To think this is a red flag? (When hiring)

[Chattenoire]

We're hiring for a new member of staff. Senior role. No hands on experience, but lots of charisma and transferable skills.

However, when asked this person in question had no idea about what this type of role does. There's plenty of resources about it (even books and software specific to this role).

However the candidate didn't even Google it! My manager doesn't think it's a big deal, but I've been doing this type of role much longer than her, so have more "school" about it let's say.

I’ve had a succession of managers who haven’t got a bloody clue about the actual job they’ve taken on, and no clue about the jobs of the staff they’re ‘managing’ .
It’s made for a very miserable, stressful and chaotic time and has left me overwhelmed but unfortunately not in a position to seek alternative roles.
my latest manager is best friends with our senior manager which makes it even worse.

This has happened where I work.
Senior person with no relevant experience but a good talker and "willing to learn" was hired. They "learned" very selectively and refused to learn from colleagues. They won't take advice. They lash out at anyone who tries to put them right. People have left because of them. Being senior, they've hired team members who are like them. It's horrendous. Don't let this happen!

Similar here @makingyourmindupp and I'm angry. I had a good job, now it's impossible.

I remember advertising a role as needing up to date MS office experience. One person said to me "they don't use Word much do they? I'm not very good at that."
In conversation it emerged that it wasn't so much that they didn't like Word, as much as they had no idea MS office had anything except Word.

Is it Boris Johnson?

LOL but I think it's a similar situation. Politicians don't have to be career politicians and many learn "on the jib".

You have my empathy and sympathy.
it’s bloody frustrating, it makes a mockery of my work and makes me look unprofessional and disorganised because my role is directly related to the work of my manager

This is so infuriating to read. I am applying for jobs left, right and centre because of current awful top level management (think hairdresser doing a professionally qualified role at director level with no qualifications and minimal experience) which is making my mid/senior level role impossible but struggling to get to interview. To hear muppets like this get recruited without doing research and that this problem is actually pretty widespread is so demoralising. I always believed that if you worked hard it will be recognised and the rewards will follow but this seems to be less and less the case in today’s society and people are using AI to write applications and blag their way in…I despair!

I don’t think lack of direct sector experience should be a complete bar: someone who has skills in one sector can learn to apply them in another pretty quickly if they’re bright and apply themselves.

For me it’s the arrogance of not bothering to do a bit of basic homework. That would be a dealbreaker: it suggests a professional blagger who uses “charm” to get what they want and doesn’t really apply themself.

Exactly!! I almost find it personally insulting. Like I've said there's tons of resources about it. Podcasts, YT channels you name it!

Obviously my director doesn't mind, because she probably doesn't believe in it herself, but that still doesn't mean it's a red flag.

It's certainly unprepared and cocky. I'd be asking them to get more info and then come back with a plan for the first three months etc showing they've done the research.

There is some justice in this world. We interviewed a lady who is very process driven and knows her stuff (she even quoted one of my go-to books for this discipline!)

Not as much charisma, but on average she had the same score as Mr I didn't even bother to Google what this type of role does.

That’s one of the most frustrating things. This person is making us look bad in front of the whole organisation and potentially outside it. It’s impossible to let people out there know we don’t agree with what they’re doing, because they’re very senior and have a lot of clout.

Oh that sounds promising!

I was brought into the team to put structure/processes into place because nobody has ever done it in full

Could you possibly remind your boss of this when putting your point across?

Gosh, are some firms still hung up on experience, skills and aptitude ? No wonder the UK is in the state it is.

We were hiring for a manager in a CSE team. The basic requirement was that you were a qualified social worker. We had an application from a bloke who didn't have that qualification but he was a manager of a garage so he thought he could learn! ( He had absolutely no safeguarding background whatsoever).

I absolutely agree. I've worked, (i.e. Me working, them slacking.) it was a nightmare. They tried, successfully for a while, to give everyone the impression that they were the only one doing any work. Nothing was ever finished on time or sometimes at all.The truth was they did dam all.
Beware the charmer, they can be a bit like Mr Wickham in "Pride and Prejudice".

So what is the magic ingredient you look for when recruiting then as I am not sure if I removed all reference to those in my applications I would have much lef? Genuine question as I need to get away from unqualified hairdresser director ASAP!

Just wanted to give a quick update. We have interviewed everyone else and thank goodness this guy is out.

If they cannot even be bothered to google the company and find out some information then they would be out of the door.

They did Google the company (or knew about it) it was the discipline.