Hire for Reality, Not Convention

A few years back I told our recruiter to stop bringing in out-of-state sales hires — and to drop the college-degree requirement entirely.

Instead: go find local hospitality workers.

She was stunned. Then it clicked.

Here’s why:

• The company was in Rhode Island. Out-of-state grads loved Newport for a season, then left.
• Rhode Island natives stay put. Stability matters.
• A college degree is pointless for most sales roles. Discipline, curiosity, and genuine intent beat a diploma.
• Hospitality talent comes pre-trained: discipline, people skills, pressure tolerance, and the grind of earning tips.

Our next two hires — a bartender and a retail associate — outperformed most of the college grads while still in training.

And they stayed.

The lesson: stop hiring by default.
Figure out what your environment actually needs.
Scrap the bias. Hire for reality, not convention.