The local paper came through the letterbox on Sunday and a large advertisement inside really caught my attention. One particular organisation, it seemed, was looking for a highly talented group of individuals to join its ranks. And to attract the necessary candidates, it had paid out quite a few bob on a glorious colour spread.

The folks the company was looking for, the advertisement read, needed to posses a certain kind of skill set: namely, they had to be motivated, team players, energetic, qualified and dedicated to the company.

Now, I’ve been around long enough to know that many organisations ask for very similar sorts of skills from any potential employees. And many also try to ensure that they do hire such folks by asking any job candidates to take extensive written and verbal personality tests.

While that’s all well and good, I’ve often wondered what becomes of those rather brilliant folks that don’t fit the mould - those that are individual, creative and rebellious, perhaps those who prefer to work on their own, not as part of a team. Some of whom might also have a lot of so-called - ‘baggage’.

Because, as well all know, some of the most creative and inventive engineering and scientific individuals in this century and the last have been fraught with problems of mental disorders, drug abuse and long periods of hospitalisation. And those folks certainly wouldn’t have met the clean and cheerful criteria that the company that advertised in my local newspaper was searching for.

So is there a place in the engineering industry where such folks can practise their skills, or have we become so besotted with the idea of corporate uniformity that there is no place left that would consider employing such folks?

To find out, I recently asked a senior engineer at a highly respected outfit how his company ensured that it did not miss out on the opportunity to hire an engineering genius just because he or she lacked certain personal qualities.

He told me that his personnel manager had long since abandoned the notion of setting its engineers personality tests. He had learned from experience that the more idiosyncratic engineers were often the ones that made the most important engineering contributions to the company. And while he did admit that such individuals required ’special treatment’, the effort on the company’s part was well worth it.

Personally, I was glad to hear that at least one company had such a refreshing attitude. Because I’d hate to think that an exceptional engineering talent would be denied employment in our industry simply because he or she did not fit some specific cookie-cutter style sheet.

What’s more, I’d like to believe that, if I should ever develop bizarre, eccentric or unusual characteristics, my company would also still regard me as a useful and employable individual. (I think we’re well past that stage - Ed.).
This comment was originally published in the Engineeringtalk Newsletter