Stop trying to replace Malcolm...

I got a call before Covid, just as this whole affair was about to drop – from a hiring manager.

“Mark, I need a Malcolm”

Now, if you are not ofay with the term, Malcolm, let me explain who he is.

In a company where they have a variety of people doing jobs, you will have 1 person, I call Malcolm. Who has somehow over the years picked up bits of other jobs?

Mostly from someone going away or leaving the business, or maternity/Paternity. Or a project came in and they had to pick up and area of it, outside their remit, but got good at it.

Sometimes Malcolm started with the company, as a general worker. Then over time, became this well-regarded member of the team.

THEN one day, Malcolm takes volunteer redundancy. Or sadly leaves this mortal coil.

The company is left with a Malcolm shaped hole.

So, they go to market.

They can’t find Malcolm replacement. People are too big, too small, paid too much, not enough experience in everything, don’t understand why, can’t do, won’t do… it feels impossible to find the people.

“We’ll go to a recruiter,” they say.

“Recruiter, we need a Malcolm… They need to do this….”

*lists 30 bullet points*

Most recruiters take that, post it, and wait for candidates to apply. Get nothing worth sending to the client.  The client gets annoyed.

The client doesn’t understand why. Then engages with another agency.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another.

“Someone must be able to find a Malcolm”

Then they come to me.

“That’s a lot of things they need to do. Do you really need them to do all this?”

“Yes, Malcolm was important”

“Let’s see how important…”

• What 5 things do they need to know well, to achieve the role day to day?
• Out of those 5 things, which 3 do they need to be experienced at?
• Out of those 3 things, what 1 thing, do they have to have no negotiation!?

Suddenly, you discover what Malcolm really did.

And what you really need.

The rest can be learned along the way, passed to other people, or trained/coached/developed. Maybe opened another role for an additional person to do? Which can take more work on?

All job specifications can be broken down to this. Start with the narrow MUST have no negotiation, bit of the role. Start there. Work backwards.

You do not need to hire another Malcolm.

You just need to work out what your business needs the most.