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Irrelevant Man? Gets the Job Done? follow this blog post

posted by on Sept. 14, 2009

Picky! Picky! Picky!  The clients/hiring managers who are hiring are so picky!  The perception is that they can wait for the "best of the best" because there is such an abundance of candidates.  Excellent candidates are summarily dismissed because their pedigrees (work history, industry experience, etc.) don't align exactly to what the client has defined.  Yet the presented candidates may have the strongest credentials and bring a new perspective to the position.  If this was the NFL Draft, what the client wants is the first overall draft pick. 

Which brings me to "Mr. Irrelevant."  Mr. Irrelevant is the dubious honor awarded to the absolute last NFL Draft pick.  There is actually an annual "Mr. Irrelevant Week" celebrated in Newport Beach, CA.  The events include a golf tournament, a regatta, a celebrity roast lending advice to the honored rookie, and a banquet and ceremony presenting the honoree with the "Lowman's Trophy", a replica of the Heisman Trophy - with the ball being fumbled.  Lots of fun.  Of course, it's all tongue in cheek. 

Let's look at this year's results.

Ryan Succop, kicker from South Carolina won the "Irrelevant Man" title this year by being the 256th selection by the Kansas City Chiefs.  After his "inauguration" in Newport Beach, how is he doing?  Of the eight rookie players drafted by the Chiefs in this year's draft, he is one of only two that is slotted in a starting position.  In pre-season play for the Chiefs, he landed 7 out of 9 field goals.  That's 21 points. Hey - isn't the point of the game to put points on the scoreboard?  How many rookies in the 2009 NFL Draft have contributed points to the score board in their short professional careers?  Is "Mr. Irrelevant" getting the job done? The Kansas City Chiefs tapped him for a reason and Succop is answering the need.

So the question is - What do you say when your client rejects your perfectly qualified candidate?

P.S.  As of Sunday night, Ryan Succop drilled a 53-yard FG on his first NFL attempt (regular season), the longest made by a Chiefs rookie since kicker Jan Stenerud hit a 54-yarder in '67.

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  • 1 point 2 months ago

    Good points, Sue! The resume/CV that an experienced candidate submits may in no way reflect their ability to contribute to corporate performance. One of the biggest challenges that hiring managers and recruiters have is seeing the person behind the paper. That paper, as filtered through recruiting software, cannot truly and effectively measure the motivations and abilities of a candidate within the context of the position being filled. Too many "human" variables.

    So, it comes back to the hiring manager and/or recruiter who has the "scouting" experience to see past the paper to the person -- and the potential inside.

    The scouts that ranked Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana so lowly that he was drafted 85th in the third round surely spent a lot of time kicking themselves later. Joe went on to become what many now regard as perhaps the greatest QB of all time. Four Super Bowl rings testify to his ability to perform under pressure.

  • 1 point 2 months ago

    Wow Sue, you are so right.  Some candidates are much more than how their resume ranks against others and how they present during an interview.  Sometimes I wonder if my clients are hiring for a good interviewer or a good accountant.