When I advocate that employers look for and hire the best, I sometimes get asked, “What about those people who, for one reason or another, can’t measure up to your high standards? Don’t they deserve a good job, too?”

Implied within this question is whether we are being harsh, unfair, or just hard-hearted to those who haven’t been able to excel in life. Sometimes, the question is followed with “what if everybody only hired the best?” While that is an intriguing question, it’s one that deserves more space than I have here.

Let me clear. I believe that every employer has an obligation to be fair, honest, compassionate, and understanding. I also think that each one of us should have a social conscience. But I don’t believe that any business has a moral obligation to be a welfare station (in the sense of providing employment to unqualified workers. A wise employer always considers the welfare of his employees. After all, they are the ones contributing to the long-term success of the company.)

Let’s look at a sports analogy. If I am putting together a team to compete in the Olympics, I am going to have high standards, will require auditions to get onto the team, and demand that the those who make the team keep working to stay on the team. How would the argument hold up that lesser skilled players “deserve” to be on the team, too? If your goal is to simply field a team, then qualifications don’t matter much, do they?

But, if you are aiming for gold medals, then it doesn’t make much sense to deliberately select players that will not allow you to compete, does it? In your business, are you aiming for gold medals or are you merely fielding a team? An individual who has exactly the right skills for weight lifting probably isn’t the best pick for the cross-country racing team. Putting the athlete on the right team is crucial.

Remember, fit is important. You aren’t looking for just the best person in the whole world, you are looking for the best person for your job.

So what should we do with those candidates who clearly aren’t up to your hiring standards? Perhaps, you should refer them to your competitors.

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