CEO Says His Most “Successful” Hire Had Zero Experience And No Resume

Tasleem Ahmed, founder of a ghostwriting agency, recently shared an inspiring story of unconventional hiring success. In a post on LinkedIn, Mr Ahmed revealed that he recruited a candidate with zero experience and no resume, sparking debate on traditional hiring practices. Instead of a conventional resume, Laiba Fateh submitted a video application on LinkedIn, showcasing her qualifications. Impressed with her, Mr Ahmed took a risk and gave her a chance. Six months later, he promoted her to equity partner, who now runs all his agency operations. 

The CEO stressed that most skills can be taught and urged hiring managers to prioritise willingness to learn over shiny resumes, giving chances to those eager to grow.

”My most successful hire had ZERO “experience”. In pure Gen-Z style, she didn’t even submit a resume. Instead, she did something a lot better: She made a video application alongside a landing page detailing why she should be hired and posted it on LinkedIn. I hired her over 800 other applications,” his post read. 

”I’ve always said: that 99% of all jobs can be taught. Laiba is living proof of this. Hiring managers. Your best hire won’t be the person with the shiniest resume. It’ll be the person whose willing to learn. Give people a chance,” he added. 

Here’s the post:

The post has ignited lively discussions, with many hailing his innovative approach as a refreshing change. 

One user wrote, ”No doubt, a great manager who is open-minded and willing to teach knows gold, even if it’s inside a rock. The hunger to grow, learn, and improve should be a must when hiring. You never know, that person with no experience might grow to become your best employee. You can groom your best person by using patience, guidance, and support.”

Another commented, ”And THIS is why you hire for character. The ones who are willing to put in the work are the best! ”

A third user wrote, ”Our youth has a lot of potential. they just need guidance and determination.”

”This is a route I hope many companies start to adopt. Sometimes, there’s gold to be mined in the area that’s untouched,” remarked a fourth.