Ideally, I would love to know more about the position and the company before being faced with this decision of choosing who would be best to hire. Going on just what was presented in the prompt, as the business owner in this situation I would probably pick Jaime. This is based on the fact that I personally prefer consistency in people and respect a good work ethic. I think that Avery’s attitude would bother me and other people at the company and also I would be worried that the low effort could become contagious to other employees which would create a much larger issue.
Someone like Avery who is really capable but doesn’t consistently apply themselves would be best suited to a job that has a lot of variety. Avery seems to be a person who probably is very smart and maybe gets bored easily doing the same thing all day, everyday for work, which is why a person like this doesn’t give full effort. An example of a job that fits this description is a project manager. This type of job has a lot of pressure but each day is very different from the next. I believe someone who has a high potential may thrive in an environment that others consider stressful because it would make them use their intelligence, problem solving, and creative skills.
In contrast, the type of job someone like Jaime would be best suited to is one where there is not much variety or pressure. Because of this, a person who has this consistency but does not have as high of potential would be better at doing jobs that some would consider monotonous. They could take a job that many would get burned out doing and still give it their best everyday. An example of a job like this is a medical receptionist where the employee does the same 5-10 tasks constantly. Someone more like Jaime would probably be better in customer service for this reason as well because they are more predictable with customers than someone like Avery.
3 thoughts on “Typical vs. Maximal Performance”
I like your reasoning behind hiring Jaime. Although in my own post I chose to hire Avery, I think you defended your choice very well. I did not even consider the fact that Avery’s low motivation and average performance may have an effect on other employee’s performance and attitudes as well. I also agree with your point that I think maximal performers need a job with a lot of variety, and also a job where the level of stress and pressure they are under, along with the relative importance of the task at hand, vary from day to day.
I also chose Jaime as the person I’d hire in the scenery over Avery. With my experience working in different environments, fast-paced and slow-paced, the consistent workers always seem to end up being the most crucial for overall business success. Just as there are people that are meant to be leaders and be outspoken, there are also meant to be people that are opposite to that and know how to get their duties done. I agree that Avery would negatively impact moral of other employees – it would annoy myself. Consistency shows that the employee understands overall business goals, and those are employees you want to have in your corner. Great post!
Hi Katherine,
I agree with the type of jobs Avery and Jaime are best suited. I do think that Avery needs variety of responsibility in a job. That will bring the best of him and continue to be challenge him to do better or think of new ideas. As for Jaime, I agree that he is best suited for a job that does repetitive duties. Overall, great post and decision!
I like your reasoning behind hiring Jaime. Although in my own post I chose to hire Avery, I think you defended your choice very well. I did not even consider the fact that Avery’s low motivation and average performance may have an effect on other employee’s performance and attitudes as well. I also agree with your point that I think maximal performers need a job with a lot of variety, and also a job where the level of stress and pressure they are under, along with the relative importance of the task at hand, vary from day to day.
Katharine,
I also chose Jaime as the person I’d hire in the scenery over Avery. With my experience working in different environments, fast-paced and slow-paced, the consistent workers always seem to end up being the most crucial for overall business success. Just as there are people that are meant to be leaders and be outspoken, there are also meant to be people that are opposite to that and know how to get their duties done. I agree that Avery would negatively impact moral of other employees – it would annoy myself. Consistency shows that the employee understands overall business goals, and those are employees you want to have in your corner. Great post!
Hi Katherine,
I agree with the type of jobs Avery and Jaime are best suited. I do think that Avery needs variety of responsibility in a job. That will bring the best of him and continue to be challenge him to do better or think of new ideas. As for Jaime, I agree that he is best suited for a job that does repetitive duties. Overall, great post and decision!