As a hiring manager, you might have often interacted with a variety of job applicants. There are applicants who come from little and are more of a scrapper while there are candidates with sparkling resumes and experience from fat cats. Well, as a hiring manager, will you hire the underdog instead of going for the fat cat?
I can hear that ‘No’. Remember David defeating Goliath or Alice slaying the Jabberwocky? Does that help in changing your opinion or you still need to know the benefits that you may get after you decide to hire the underdog? Okay, let’s make a list then, below are the advantages of hiring an underdog instead of leaning towards the fat cat.
First: Underdogs are grateful
Underdogs value the things they have because they gained them after a lot of struggle. So, they are grateful for all the opportunities instead of taking them for granted. Gratitude will make other people happy and a lot more supportive, which will affect the workplace culture in a positive manner. Underdogs know what it’s like to rise when you have little or no support at all and have to work with fewer resources. They can use their hard-earned skills to help your team meet their goals.
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Second: Underdogs don’t have much to lose
Have you heard “Never fight with people who have nothing to lose?” Underdogs have nothing to lose and everything to gain, which makes them risk takers. It doesn’t imply that they are reckless but they are not afraid when it comes to taking calculated risks. When you work towards a goal, you are likely to fail often, but underdogs have what it takes to rise up after they fall and that is what actually counts. It takes a lot of courage and strong will to believe in oneself and rise above those circumstances. Underdogs have faced a lot in their lives, so when it comes to taking risks and having a go-getter attitude, underdogs can do wonders, may it be their personal life or their career in a specific field.
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Third: Underdogs know how to survive
Underdogs have rich imaginations and they know how to make use of the resources that they currently have to survive in the present situation. They are really good at the art of improvisation, so your project needs some last minute changes? They’re there to do it. Need to meet an immediate deadline? They’ve got your back. Need to get a project at any cost? They would be willing to make it innovative, even after knowing the chances of failure or the possibility of getting wrong.
If I have to pick between two type of job applicants with similar qualifications, I’ll hire the underdog every single time. And if you have understood the reasons that are mentioned above and want to give them a shot, try hiring the underdog, I bet you won’t regret.