Category-led hiring: prioritise passion over skills and fit for lasting success

Hiring the right people starts with a passion for the product or service—the What. Without this passion, even the best candidates may lack the drive to truly succeed.

Hiring the right people and managing employees is a core task in any company. Most companies evaluate a person’s qualities and their fit with the company culture. However, this evaluation alone is not enough. People must first and foremost have a passion for the Category, the What.

Hiring is about finding individuals who match the following formula: Passion for the Category × Perfect Fit × Required Skills.

In category-led hiring, passion for the What comes first. Without this passion, nothing else matters. For example, a premium chocolate brand should only hire people who enjoy and regularly consume chocolate. A beer company should hire only those who drink beer. It doesn’t matter whether they are in product design, marketing, administration, IT, or support roles—employees who connect with the What are more passionate than those who don’t. The What acts as a huge motivator and a mechanism to connect employees.

At Nokia, I experienced this passion for the What firsthand. In 2001, Nokia released the world’s first camera phone, which was also the first smartphone with an operating system capable of running apps. It quickly became clear that Nokia employees fell into two groups: those who loved exploring new technologies and found innovative ways to use them, and those who had little interest in mobile technology but were attracted to Nokia for its brand name and reputation. Based on my experience, employees with a burning passion for the What—and who are a perfect fit—will always stand out. These individuals want both the What and the company to succeed.

Ready to build a team driven by passion for your What? Start hiring for passion, not just skills or fit, and watch your business thrive.



This article is from the book Win With What – the first category-led growth book for anyone who wants their business to thrive and survive.

Get your preview at WinWithWhat.com

 

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