“I want to buy a flip phone; I do not want one of those new phones. I do not text because it gives you carpal tunnel syndrome. I can’t be bothered to use that GPS system [even though he gets lost every day]. I do not do online banking.”
One of the main competencies that any company today should look for in any new employee is inquisitiveness. If you are looking to build a stable of expat-eligible employees, do yourself a favor and move inquisitive to the top of the list.
As I talk to executives across the globe, I have zeroed in on that and, like a pit bull, I will not let it go.
The drive to figure things out
We all have a certain elasticity to change. Some people have the bandwidth to be able to plop down anywhere, while others are like an aged rubber band — there is no elasticity left (if there ever was any).
Those quotes listed above have nothing to do with technology. They have all to do with just being inquisitive enough to try and figure things out.
My daughter told me one Sunday morning, “Let him sit there all day [Christmas Day] because you know he will not leave it until he has figured it out.” I had just been given my first iPod and I was determined to figure out EVERY feature. The elasticity that day was off the chart.
Innovation comes from being inquisitive
Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and others all had an idea and they would not give it up. Sure, there were some failures along the way, but they would always get back up and get back on it.
As a voracious reader of autobiographies, the constant thread I see in them is having the trait of being inquisitive. I have always been a big believer in the maxim that your reaction to a set of circumstances can greatly determine its outcome. That, to me, is what being inquisitive is all about.
One of the questions that I ask people is to tell me about their travel and vacation experiences. Are you are the type of vacationer that goes to Disney every year? Do you own a passport? Are you the guided tours type, or the one that buys the tickets and hotel and then just figures it out as you go?
My line of questioning and discussion goes down this road. You would be absolutely surprised at the answers that I get from some of these lines of questioning. However, asking these questions allow me to filter out the people who would not be a good candidate, because this competency is at the top of our list.
At my company, we are asking people to move 7000 miles away from home (to Saudi Arabia) and use their technical skills to be productive in a totally new environment. So yes, that is our main competency.
What is your inquisitive quotient?
This enables me to build a profile of someone’s ability to adapt to different situations. This is also important line of questioning based on our business and what we look for. This type of questioning may not be relevant in your line of business and your model, but getting to an inquisitive quotient is so very important in evaluating talent today.
I think this is one of the main competencies that should drive your talent search. If you are in a disruptive industry, that has to be the mainstay of what you do.
The meaning of inquisitive, by my definition, is a person that is inclined to investigate, eager for knowledge, unduly curious and inquiring.
When a person has this trait, they inquire. They ask questions. They become relentless in finding out the answers. They try different things to get the answers they seek. By nature, this person needs to know as much information as possible.
Competencies are the components of the recipe
“All that separates you from your competitors are the skills, knowledge, commitment and the abilities of the people that work for you,” says Prof. Jeffery Pfeffer of Stanford University. That statement speaks to the importance of getting the right people in the door.
The filter that your organizations use will dictate your success. That is why we should all develop competencies based on our industry, our business model, our strategic goals, and the challenges that we are trying to surmount.
As a person that loves to bake, I know that you should always use the best ingredients to get the best results. Competencies are the ingredients that you are looking for.
To find the best talent, your competency model should be constructed not from best practices or based on some list that you came across. It should be dictated by all the variables that your company and industry are facing and how you plan on working through them.
How inquisitiveness can help your organization
Choosing the right competency will allow your organization to
- Recruit and select the best employees;
- Plan how to organize and develop their workforce;
- Manage and train your employees effectively;
- Develop your staff.
As they say, yes, it is that important if it is success that you are after. If not, well, it really does not matter, does it?
Remember what Albert Einstein said: “I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive.“