Is Sector Experience Overrated?

It’s one of the biggest points of tension in hiring.

Job seekers say:
“Experience is experience. I can apply my skills anywhere.”

Hiring managers say:
“We’d really prefer someone from our sector.”

And here’s the funny thing: people often switch sides.

As soon as someone starts hiring, even if they were a job seeker a few months ago, they start looking for the same sector background.

So what’s going on?

Why do we care so much about sector experience?

A few reasons:

• It feels safer. If someone’s done it before in a similar business, they’ll ‘hit the ground running.’
• It’s easier to explain. You can point to a neat track record and make a clear case to the board.
• It’s a shortcut. When you’ve got 50 CVs, it’s a fast way to narrow the list.

But is it actually the best move?

Same sector = same thinking

Hiring people from the same world often leads to the same ideas, the same assumptions, and the same blind spots.

If you want fresh thinking, new angles, and true challenge, you need different perspectives.

You need people who’ve worked in different environments, with different customers, and different ways of working.

That’s where real innovation often starts.

“If you always hire people who’ve done the same job in the same way, don’t be surprised when nothing changes.”