The Purple Squirrel

Driving home today we heard a term on the radio NPR station that was new to us. A “Purple Squirrel” is a person much sought after by employment recruiters. We laughed for miles at the thought of a purple squirrel.

Purple squirrel is a term used by employment recruiters to describe an unlikely job candidate with precisely the right education, experience, and qualifications that perfectly fits a job’s multifaceted requirements. In theory, this prized “purple squirrel” could immediately handle all the expansive variety of responsibilities of a job description with no training and would allow businesses to function with fewer workers.

The report I read said there have only been three sightings of purple squirrels since 1997.

Are you a purple squirrel? People are looking for you