If you were in the shoes of the business owner and had to choose which person would you hire (Avery or Jaime) and why?
As the business owner, it would heavily depend on the role and type of business that I am hiring for. For example, if this position is one that the workload is pretty consistent, most of the time – like a receptionist – then I would want to hire Jaime because of the consistency. However, if the position is more cyclical, then I would look at hiring Avery because of their ability to perform at a high level. Either way, I would heavily invest resources into either employee to help them develop further. Without knowing the the business or position, I would default to hiring Avery because they have a higher potential than Jaime and I believe an effective manager can help bring up the quality of their work.
Describe a type of job where it would be better to hire someone like Avery (i.e., high potential, poor consistency) than Jaime? What is it about that job that makes someone like Avery more valuable than Jaime?
I would hire Avery for a position that is critical for innovation, strategy, event planning, and project management. Avery would excel in positions like these because they work hard to meet a milestone and then there is a break before the next milestone. Avery is able to step up to the plate when there is something that needs to be taken care of, and will deliver great results. Additionally, working with a high performer in these roles will be critical for delivering exceptional work. Avery would bring greater skills to this job because of their ability to deliver above the expectations.
Describe a type of job where it would be better to hire someone like Jaime (i.e., low potential, high consistency) than Avery? What is it about that job that makes someone like Jaime more valuable?
As stated above, I believe roles with little variation in workload would be best for Jaime. This could look like a mail courier, receptionist, bookkeeper, or similar. By maintaining a consistent workload demand, Jaime would continue to deliver consistent, good work. By having someone who’s skills and potential match the role that they are in, there is a higher chance of success in the role. A candidate like Jaime is great for positions with little variability and effort toward organizational goals. Instead, Jaime would thrive in a position that helps complete the job, but does not require someone that would go “above-and-beyond”.
One reply on “Week 5: Typical vs. Maximal Performance”
Hi Sara,
I said pretty much the same thing as you as far as what types of jobs each would be good at: project management for Avery and I said medical receptionist for Jaime! I also said something similar about wishing that I had more information about the job itself before having to make a decision between them. The one thing that I said which differs from your post is that I would end up hiring Jaime over Avery given the limited information we were given. I thought your reasoning was very interesting and definitely agree that a good manager who could maybe serve as a mentor for Avery may make this person a better candidate in the end. Maybe Avery just needs someone to coach them towards being their best all the time.