Last week, a candidate sat across from me who had it all on paper.
Top grades, a brilliant education, a Big Four logo on the CV, impressive positions, the best references.
On paper: 10 out of 10. But in the conversation: barely any interest in the job, no real curiosity and zero team spirit.
It reminded me once again that a career is not the same thing as character.
I’m not looking for CVs. I’m looking for people who want to take responsibility,
for a team, a business, a result.
Our clients, private equity firms, corporates and consultancies in transformation, don’t need status collectors or big egos. They need people who shape things,
who move the business forward instead of just talking about it.
That’s why I don’t recognise the top 10 % of professionals by their certificates, but by what they show in conversation:
• genuine interest in the business, not just in their own role
• the will to execute rather than polish slides
• critical thinking and sound judgement
• confidence with data and AI, without losing sight of people
• clarity, modesty and drive
You won’t see that in the logo collection on a CV. You hear it when someone talks about responsibility, learning and impact.
At TALENTspy, “hire character, not careers” is my daily yardstick.
In every conversation, I ask myself:
will this person create value, for the company, the team and the customers?
If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it’s a clear no.
How do you choose your next leaders?
