You’re hiring on pity

I once had a coworker tell other team members that “Howard hires based on pity”.  Here’s the backstory… I interviewed a young man for a position in the kitchen of a dinner theatre whose food and beverage division was under my oversight.  

This young man was eager and driven to find a job.  He honestly lacked the hands-on experience that was being sought for the position, yet he would not keep selling himself.  It came out later in the interview that he and his mother hIad fallen on hard times and were both living out of her car.  I hired him as I felt that he deserved the opportunity based on his desire to work.  After all, I started in the hospitality business with no experience at 16 years of age.

This young man proved to be a great hire.  His eagerness and loyalty shone through and he was promoted multiple times into positions that he would have NEVER been considered for in the beginning. 

Fast forward many years, and I see hiring managers cast doubts on candidate’s abilities even though they have skillsets that are transferable yet may not have worked in the specific role before.  

I believe we have a responsibility to lift people up and offer opportunities when possible.  You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome…

Haven’t we all started our professional journey with zero experience?