There are companies that focus on the candidate’s training and overlook an essential aspect: real talent and experience.
This invisible barrier is known as the paper ceiling.
In this post you will discover that it not only limits the professional growth of many employees, but also has negative consequences for the company.
What is paper ceiling?
This refers to the professional limitation that some candidates face when applying for a job because they do not have a university degree or specific certified training.
However, these candidates often do have the necessary skills and abilities to perform the job.
The paper ceiling is an obstacle to career advancement, so it is a human resources biasthat is detrimental to the candidate.
But it also has negative consequences for organizations, as they miss the opportunity to incorporate talent that could be valuable to their team because they do not meet certain training requirements.
These are the negative consequences of the HR paper ceiling
- Waste of talent.
Putting the main focus on a candidate’s education and qualifications can cause the recruiter to overlook his or her practical skills to perform the tasks of the job offered.
- Lack of diversity. With the excessive demand for certifications, it is possible that people with a lower socioeconomic level may be excluded.
Sometimes there are candidates who lack a certain level of education or some certifications for economic reasons, but may have acquired knowledge through work experience.
- Demotivation.
There are times when the paper ceiling occurs in the company itself.
Are you making good use of your employees’ skills?
Imagine that a member of your team has experience in another area of the business, but has been assigned very specific routine tasks and you do not give him the opportunity to show his skills in other fields.
This can lead to a lack of productivity and commitment to the company.
- Less innovation.
Can you imagine having a highly trained team with a multitude of qualifications, but little practical experience?
It is important to strike a balance between the two.
Also, consider that a team that is not very diverse in terms of experience and skills may be less able to generate innovative ideas and creative solutions.
Many companies have already broken the paper ceiling and are focusing on competency-based selection.
Do you want to go a step further and apply AI in your selection processes? Contact us.
