Let me say something that might sting a little. One of the biggest reasons your AI or Data search is stalling is you are looking for a unicorn.
You want someone who can build the models, lead the team, present to the C suite, manage the data infrastructure, and have five years of experience in a technology that barely existed three years ago. That person does not exist. And if they do they are not available.
The Unicorn Trap
It happens more than you think. A role opens up and suddenly every stakeholder has an opinion on what the ideal candidate looks like. By the time the requirements are finalized the job description reads like three roles in one. And the search stalls before it even starts because the talent pool for that specific combination of skills simply does not exist at the level you are looking for.
This is not a talent shortage problem. It is a clarity problem.
Must Haves vs Nice to Haves
Here is what I advise every hiring manager before we start a search. Get clear on your must haves versus your nice to haves. What does this person absolutely need to walk in the door with on day one? And what can they learn, develop, or grow into once they are part of your team?
That distinction changes everything. It opens up your talent pool, speeds up your search, and forces your team to align on what actually matters for the role versus what would just be nice to have.
What Happens When You Get Clear
Something interesting happens as you start interviewing candidates with that clarity in mind. You begin to see which qualities actually matter for the role and which ones were just wish list items. You start evaluating candidates on their potential impact rather than their ability to check every box on a requirements list.
And that is where great hires come from.
The Right Candidate
The right candidate is not the one who checks every box. It is the one who will make the biggest impact both short and long term and most importantly someone you and your team can vibe with. Cultural fit and team chemistry are just as important as technical skills in a specialized field like AI and Data.
At SUD we help you get that clarity before the search even starts. Because a focused search built around the right criteria will always outperform a broad search chasing a unicorn that does not exist.
I’m Sunil from SUD Recruiting. The human behind AI and Data hiring.