An italian coffee story....

I was just posting a comment on a LinkedIn group, and had an epiphany....  well ok, maybe not quite that earth shattering but sometimes its the little things that matter (like a double espresso in the morning)....

Over recent days and weeks i've met with, talked to and otherwise engaged with various others in the HR community where there have been a lot of verbiage about recruiting, talent, EVP, sourcing, assessment & selection etc etc.

Someone had kindly posted a question on a group about recognising talent when it comes along - a good and relevant question is it not?

So of course right now I have a slightly vested interest in this, as someone myself who doesn't tick all the boxes, i'm far too individual for that (more an affogato than a latte) - it seems to me that many people (at times myself included) are guilty of candidate blindness, or to be more accurate, the last star performer blindness.

The question of recognising talent is not only about thinking outside the boxes, but also about realising that great talent can be found in every country, in every social demographic, and every generational demographic, and indeed, in every industry, skill level, and job type.....

As one of these 'individuals' who can't easily be put into a box or pigeon hole, i to am vexed by the desire for people to do this - it is Human Nature I hear you say, and indeed you are pretty much right, but, do we realise how detrimental it is to us as HR people, and organisations and as a collective that needs to continually evolve, innovate and be different to do so?

Perhaps there is some utopia where the idea that understanding what someone can actually deliver is more important than asking where they delivered it before?  Is the fact someone has learnt primarily from a book more valuable than someone who has learnt from hands on experience or vice versa?  Do we need to constantly recycle the same people through an industry without giving opportunity to those who are looking for a new challenge, and who might well bring completely new ideas to the industry?

Whilst parked up in a cafe recently I took a moment to look around, and it struck me that, without innovation, without exploring new territories and without think about the need to have more, to be diverse, and to take a risk on something other than what we know, we would all still be drinking Nescafe - certainly I for one am delighted that the idea of a real italian coffee has become the norm - that 'new fangled' expresso machine that sits proudly on the bench top is indeed an innovation, and I did have to think outside the box to spend all that money buying it, but what a reward!