Are you a Carbon copy of the person leaving the role. If so we want you !

Wanted : New employee with the same skills , experience and industry background as the person who has just told us they are leaving the role.

You must be able to demonstrate experience in our industry and proficiency in the role against a set list of criteria we will give you based on what the last person was doing.

Can I introduce the supposition that employers are missing out on the chance to introduce new and fresh ideas into all areas of their business by narrowing the field of potential candidates for roles and by seeking to replace like with like.

How often do you see or write a job specification that looks just like the above?

Do you spend the time to critically evaluate the existing role before looking for the next person to fill the seat?

If we go with the premise that the 7 most dangerous words in the English language are “We have always done it this way” then surely it is incumbent on managers to really drill down into the reasons the previous occupier of the role is leaving.

Was the role challenging enough… or too challenging  ?

Did I as their Manager provide the correct support?

What does the ideal candidate look like ?  what skills are a must and what type of personality suits the culture we are building?

What do I see on the candidates cv that we as a company or industry could benefit from but are missing ?

As an accountant for example I see CFO and FC roles where experience in the industry is a must and I can only assume cvs that don’t meet this requirement are discarded by recruiters prior to ever getting to the perspective employer.

After over 30 years in various differing industries I can say with certainty that Finance is Finance. I’ve yet to meet an accountant who studies accounting for pharma or accounting for med tech at college. They studied accounting. What has worked for me and what I learned in manufacture of construction products has worked equally as well in Pharma and what I added to my learnings there has worked equally well in subsequent roles.

Similarly Safety is Safety is Safety.

5s and Lean processes are equally applicable to manufacturing and service organisations in varied industries.

 A debit in pharma is the same as a debit in construction and raising funds from a bank in luxury consumer goods is no different from raising funds from a bank in a manufacturing enterprise. Both require a robust and well thought out business plan with projections etc.

Employers please consider the benefits of bringing new blood to your organisation, with fresh perspectives and much talent to offer

Recruiters soften the weeding out process and have the confidence to present employers with candidates who have much to offer but might be a little outside the restrictive parameters set