Hiring Connections

I recently had a conversation with a colleague who's about to hire some part time help. She's made the decision on whom to hire based, not on the individual's qualifications or experience, but rather their connections within the community.

It raises an interesting point. You can often teach the practical aspects of the job but in hiring someone you may also benefit from the connections and personal relationships they have. Her justification for hiring him is that, even though he will not be in a sales role, the introductions he can make and the name recognition he enjoys in the community will justify his entire salary for the year.

This does put an interesting ROI on networking in order to find a job - not only will it help you find out about vacancies, it also might also make you the preferred candidate.