There is a great French expression. Deformatione Professionelle. Simply put, it is a bias in thinking that gives us all a tendency to look at any situation based upon our education.
Accountants look for the costs. Engineers, well, we usually try to fix everything.
This creates a real problem when recruiting. We use this bias, even if we don’t think we are, to choose people who are from our tribe. One of us. Someone with our experience.
We try and recruit ourselves.
Why? Because in addition to the French expression I won’t pretend I can say properly with my Aussie accent, we add Familiarity bias to the mix. We make selection choices based on what we’ve always known because it’s always worked that way, right?
No.
Not right.
Without new ideas, new approaches, and (heaven forbid) learnings from other industries you won’t improve much. It is the difference between slow evolutionary change and revolutionary. You know, that transformation and disruption you keep saying you support…
I worked for some time at a major financial institution (yes, they hired an engineer). They remain successful to this day (not because I’m not there anymore…) because from the first moment you look like you might be wanting to select a new team member you are coached by their great HR team. That coaching really boils down to a simple reminder.
You don’t need to hire another you. You’ve already got a you. What you need is a not exactly like you. You need to fill gaps that you don’t fill.
It is bewildering that more companies don’t do this simple step. The number of terrific speciality skilled professionals that I see rejected from roles because they fill the “not you” box is both disappointing and vexing. Financial Services, Insurance and Government are probably the most common of these short sighted recruitment sectors that are wasting time and often shareholder and taxpayer money by holding on to the fallacy that what they need are more bankers, accountants, or public servants like they always have.
That is not to say that these are a problem in themselves, quite the contrary. You need these professions. What you don’t need is ONLY these. If you need to answer a legal question, you need a lawyer. If you are managing a project you need a project manager. These skills are transferrable across industries and sectors. Some of the best hiring decisions I have made, out of probably 100 or more people in 25 years, have come from looking beyond the “norm” and hiring people with good positive attitudes and a record of achieving and contributing. One of the nicest and most effective analysts and programmers I ever met is actually a Marine Biologist!
There is some value in an appreciation of the subtleties and nuances of each industry. There is even more value in the appreciation that “what got you here, won’t get you there”….
Hire professionals based on their skills and record of achievement in whatever industry. Help them with the environment you work in. There is much to be gained for you, your business, and our economy.
