It's unicorn season.

Jason Voiovich and I teach a course to companies on how to hire Fractional professionals. In it we talk about the fantasy companies often have in their heads that they can find a person to hire who looks like this:

30 years old...

20 years of experience...

in a technology that’s only been around for 10 years...

who is willing to work for less than the market rate...

for the next 5 years.

Pure fantasy. And yet postings happen by the millions daily hoping in vain to find a person who doesn't exist.

"Maybe we'll get lucky."

"But what if we DO find someone?"

"Let's throw it against the wall and see what sticks."

It's not like fishing, where there is a chance that there may be a trophy walleye down there in the depths somewhere. That could actually happen. It hasn't happened for me yet, but it actually could. There are no Unicorns to catch. At all. Anywhere. Ever.

In his article The Enigma of Unrealistic Job Requisitions: Unmasking Organizational Intent Chris Gonzales unearths deeper reasons companies put so much hope into finding a Unicorn:

Abnormally unrealistic job requisitions often encompass multiple roles, driven by a blend of ambition, organizational issues, and a desire to test candidates' limits.

In other words, the organization has not yet figured out their own stuff, so they hope to find someone ELSE who can do it. The mirror is hard to look into sometimes. This is the reason Jason and I added our course for employers to our Voyageur University curriculum. We are hot to help anyone in the small business sector succeed and thrive. Helping companies look inside before they look outside is part of the work we do here.

I actually have a lot of empathy for leaders who do this. It is hard to be a leader and grow a biz. You have very little time and money to work with, and are saddled with making critical decisions every day. Couple that with very little experience in how to hire (Most CEOs don't come from a HR background) and you can see how hoping for a Unicorn comes into the thinking.

We have to talk about what happens when you hire a Unicorn as well. Perhaps you have been that Unicorn. There is only one path that can go. The path of overworked, underpaid, stressed, saddled to do things you are not experienced and buried under more than you can handle. From that comes slow growth, a frustrated team, and less than ideal annual reviews. On the front end when people place and take Unicorn jobs, the back end results in the opposite effect everyone is hoping for. To put it simply, you wouldn't hire a quarterback to catch their own passes.

America has had a Unicorn problem for decades. We think we've solved it with Fractional.

Let's go back to the Unicorn. What are companies actually trying to solve for when they look for a Unicorn?

30 years old...Because we can't pay them a leadership salary.

20 years of experience...Because we can't afford mistakes.

In a technology that’s only been around for 10 years...Because change is constant.

Who is willing to work for less than the market rate...Because we are cash strapped.

For the next 5 years...Because we need wisdom and strength we don't have to help us grow.

Now let's fit an actual, real-life, ready-to-go Fractional pro to the problem.

30 years old...Because we can't pay them a leadership salary. Good. Fractionals cost 1/3 of an FTE, even at the executive level.

20 years of experience...Because we can't afford mistakes. Understood. Fractional pros know the way around the mistakes you can't afford or even see.

In a technology that’s only been around for 10 years...Because change is constant. Every single Fractional pro is an entrepreneur. Change is our middle name. We actually like it.

Who is willing to work for less than the market rate...Because we are cash strapped. Not only are we 1/3 the price, you have zero cash outlay for healthcare, benefits, parking, office space or any other employee costs.

For the next 5 years...Because we need wisdom and strength we don't have to help us grow. Sweet. We have yet to teach a Fractional pro who has not earned a "walking MBA" every year in their career, building exceptional acumen, muscle and wisdom in their chosen craft.

You can see where bringing in a Fractional pro to help you grow is an actual real-world solution to the Unicorn problem. No fantasy about it.

I could not find any data on exactly how many job postings out there are Unicorn hunting. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that are are over 9 Million open jobs posted in America on any given day. Add to that the Hidden Job Market and that could nearly double.

For years, career experts have estimated that the hidden job market accounts for 70-80% of all open positions.

What's that? 17 million open jobs? For arguments sake let's say 10% are seeking and placing unicorns. Imagine what happens when instead of following the Unicorn path they follow the Fractional path. 1.7 million perfect fit solutions happen rather the poor fit of hiring a Unicorn. Here is what happens.

Companies grow.

Teams unite.

Visions and missions become more clear and attainable.

Problems are solved faster.

Opportunities are grasped far more firmly.

Our GPD grows.

And once again, Fractional takes our economy forward.

As ever, go Fractional,

- John

To find out more about the Fractional Workforce read Revolt: The rise of Fractional and the death of full time, listen to The Fractional Revolution on Spotify, or take a course at Voyageur University.

John Arms is an author, educator and advocate for Fractional professionals and the small business economy they serve.