Wanted: Idiots

It never ceases to amaze me that an employer would rather hire a lying fake individual than a truthful candid one. Time and time again they hire the candidate who answers all the "right" questions and plays their game, only to find out months or even just a few weeks later that they've chosen yet another dud. Thus wasting time and money. To which the employer then exclaims, "I thought they were such a good fit!"

All because they found someone who answered all the right questions and stepped outside of the box at the times they thought the person should. If they seem too good to be true, they probably are. Personally, I'd rather hire the person who comes in a little disheveled. The person who doesn't go out of their way to disagree or challenge me at my own interview, but the one who seems to be talking freely without thinking I might be expecting constant scripted response.

Here's a thought for the employers out there. How about starting the interview out with, "Are you and idiot?" Maybe ask a question you don't want to hear the answer to. "Do you like my hair cut?" Perhaps, "Do you like my shoes?" All slightly good questions to determine if the candidate is in fact an idiot. For example if they like your hair and your shoes, they're probably lying. Who likes both your hair and your shoes? And if they really do, do you want someone on your team who likes you that much?

To me playing the game in an interview is the equivalent of all of Hitler's cabinet telling him there was absolutly nothing wrong with exterminating the Jews. It's why I never worked out with high level corporate position interviews. If you interview with HR and don't answer the cookie cutter question with one of their cookie cutter answers, you won't be getting that call back. Say what they will, but being inventive, nervy and cutting edge 95% of the time will not get you the position.

The only time being yourself gets you the position of your dreams is if you interview for those few legitimate Craigslist postings posted by employers who are "just like you."

In the world I live in (which has already been determined to not be the world you live in) it's better to fill your corporation with loose cannons than a bunch of bloody sheep afraid to step out of the box. However, on the level of the current reality it's much better to hire the sheep. The governments, corporations and religions of the world have already proven that the sheep are the best way to go. If we had a world run by free thinkers whom had free thinking assistants we might actually have dynamic change and interesting concepts. In the case of our current state of affairs it's much more simple to have the sheeple run by the sheeple. Just because it's easier doesn't make it right.

Perhaps what bothers me most are the ads looking for talented, free thinking, artistic individuals. When it turns out that they were just looking for normal follow-the-leader types pretending to be interesting. If they really want an interesting individual then they just need to sit them down and ask ... are you an idiot? Of course it helps if the hiring party was also not an idiot.

The inspirational portion of today's message, gentle readers, is that while I have kissed an abundant amount of ass I've never really been able to watch my mouth or conform to what they wanted. Yet I've always found myself eventually being the one conducting the interviews instead of the one being interviewed. Being myself to a point has landed me in rather good positions. It's a line I chose to walk and maybe I would have progressed quicker had I been the sheep, my predisposition to be "the wacky one" eventually panned out.

It may be the luck of the draw. The world needs sheeple just as much. The needs of the top would not be met without the worker bee buzzing below. We need the chanting folks who have dedicated their life to meditation just as much as we need the surrealist in town square. But we can't all be charismatic loud mouths. Oddly bringing me back around aching to make another Hitler reference.