The War On Talent

One of the blogs I follow is called Fistful of Talent, and one of their writers posted an interesting premise late last week, saying of NFL teams that signing Michael Vick would be the safest hire they'd make all year.

Never mind the negative publicity and the PETA protests which surely would ensue, but such a hire poses an interesting dilemma for a lot of major employers. And most minor ones too.

Let's think about this from the NFL's perspective first. Michael Vick is a game-changer. He is capable of creating and executing plays other quarterbacks can only dream of. He's a spectacular runner and can throw a ball 60+ yards with a flick of the wrist.

He is also a mediocre passer, typically completing 53-55 percent of his throws. His 2-1 career touchdown-interception ratio is very pedestrian. Off the field his reputation for making bad decisions is legendary, including failing drug tests while under indictment for the dog-fighting charges.

So here we have someone who should be in the prime of his career instead fighting for a chance to prove his worth.

Now let's apply this to the "real" world. How many among us would hire an ex-con known to dabble in drugs to perform the same work they did before being imprisoned? Even if they were willing to take minimum wage would you be willing to suffer the slings and arrows of the general public and your employees? If you were, how long would it take before said ex-con demanded his old salary? Would you be willing to pay it?

Many years ago I was interviewing candidates for a maintenance position and brought in one who looked good on paper. There was one key question I had for him, which was to explain a nearly 2-year gap in his employment record. He proceeded to pull out newspaper clippings detailing his arrest and indictment for murdering his wife, along with the court transcript and newspaper clippings detailing the dismissal of those charges by the judge. I'm sure I could have hired him and not gotten any negative press from it, but the air of suspicion in town about him had not fully dissolved. There is no doubt in my mind I would have gotten an earful from the other employees.

And so it goes with any prospective employee with a stain on their resume, especially now. Employers can be choosy about who they hire, and they will take every opportunity to pick through your work history and find a reason to not hire you. You can't avoid the employers who are that picky; they're the only ones hiring! Unless you have a unique set of skills and a consistent history of excellent performance, you might as well make that proctologist appointment now just to get used to the probing.

Now Vick gets to try and revitalize his career in Philadelphia. Isn't this the same city whose fans once booed Santa Claus?