Buy Low, Sell High, Hire Me
We've heard the common wisdom before. Buy low. Sell high. Make money.
Unfortunately, we also know that it's not that simple. Human emotion interferes so that when we should stay calm and recognize opportunities, we panic and sell; when we should realize a gain we continue to ride the roller coaster high until it comes crashing down.
Much like the stock market, there is a general prevailing concept of taking risks when others are pulling back, and when everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, perhaps it's time to look for the exits. Despite this understanding, our instincts get in the way and our decisions don't reflect this calm rationality.
This has been my experience with the hiring process as a career-switcher looking for job opportunities post-MBA. Granted, there are likely a number of reasons companies can point to for their selection process. But what I have noted is an unwillingness to look past direct experience deficiencies to identify potential talent. Looking at x years of experience translates to a safe bet in the eyes of most companies.
But by limiting themselves to these 'safe bets', these companies could potentially fare worse. If a job seeker wants to transition into a different field but doesn't have the desired years of experience, he may revert back to an area that fits his past experience. If he is hired, that company has now selected someone with the experience they wanted but likely has lower motivation and passion. This is a less desirable hire than someone who is excited about what they are doing.
Or, maybe the job seeker isn't good at what they are doing and wants to find something that better matches their skill sets. But the collective 'safe bet' hiring practices influence them to stick with what they are doing.
Fortunately, not all companies are unwilling to take calculated risks. HubSpot, in particular, is a company that (at least in the sales department) seems to look beyond the direct experience factor with a focus instead on past success in any field. Roughly 20% of their sales team hires didn't have sales experience, and their staff includes past professional comedians and Olympic gold-medal winners.
Here is a graph of HubSpot's customer growth:
Photo Courtesy
Their revenue growth is supposedly even greater because revenue per customer has grown over time. This can naturally be attributed to many different factors, but the company is doing something right.
There is a lot of talk about the importance of the people that make up a successful organization. Maybe it's time to take another look at who these people really are.
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Unfortunately, we also know that it's not that simple. Human emotion interferes so that when we should stay calm and recognize opportunities, we panic and sell; when we should realize a gain we continue to ride the roller coaster high until it comes crashing down.
Much like the stock market, there is a general prevailing concept of taking risks when others are pulling back, and when everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, perhaps it's time to look for the exits. Despite this understanding, our instincts get in the way and our decisions don't reflect this calm rationality.
This has been my experience with the hiring process as a career-switcher looking for job opportunities post-MBA. Granted, there are likely a number of reasons companies can point to for their selection process. But what I have noted is an unwillingness to look past direct experience deficiencies to identify potential talent. Looking at x years of experience translates to a safe bet in the eyes of most companies.
But by limiting themselves to these 'safe bets', these companies could potentially fare worse. If a job seeker wants to transition into a different field but doesn't have the desired years of experience, he may revert back to an area that fits his past experience. If he is hired, that company has now selected someone with the experience they wanted but likely has lower motivation and passion. This is a less desirable hire than someone who is excited about what they are doing.
Or, maybe the job seeker isn't good at what they are doing and wants to find something that better matches their skill sets. But the collective 'safe bet' hiring practices influence them to stick with what they are doing.
Fortunately, not all companies are unwilling to take calculated risks. HubSpot, in particular, is a company that (at least in the sales department) seems to look beyond the direct experience factor with a focus instead on past success in any field. Roughly 20% of their sales team hires didn't have sales experience, and their staff includes past professional comedians and Olympic gold-medal winners.
Here is a graph of HubSpot's customer growth:
Photo Courtesy
Their revenue growth is supposedly even greater because revenue per customer has grown over time. This can naturally be attributed to many different factors, but the company is doing something right.
There is a lot of talk about the importance of the people that make up a successful organization. Maybe it's time to take another look at who these people really are.
Tweet
Posted by coolguyphil at 11/15/2011 10:28 AM 
Categories: commentary
Tags: buy low sell high hire me human emotion recognize opportunities taking risks pulling back post-mba direct experience safe bets motivation passion hubspot sales customer growth revenue growth
Categories: commentary
Tags: buy low sell high hire me human emotion recognize opportunities taking risks pulling back post-mba direct experience safe bets motivation passion hubspot sales customer growth revenue growth
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