I. M. Wright: “Hire’s remorse”
Sorry, everybody: we fell behind posting I. M.’s podcasts. Today we’re posting the October 2009 podcast for this blog post: “Hire’s remorse.”
Here’s an excerpt:
Looking for that perfect candidate to fill a role? Good, that means you'll never steal a great candidate away from me. I love it when industrial-strength stupidity renders my competition comatose. You can't hire the perfect candidate, but please keep trying. Maybe after six months I'll even get your open headcount.
This isn't a case of letting the perfect be an enemy of the good. Idiotic hiring managers aren't trying to create perfect candidates—they are waiting for them to appear. It's like a romantic awaiting their soul mate or a home buyer searching for their "dream house." Guess what? Dreams aren't reality.
If someone tells you on your first or second date that you are the man or woman of their dreams—run. They aren't dating you. They are dating their dreams. Sooner or later, they'll realize the two don't match. The same thing happens when hiring managers get caught up in seeking their dream candidate.
We’ll post the podcasts for November and December 2009 soon!
And don’t forget about I. M’s book: I. M. Wright’s “Hard Code,” by Eric Brechner (Microsoft Press, 2008), which includes 49 columns and numerous Eric Asides contextualizing I. M.’s unpulled punches. (Eric Brechner is Director of Development Excellence in Microsoft’s Engineering Excellence group.)