Use search feedback to revisit a requirement when the evidence suggests it does not predict the work as intended or unnecessarily excludes relevant experience. Keep the decision explicit and approved.
A difficult search is a reason to investigate assumptions, not automatically to lower standards.
Create a requirement learning log
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Requirement | The current wording |
| Original reason | Why it was considered important |
| Search observation | What profiles or conversations reveal |
| Alternative explanation | Other reasons the search may be difficult |
| Proposed change | A clearer or more relevant criterion |
| Risk and support | What the change would require from the team |
| Approval | Who decides and when the revised brief takes effect |
Use generalized observations rather than sharing private candidate details broadly.
Distinguish different problems
A requirement may be unclear, too narrow, unsupported, or genuinely essential but difficult to find. Those situations need different responses.
For example, a tool requirement may stand in for a transferable engineering capability. A specialized safety-critical responsibility may require prior expertise that cannot simply be removed.
Ask what the person must do on entry and what the team can realistically teach.
Test the proposed change
Review profiles that would become eligible under the revised criterion. Does their actual work support the new hypothesis?
Do not rewrite requirements around one appealing candidate without considering whether the change makes sense for the role generally.
Update the process consistently
Once approved, revise the brief, sourcing instructions, interview questions, and scorecard where necessary. Tell everyone involved which version applies.
Consider whether previously declined candidates should be reviewed again under the changed requirement. Do not maintain an old filter informally after removing it publicly.
Preserve the learning
Record why the change was made and what evidence would cause another review. This helps future searches avoid repeating the same assumption.
The goal is a more accurate mandate, not endless flexibility that leaves recruiters and candidates unable to understand the job.
Use the essential versus trainable worksheet, adjacent pool map, and candidate reconsideration guide. Discuss a difficult search with Refery.