus on the plant before it blooms and get more longevity out of it. He also shares strategies for scoping a job to prioritize potential, identifying and evaluating alternative routes to traditional degrees, and supporting employees with high potential. Tony emphasizes the need to overcome bias in hiring practices and predicts that hiring for potential will become more common in the future. Takeaways Hiring for potential can lead to faster, cheaper, and more diverse hiring. Scoping a job to prioritize potential involves focusing on skills requirements and conducting job workshops with the whole team. Alternative routes to traditional degrees, such as internships and apprenticeships, can be effective in identifying potential candidates. Support systems, including coaching and training, are essential for developing employees with high potential. Overcoming bias in hiring practices that favor experience over potential is crucial for increasing diversity. The future of hiring is likely to involve a shift towards prioritizing potential over experience, with more companies adopting this approach. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:42 The Mindset Shift: Potential over Experience 06:24 Scoping Jobs Based on Skills Requirements 10:44 Exploring Alternative Routes to Traditional Degrees 12:26 Nurturing Employees with High Potential 15:05 Methods for Evaluating Candidate Potential 21:19 Conclusion and Contact Information