Tag: recruitment

Skill or Skin

Skill or Skin

A racist, I assume, has a more chronic condition of xenophobia, which is dislike of, or prejudice against people from other countries.Because a racist will dislike or prejudice against even fellow citizens of another race.
Despite knowing this, the laws in some developed countries still use terms such as Black and White. Makes one wonder if they’re attempting to fix the problem, or merely formalize it.

And one might even justify the presence of words like Black and White saying a lot of people might be more aware of them, as opposed to things like African American or, all of whatever ‘white’ represents. But that’s where change needs to come. When a government decides not to use words that might continue a trend that too many people over centuries have fought to get rid of.

Even the darkest of Africans won’t be ‘black’, and even the fairest of white earthlings won’t be ‘white’, so if we can’t get rid of such tags just yet, maybe just make them more accurate…Black could be replaced by brown, ….and white by eggshell colour, or if you appreciate irony, ‘Navajo white’?
Equal or fair representation, I’ll admit, might need to be part of practice, so as not to have companies completely avoid potential candidates of a particular race from being a part of them.

But if we humans are developed enough to attempt to psychologically brainwash people of a certain race to force them into mainstream religion in Chinese camps in Xinjiang, are we also the people who in developed countries are incapable of devising ways to change the mindsets of hiring managers towards screening candidates based on skill rather than skin?


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Work to be Hired

One of the early screening processes to make it to the defense forces, is that of physical fitness. It is one of the more fundamental requirements of the job. Of course, subsequently, those who make the cut are broken down and rebuilt to be stronger, both mentally and physically.

In the corporate battlefield, potential candidates are put through interview boot camps which are at best, spread over a few days. But are these processes measuring the fundamental requirements you need from the candidate? Skill, while ever-changing, can still be taught. But what are more long-term character traits you’d want your next hire to have?

Once you’ve identified those traits, what if you took the hiring process and turned it on its head?

What if you then shortlisted applications based on simple initial screening criteria, and on gut feel? And then, have them come and work with your team for a week or two, or more. At the end of the period, both parties can decide where to take things from there.

One of the bigger concerns might be the transition and uncertainty, especially for people already in jobs.

Compensation is the easy bit. Even an approximate pro-rata salary-type compensation given to the candidate if rejected, would be far cheaper than the cost of hiring a wrong candidate.

From the point of view of ‘interaction time’, interviews, case-studies and other hiring processes can only be so effective. In comparison, working on a live project, albeit factoring in necessary confidentiality, might be a better way to assess a candidate. To assess traits like integrity and mettle, among other important qualities, which go far beyond a quick and temporary display of skills at an interview. The little I’ve watched of the mentally disturbing Big Brother and Big Boss, it is evident what a short amount of time spent in the same reference (a common project, not an interview) can reveal.

These are times when many MBA students and even experienced professionals focus more on being interview-ready, rather than on cultivating a curious mind. And it is partly because of the illusion of limited time.

Instead of hiring people to work, having people work to be hired might be a better way to build a team that is more suited for one’s company in the medium-to-long term.


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