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The Hyperspecialists - What Are They, Where, and Why?

The “Hyperspecialist” has arrived. But what does it mean? Where do you find one and why do we need them? Here is everything you need to know about this new breed of professional.

What?

What is a hyperspecialist? And more importantly, what are they not?

A hyperspecialist is a contact within an industry who doesn’t just have the top experience and qualifications, but goes further and claims to specialise in a really complicated pocket of it. Equine dentists for example, and Latte artists (does that picture on your coffee make it taste better? You know apparently it does!). A professional already within a specialist industry who has now gone further and mastered an even more confusing pocket of it, too. Other examples; People who don’t just specialise in recruitment, but “executive” recruitment. Or “I’m not just a photographer, I’m a wedding photographer” So how to really define a hyperspecialist? Is working within a small pocket of a niche market enough? I mean surely everyone could define themselves as a hyperspecialist, as we all tend to work in the part of our industries where we excel. What sorts the talent from the try-hards?

Where?

Hyperspecialists are a rare breed. People who do the same specific thing, day in, day out, so much that the thought of it makes your head hurt. Like Twitter background designers - That’s a thing now. Imagine doing that 30 times a day? That gives you the right to call yourself a hyperspecialist. These are people who found that they could take something that others found eye-achingly frustrating and get it done within seconds. They may already be within your network of contacts, but you don’t know that they spend their days doing such a specific thing as it is just that niche. So how to find them? This whole problem was one of the main inspirations behind PeoplePerHour.com, designed as a platform to connect freelancers and professionals looking for a job done, fast. Little did I know how my website would be enabling the birth of the hyperspecialist, but there they are - hundreds of guys with just one niche talent, making a living out of doing it over and over again, and making serious money.

In the time it would take you to format and resize a photo, they have it done in minutes. And this is why savvy time-savers everywhere are farming out the fiddly jobs and getting a specialist on the job. It’s a no-brainer really. Ignoring the huge asset that the internet has provided, and platforms like mine, to find professionals is foolish. There are thousands of people who can get your job done, in the time it takes to pop round the corner for a coffee. Just break it up, write out what you need doing, select a hyperspecialist and sit back and watch the work come in.

Alternatively, there’s always Google. Or shouting out of the window for that PR/marketing expert. Perhaps posting on to Gumtree again. OK, I’m being facetious now, but to illustrate a point - we have the technology! We now have tools to make your life easier… Find and use them! Why?

Why hire a hyperspecialist when you could just do it yourself, or have one of your team have a stab at it? Well the answer is that you may be going about it the wrong way in the first place and the switch to using freelancers is imminent. Look at the car manufacturing industry; Different parts all made separately and then fitted together saves big bucks. Or running a house - You wouldn’t ask your gardener to take a look at a dripping tap, nor your plumber to clean linen sheets. Hyperspecialists equal efficiency, and although they may also work for your competitors, this is irrelevant for true professionals. This just means they are in the know, with new ideas and knowledge on best practice for your business. So work with this new niche professional. Embrace the hyperpecialist and spend your time not muddling through the tasks on your desk but breaking them up, making them clear and concise to understand and then farm them out. Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle… You are the corners and the outline, and the rest just needs forming and then putting in to place. The hardest part will be putting them back together when they arrive, fully formed, back on to your desk. Picture perfect.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by VP .