Cut Your Losses

"To select the wrong person for a job is a common mistake; not to remove him/her is a fatal weakness."

Unknown

Fatal for both the manager and the employee.

If you are one or the other, see that this doesn't apply to you.

Who Do You Hire?

"The test of any man lies in action."

Pindar

4th century BC Greek poet

But which action?  

In this case, is the ability to build one's chair a good indication of how effective an Ikea applicant will be?

How do you test potential employees?

The First Job

"We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started."

Henry Ward Beecher

19th century American politician

Memo to Management:  Remember this when considering an otherwise qualified young person who only lacks in experience.

You too once had to find your first job.

Employees: More Than the Numbers?

"Organizational effectiveness does not lie in that narrow minded concept called rationality. It lies in the blend of clearheaded logic and powerful intuition."

Henry Mintzberg
Researcher, McGill University

Outstanding? Do you know why?

Because it came from an academic researcher; a profession that usually only accepts what it can measure.

When you hire, do you consider the unmeasurable along with the measurable?

Educational degrees, employment history, etc., are important but what about creativity, intuition and other "soft", usually unprovable qualities?

Is it this combination of things that makes one successful or is it only about the ruler?