Expanding the Talent Pool: Why Exceptional People Often Come From Unexpected Places

Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of candidates and hired more people than I can count. Some came through polished resumes with years of property management experience. Others had no industry background at all. And if I’m honest, many of the hires who shaped teams the most, who left the deepest imprint on resident satisfaction, and who drove the biggest improvements in operations, came from the second group. 

It’s easy to default to the traditional channels. Recruiters, job boards, and referrals often bring forward candidates who already know our world. That approach reduces training time and minimizes risk. But it also narrows the field. You end up fishing in the same small pond where every other operator is casting their line. 

The real breakthroughs often happen when you step outside that pond. 

The Hidden Maintenance Tech 

One of the best maintenance hires I’ve seen didn’t come from another property down the road. He came from a hardware store where he was stocking shelves and troubleshooting customer questions about tools and supplies. On paper, he wasn’t a match. He had never filled out a work order or managed unit turns. But what he had was a customer service mindset and the ability to solve problems on the fly. 

Within six months, he had become the go-to technician residents trusted most. His diagnostic ability was sharper than many seasoned pros because he wasn’t just fixing a problem—he was explaining the solution in a way residents understood. That built trust, and trust is the foundation of resident retention. 

The Teacher Who Mastered the System 

Property management software can be intimidating for new hires. It’s tempting to think only people with direct industry experience can navigate it. But I once hired a former middle school teacher who picked it up faster than some of our most experienced staff. 

Teachers are wired for learning agility. They are trained to pick up new systems, adapt quickly, and simplify complexity for others. Within weeks, she wasn’t just comfortable with the software—she was teaching others. What she lacked in initial technical knowledge, she more than made up for with her ability to learn and translate. 

This is why I value learning agility more than technical knowledge. Systems can be taught. Agility cannot. 

The Flight Attendant Who Elevated Service 

Customer experience is often where multifamily operations rise or fall. I’ll never forget bringing a former flight attendant onto a leasing team. At first, the team was skeptical. What could someone with no leasing background offer? 

It turned out she brought more than anyone expected. She introduced customer service techniques that transformed how residents were greeted, how complaints were handled, and how prospects were followed up with. Her approach was proactive, empathetic, and consistently professional. Retention rates improved because residents felt the difference. 

This was a lesson in valuing cultural add over cultural fit. Too often, leaders hire mirrors of their existing team. It feels safer. But what organizations need is not sameness—it’s fresh perspective. Cultural add brings in new energy, skills, and ways of thinking that push everyone forward. 

Why Onboarding Matters 

Of course, hiring outside the industry only works if you create structured pathways for success. Too many times, I’ve seen companies bring in a candidate from retail or hospitality and then leave them to sink or swim. The result is predictable: frustration, turnover, and wasted potential. 

When you recruit outside traditional channels, you need to double down on onboarding. Build clear knowledge transfer programs. Assign mentors who know how to explain not just the “what,” but the “why.” Break down compliance concepts into accessible steps. Give space for questions without judgment. 

The goal is to create a bridge from their existing skills to the unique demands of our industry. If you build that bridge well, you’ll find those nontraditional hires often sprint across it faster than expected. 

The Role of Behavioral Assessments 

One tool I’ve found invaluable is behavioral assessments like DISC. These frameworks reveal natural traits and tendencies that often align with specific roles better than years of experience do. 

For example, a high-D profile with strong task orientation and decisiveness may excel in a property manager role even without prior industry experience. A high-S with patience and empathy might thrive in resident services. A high-C with attention to detail could become a compliance specialist who outperforms veterans. 

Assessments do not replace judgment, but they reduce bias. They help you see potential beyond keywords on a resume. 

What This Looks Like in Practice 

I’ve seen retail managers revolutionize resident events because they already understood foot traffic and promotion. I’ve seen servers from restaurants become exceptional leasing agents because they knew how to build rapport in minutes. I’ve seen teachers transform training programs because they knew how to engage learners. 

None of those outcomes would have happened if we only looked at candidates with property management on their resumes. 

Expanding the Pond 

The multifamily industry faces real challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Competition is fierce, burnout is real, and the pipeline of “traditional” candidates is not enough to fill the need. Expanding the pond isn’t just a creative idea—it’s a necessity. 

But doing so requires leaders to shift their perspective. It means asking not just, “Does this candidate have industry experience?” but, “Do they have transferable skills, learning agility, and cultural value that can grow our team?” 

It means being willing to take a calculated risk on someone who doesn’t fit the mold—and then investing in their development. 

Closing Reflection 

After more than twenty years in operations, I’ve come to believe that the most transformative hires rarely look obvious at first glance. They come from the coffee shop down the street, the classroom across town, or the hardware store around the corner. 

The question is whether we as leaders are willing to notice them, invest in them, and build systems that let their potential thrive. 

Because the choice is clear: we can keep fishing in the same small pond, competing over the same limited candidates, or we can expand our search to uncover hidden talent that just might redefine what success looks like for our teams.