A younger HR colleague said that to me when I had asked to see the full list of candidates. Not just the shortlist. The people already screened out.
The candidate was on it. He ticked many of the boxes I was looking for.
Then I asked what that exactly meant. And the reasons I got were:
- Too expensive.
- ‘Probably’ not flexible.
- ‘Probably’ difficult to manage.
- They will get bored.
Then I shared my detailed thoughts with the HR colleague:
Our key accounts had become harder to manage.
What used to sell at technical level now had to go through senior stakeholders, from CTO to CFO. The more our KAMs resembled those senior levels, the better.
When you are an experienced KAM, the job is not an in-between step.
You are certain about why you are in the position. You probably won’t need to “learn” the job.
The same thing happens for jobs where experience is a plus (surgeon, pilot, coach).
Too expensive?
Give the candidate a higher target. Expensive compared to what? Sales reps are an investment. Think ROI.
Not flexible?
I’ve worked with every age group, entry-level to 60+. To this day, I cannot attribute a specific feature to a specific age group. Agile, innovative, energetic: personality traits, not age-linked. “Young and therefore energetic” and “old and therefore less productive”: assumptions I’ve never seen verified in real business environments.
Difficult to manage?
I agree senior KAMs will challenge immature managers. Micromanaging them is the least effective style. A manager who fears being challenged should rethink their choice of profession.
Will get bored?
Why would a senior candidate be more likely to get bored in a job than a less experienced one? Is it because they’ve seen it all before? That’s an asset! Is it because the job is too simple for them? I’m never sure what lies behind this assumption. When in doubt, just ask the candidate.
And I gave her a simple tip.
Replace the word “senior” with “experienced“, then ask yourself how “too experienced” sounds.
Now imagine this:
You need a pilot to fly a route known for its challenges (hurricanes, violent winds, and extreme weather conditions) where technology alone is not enough.
You need a surgeon to perform a highly complex operation, where resilience, sound judgment, and the ability to handle pressure are essential.
In either case, would you ever say, “This candidate is too senior” or “has too much experience”?
Since then:
- I brief HR properly, every time.
- I check the “not shortlisted” pile, every time.
- Personality first. Resilience, drive, urgency, not résumé shape.
- Complex market, complex cycle: hire someone with thick skin. Experience builds that.
So why do we accept these arguments when hiring for complex business roles?
What filters are companies using that might screen out exactly the profile, not the CV, they need?
Some companies keep talking about talent shortages and they struggle to find the right match.
👉 What filters do they set that might screen out exactly the profile (not the CV) they need?
