Page 78 - Sorry, We're Not Hiring Any Visionaries Today

SORRY, WE’RE NOT HIRING ANY VISIONARIES TODAY
new university training to maintain his license. And he just said, “I’ve run a successful business for 45 years. Why do I need to do more compliance?” He is a true entrepreneur because he knew he couldn’t work for a boss. He said, “Everything I do is scrutinized to the nth degree. I can’t be bothered anymore.”
All this regulation has created workplaces that could be better places to work. And if it’s not a great place to work, it won’t be a successful long-term busi- ness. Your emphasis really needs to be on people and knowledge. Sadly, knowledge gets a very poor look-in.
Most HR departments have a checkbox, a checklist for their interviews, and they go through them. You will only get offered the job if you don’t deviate from everything on that checklist.
I remember a time when I was a manager in HR. We had one particular project manager, a lay preacher at his local church. He was quiet and very unassum- ing. We always had so much difficulty getting him roles as a project manager because he didn’t interview well. He just didn’t come across as dynamic. De- spite this, he was virtually the only one of a team of 35 project managers who brought in every project on time and within budget. He worked without any people conflict whatsoever or client conflict. And he worked for some of the most challenging clients that we had. His projects always went like a dream. But trying to get him through HR and the interview process for the client was hard work. We worked out an approach we could take with the client to bring them to see the strengths of this particular individual.
This was one of the moments where I just went, “Why can’t people see beyond the obvious?” They get the hustlers and the guys who come in, and they’ve reached the interview level and ticked all the boxes. They get into the job, but they can’t do it. They don’t ask for help, and they run into trouble. Then they try to hide it, and you get a disaster. Then everyone looks around and goes,” But he interviewed so well.” I go, “That’s not what you’re looking for.”
I used to throw people in interviews by the questions I asked. I asked them things like, “What was your first job? What did you do? Why did you do it?” If
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