What is a subject matter expert?

The definition of a subject matter expert is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a person with expert-level experience and knowledge in a specific niche. SMEs can use their knowledge to contribute to team efforts, guide or train others or help business leaders evaluate the needs of an organization—among many other things.

What’s the difference between a SME and a team leader?

A team leader is someone who leads or helps lead a team. While you can have SMEs who are also team leaders (and vice versa) a team leader doesn’t necessarily need as high a level of expertise as a SME does.

Typically, in most organizations, team leaders have a higher level of knowledge in general than many regular staff members. But it’s possible that a team leader could be in charge of a SME who has a much-higher level of expertise in a specific process, machine or skill.

What makes a good subject matter expert?

The first quality of a good subject matter expert is that they have an especially high level of skill and knowledge. How they obtain that experience and knowledge depends on the type of SME they are, but common traits might include:

• An advanced or specialized degree or specific certifications, especially in professional, trade or technical careers
• Years of hands-on experience in the niche area
• Unique experience that may not be common to professionals in the niche, such as international or military experience or a history of working for elite organizations

Experience and knowledge isn’t enough to make someone a valuable SME for your organization. If the SME you hire can’t work with your team or impact your bottom line, then it doesn’t matter how much they know about the topic at hand. Look for SMEs that also demonstrate strong soft skills such as:

• Communication. SMEs should be able to communicate what they know well via writing and speaking. You might call on them to express ideas, train others or create presentations.
• Teamwork. While SMEs might be the most expert staff members on a certain topic, they can’t hold themselves above or apart from the team in general. Most organizations need people who work together to achieve a common goal.
• Analytical ability. The biggest benefits of SMEs come when experts can take what they know and apply it to the specific data associated with your company and draw appropriate conclusions.
• Creative problem solving. In most cases, organizations that want SMEs aren’t looking for someone to simply dump their knowledge on others. You want someone who can use their experience to solve problems within your processes. It’s also important to look for SMEs who can adapt and continue to learn and who realize that experts still don’t know everything.
• Organization and time-management. SMEs didn’t become experts by attending only to the details set in front of them. They are typically people who are passionate about their topics and who love to keep growing and learning. Make sure your SMEs can manage their time well, though, so they do get the details out of the way before following a new thread of knowledge.

How much do subject matter experts make?

SME pay depends on a variety of factors, including the career niche and the position level of the SME. In general, SMEs are likely to make more than others in a similar position or career because subject matter experts have more experience and knowledge. That’s valuable for companies, and most are willing to pay for it.

The benefits of hiring a SME

The benefits you can experience from hiring SMEs depend on how your company is set up, what niche you’re in and how you can put that knowledge and experience to use. Here are some common benefits that companies tend to get when hiring SMEs.

• Adding skill sets. A subject matter expert may bring skill sets to your team that you don’t already benefit from with existing staff. That can range from the knowledge and certification to operate specific machinery to an understanding of a topic that’s entirely new to your company.
• Driving change and improvement. If you’re engaging in continuous process improvement or change initiatives, SMEs can bring new perspectives that help your team focus on and create a more ideal future state.
• Increased growth potential. Both of the benefits above help drive growth. With additional skills, you may be able to branch out into new service or product lines, for example. SMEs can also contribute to growth by taking on tasks that teams previously struggled with because they didn’t have the relevant experience or knowledge.
• Better compliance. In some cases, a subject matter expert might have knowledge of best practices, regulations and compliance requirements within a niche. This information—as well as the SME’s experience in adhering to such guidelines or requirements—can help your company stay within regulations with a reduced impact to the bottom line.
• Ability to transfer knowledge to existing staff. In many cases, companies hire SMEs to train and educate other staff members. If you hire a subject matter expert with the right experience and soft skills, they may be able to increase the skill and knowledge level of your staff.

How do you hire a SME when you’re not one yourself?

Assessing a potential employee as a SME when you’re not one yourself can be difficult. Here are some tips that might help you make the right decision when looking for a SME.

• Ask the right questions during interviews. Don’t just work to ascertain someone’s level of expertise. Ask questions to find out about their soft skills and determine whether they might be a good fit for your team culture.
• Have the candidate rate their own expertise and experience. Sure, self-ratings can be biased, but they do help you understand how the candidate sees their own status as a SME.
• Involve people with more knowledge than you. Reach out to others within your own organization or consultants to help you evaluate and interview potential SMEs. This might be especially helpful in certain high-level or specific professional niches.
• Look at their past experience. Ask them how they used their knowledge to solve problems or benefit past employers.
• Research appropriate credentials. You don’t have to be a SME to know what skills, certifications or degrees a subject matter expert should have. Once you learn that information, sort resumes and applicants accordingly to find people with credentials that support their SME claim.