Purple squirrel

A purple squirrel is a term used by recruiters to describe a job candidate who fits a job description perfectly. This person has the exact right education, the specific years of experience, and the precise set of skills you want. In nature, squirrels are not purple. In the same way, these perfect candidates are very hard to find.

Key Takeaways

• A purple squirrel is a mythical "perfect" candidate who meets every single job requirement.
• Recruiters use this term to highlight how unrealistic some job descriptions can be.
• Searching only for these candidates can lead to long hiring delays and high costs.
• You should focus on finding people with the right potential rather than a perfect list of traits.
• Balancing your "must-have" skills with "nice-to-have" skills helps you hire faster.

Detailed Explanation

The term started in the staffing industry to talk about a specific type of hiring challenge. When you write a job description, you often list many requirements. Sometimes, these lists become so long that no real person could ever meet all the criteria. This is when the candidate becomes a purple squirrel.

The idea is that a purple squirrel is someone who can step into a role on day one without any training. They have done the exact same job at a company that is just like yours. They also fit your company culture and accept the salary you offer. Because this combination is so rare, the term is often used with a bit of humor or frustration.

Recruitment experts often look at this concept from two sides:

1. The Employer Side: You want the best person for your money. You feel that waiting for the perfect fit will save you time on training later.
2. The Recruiter Side: You know that waiting for a person who does not exist makes your job harder. It leaves the position open for too long.

When you look for this type of candidate, you are often looking for a "unicorn" or a "rockstar." These terms all point to the same problem: a gap between what you want and what the labor market can provide.

Why it Matters

Finding a purple squirrel might seem like a great goal, but it often causes problems for your business. You must understand the risks of this hiring strategy to keep your team running well.

• High Costs: Every day a job stays open, your company loses money. You spend more on advertising and your staff must work harder to cover the gap.
• Slow Hiring: The search for a perfect candidate can take months. During this time, your competitors might hire the good candidates you ignored because they were not "perfect."
• Burnt Out Teams: When you do not hire someone quickly, your current employees have to do extra work. This can lead to stress and people leaving your company.
• Unfair Standards: If you only look for one specific type of person, you might miss out on diverse talent. People with different backgrounds might have the skills you need but not the exact history you listed.
• Missed Potential: A candidate who has 80% of the skills but a great attitude might become a better employee than someone who has 100% of the skills but a poor attitude.

By moving away from the hunt for a purple squirrel, you can fill roles faster. You can focus on training people who have the right foundation. This builds loyalty and helps your company grow in a healthy way.

Common Usage and Examples

You will hear this term most often in technical fields or high-level management. These are areas where skills are very specific. Here are some examples of how a job might turn into a search for a purple squirrel:

1. The Tech Specialist: You need a software coder who knows an old computer language from the 1980s but also understands modern cloud systems. They must also have a degree in biology because your company makes medical tools.
2. The Niche Executive: You want a CEO who has led a startup to a billion dollars in value, speaks five languages, and is willing to move to a small town for a lower salary.
3. The Multi-Tasker: You are looking for a marketing manager who can also do professional video editing, write legal contracts, and manage a team of twenty people.

In these cases, the hiring manager is often told that they are looking for a purple squirrel. The recruiter will advise them to pick the three most important skills instead of asking for ten.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms

• Unicorn: A candidate with rare and magical skills.
• Rockstar: Someone who is much better than the average worker.
• Perfect Fit: A person who matches every part of the job.
• Holy Grail: Something that is highly wanted but nearly impossible to get.

Antonyms

• Average Hire: A person who has the basic skills to do the job well.
• Green Squirrel: A candidate who has the right attitude but needs training to learn the specific skills.
• Misfit: A person who does not have the skills or the right personality for the role.

Related Concepts

To understand the purple squirrel fully, you should also know these other recruitment ideas:

• Job Analysis: The process of looking at a role to see what tasks are actually done every day.
• Skills-Gap: The difference between the skills your team has and the skills they need.
• Candidate Experience: How a person feels about your company when they apply for a job.
• Talent Pool: A group of people who might be good for future jobs at your company.
• Employee Value Proposition: What you offer to workers in exchange for their time and talent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I avoid the purple squirrel trap?

You can avoid this trap by separating your requirements into "must-have" and "nice-to-have." Focus on the skills that are hardest to teach. If a person has those, you can help them learn the rest.

Is it ever okay to look for a purple squirrel?

It might be okay if the role is very specialized and you have a huge budget. However, you must be prepared for the search to take a very long time. You should also have a plan for what to do if you never find that person.

Why do hiring managers want purple squirrels?

Most managers want to reduce risk. They think a perfect candidate will not make mistakes. They also want to save time on training. Often, they do not realize that the person they want does not exist in the current job market.

What is a "green" squirrel?

A green squirrel is a candidate who has the potential to become a perfect fit. They have the right personality and basic knowledge. With a little bit of time and coaching, they can do the job just as well as a purple squirrel.

Can technology help find these candidates?

Some tools can help you search through many resumes quickly. However, even the best software cannot find a person who does not exist. Technology is better at finding good matches that you can then interview and train.

How does this affect small businesses?

Small businesses often suffer the most when they look for perfect candidates. They usually cannot afford to leave a role open for a long time. They also may not have the high salaries that a rare candidate would demand.

What should I do if my job description is too long?

You should look at the last person who did the job. Did they really use every skill on that list? If not, remove the ones that are not used every day. This will make your job post more attractive to good candidates.

Do you want to stop guessing and start knowing? Use our tools to check the abilities of your team and your candidates today.

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