Reality Check: Life Ain't Fair or Equitable
Today, there is a popular and entirely legitimate dialogue about equality, equity and fairness. I'd like to share a different - and hopefully helpful - perspective with you. Sometimes it helps to consider reality as a starting point in all decisions, policies and practices, and sometimes it doesn't. For instance, in the picture above I think the big guy (on top) would probably have an advantage over the little guy (on the mat below him).
But we can't tell which one of these two guys would make the best doctor, accountant, IT specialist, nurse, construction manager, aerospace engineer or marketing director.
Sometimes you gotta go with the obvious. Sometimes that's a really bad idea... Please consider this as just another, hopefully different, perspective on the issue.
Here are a few points to consider about jobs, hiring, corporate policies and the workforce.
- Not all people are qualified for a job. In fact, many people are completely unqualified for some jobs. No amount of training changes that. For instance, NEVER hire a person who dislikes and is bad at math for an accounting or bookkeeping position.
- Some people feel that they might be qualified for a job, but that has no bearing on their actual ability to do a job. For instance, have you ever taken a job for which you considered yourself qualified, and then later discovered that you didn't like it, were unable to perform to expectations or just weren't good at it? This is a very common occurrence, and one of the main reasons behind turnover and/or job-hopping.
- With the best of intentions, we often put the wrong person in the wrong job for the wrong reasons. For instance, a person who is 'good with people' is hired for a sales position, but this person lacks the drive, grit, attention to detail or persistence required to close deals. Being 'good with people' can be a trait of salespeople, but it takes a LOT more than that to succeed.
- Some careers appear to be noble, attractive, desirable and full of opportunity, but they are not. For instance, a healthcare career like nursing has seems desirable and has great potential. But nursing can involve a lot of 'messy things' - like bedpans, blood, difficult emotional situations, hazardous conditions, etc. that cause many people to fail or burn out quickly. Ask any nurse, physicians assistant or doctor.
- Some people are just better at certain jobs than others. It has nothing to do with their external characteristics like race, color, gender, age or culture. For instance, if you want to hire a great IT expert, the hiring process should not look at the person's external qualities. The most important criteria to consider is the person's ability to do the IT job, per expectations. In fact, EEOC guidelines (and best hiring practice) would prohibit employers from considering these external factors in their hiring decision.
- Some people who may appear (based on external criteria) to be great at a certain job are given the opportunity - but it turns out badly for all involved. For instance, a person is hired for a marketing job involving animals. The candidate hired is an animal lover with a strong marketing background, and seeks a career in a field involving animals. They nail the interview and get the job. But the job is marketing for a large corporation that has a meat-packing operation - and problems ensue. At some point, this person will be either dissatisfied, or they will seek to change the business model of the company where they work. Neither situation is optimum for either the employee nor the employer.
So what IS the best way to solve this problem? My answer: identify and hire only the right person for the right job. It's all about 'job-fit.'
When an individual is hired - first and foremost, based on 'job-fit' the following tends to happen: they love what they do, are very good at it and stick with it for the long-run, even in challenging circumstances. People from every race, color, gender, age or culture can be directed into the right job.