I'm Safe From My Competitors as Long as They do Their Own Hiring.

I recently wrote a e-newsletter entitled "The Problem with Hiring an Occasional Bomber." A lot of people were disturbed by the idea that the only line of defence between us and terrorists was their own incompetence in hiring. The proof lies in that so many of the recent bombers got through all security measures and the one and only thing preventing lives from being lost was that the bombers themselves aren't good at their jobs and they don't do it often enough. Let's face it, whoever hires terrorists isn't very good at it. (something I'm grateful for!)

My finest response was from a CEO who puzzled over whether I was brilliant in observing this or irresponsible for pointing it out. He seemed to give me the benefit of the doubt, so I can safely tell my children he sided with "brilliant."

Like the terrorists, don't do your own hiring, you won't get good results. You're just not good at it. Hiring is like driving a car. We're all convinced we drive better than average and it's the other fools on the road that cause accidents.

I'm here to tell you it's just not so. Accountants who can't read spreadsheets, who can't build a system, were hired by somebody who thought they were good at it. Every salesperson who is under quota was hired by somebody who thought they themselves were good at sales. Every union shop became union because a business owner was convinced he was great at hiring but somehow managed to hire an abusive manager. Every angry customer got that way because some product or service included an employee somebody hired because they thought they had the "right" person.

Really, all business problems are caused by people who think they can hire, but can't.

I believe hiring cannot be done by the manager needing the new person and frequently not even the company, because it's all too personal. Like choosing a mate, there is nothing logical about it. People tend to unconsciously select a mate because that person represents what's missing in us. We choose to complete our own shortcomings through them, rather than making an objective & right decision.

This is why someone's hiring choices are so difficult to reverse. The choice in candidate reflects what's missing inside themselves.

Hiring should never be done by those doing the hiring. Period.

See you for breakfast!
Wolfgang


p.s. June 16th, Recruiting, selection, still some seats left. Bring anyone and everyone who gets involved in your company's hiring process. The seminar is better than the newsletter!

p.s. We're safe from terrorists as long they're doing their own hiring. It could be I'm safe from my competitors as long as they too are doing their own hiring.

p.s. You shouldn't do your own dental work, and you shouldn't do your own hiring. Get professional help and stick to what you know. It will end better.