Which person would you employ?

[Rossita]

Which of these two people would you employ? For a bit of background they both started at the company at the same time and they’re both currently doing the same job. The vacancy they are both applying for is a promotion and will involve managing the department that they currently work in. The role does not require any professional qualifications.

Person A:
Highly qualified to PHD level in an unrelated field.
Has some experience from a previous role that helps in her current position.
Works very well alone and produces some really good work.
Is very committed to the department
Does not work so well as part of a team.
Can sometimes act a little ‘superior’ and has upset every other member of the team at some point.
Does not accept any constructive criticism and believes that her way is the only way to do things.

Person B
Qualified to GCSE level
Has previous experience that helps in her current role.
Is committed to the department.
Produces some really good work.
Sometimes struggles to work alone as she can lack in self confidence and needs to ask advice from other team members.
Is very much a team player, she is good at building professional relationships.
Has on several occasions managed a project which showed she was a good leader.
She is not always great at delegating so ends up taking on too much work herself.

I’ve posted here so people could vote because it makes it easier to see the overall opinion.

YABU Person A
YANBU person B

My first opinion is not in the candidates but if your posting on Mumsnet to help you decide between candidates you’re not in the right role! Totally unprofessional

B

OP, using mumsnet is a completely inappropriate way to choose a candidate. I hope you are not an HR manager. This would be a sacking offence in the organisation I work for.

I hope the candidates don't recognize themselves!

I'm person A.

If you want the job doing properly & efficiently, I'm your man.

And I may rub people up wrongly a bit initially but they learn to love and value my foibles and quirky ways.

Let's hope the Daily Mail don't pick this up, as the scenario is fairly detailed and the candidates might recognise themselves. OP is clearly struggling to perform her own role properly, if she's posting this on Mumsnet, but it would be a shame if she lost her job in the middle of a pandemic.

OP, if I were you I'd get this deleted.

Neither of them. Put A and B in positions that they can do.

Does not work so well as part of a team.
Can sometimes act a little ‘superior’ and has upset every other member of the team at some point.
Does not accept any constructive criticism and believes that her way is the only way to do things.

why would you even consider someone like this?

Neither. Advertise the role and get the right person, not a or b.

Yep neither fits the requirements

I think I'd go to external advert.

Initially I thought neither of them. However reading it again I still wouldn’t employ A but I think B, given the chance, could rise to the challenge.

@FrippEnos

Does not work so well as part of a team. Can sometimes act a little ‘superior’ and has upset every other member of the team at some point. Does not accept any constructive criticism and believes that her way is the only way to do things.

why would you even consider someone like this?

Several posters have suggested why A may be a very good manager. Maybe read the thread?

Person B. Having a PHD and being intelligent doesn’t make the best employee. You need people skills and sadly charm, tact and being amicable isn’t something you can generally teach.

@NotQuiteUsual

Person B has successfully managed projects before. Her personality seems a better fit too. Who would you rather work under, someone who takes on more than their fair share or someone who acts superior?

I’d rather work under the person best able to ensure the team they build has a secure and stable future in the company.

So the brightest, most manipulative, politically savvy leader.

‘Nice’ managers who ‘do their share’ end up with redundant staff.....!

I've hired B's as a senior manager and if your prepared to hand hold for 6 months to a year then that's your choice.

B will make a fantastic manager straight off the bat in her second managerial role but she'll likely have many shortfalls in her first to gain the experience. It's about whether you have the time to build the manager in her.

Also a manager who people like, will get far more from their staff than a manager they all can’t stand!

I'm not sure either of them sounds like a great manager tbh.

This seems biased against A and personally so. I think you must be B

If you are deciding I’d question whether you are right for your role

But if I were either and I knew you'd posted for anonymous opinion on the internet rather than interview me - then I'd withdraw my application to be honest.

This. Surely you have a person spec that you can match stuff to? This all sounds incredibly unprofessional.

@HowDeeDooDee

I would be morw concerned that either your colleagues or the applicants will be able to identify you from your very detailed post.

So would I.

I don’t believe you are being objective in your write up if the potential candidates.

If you are involved in the decision making I would strongly recommend you get someone more objective to have input.

Are they really the only 2 candidates to choose from?

Which one has the ear of upper management and which one is more persuasive?

titchy
Several posters have suggested why A may be a very good manager. Maybe read the thread?

A good manager wouldn't "upset" a remember of every team that she has been part of and would work well as part of a team.

As for RTFT.

Wind your neck in.

Is there someone within a similar role who could train B? If so you could put them on a ‘training’ wage for 6 months before paying them full wage in order for them to sort the delegation and self confidence bits.
Person A will make person Bs life he’ll but also, if person A is unliked by the team they would be managing then she won’t have the respect from the team to begin with