How are we determining selection criteria?

G U R U S

How are we determining selection criteria?

As HRs or organizations, how are you determining your criteria for selection and how are you developing people for better performance and business results?

Most jobs ask for long years of experience, education, or skills which some job seekers think is unfair for job seekers who fall short of one of the following criteria: Experience, Education, and Exposure. One candidate told me, “Jonah I spent 6 years in undergrad and grad school; those tough years alone were torture and represent my experience and exposure”. The candidate even argued that he is not working, How do I expect him to get the required experience?

Time in and time out, I found solace in Charles Jennings’ 70:20:10 Learning Mode. Charles’s research concluded that 70% of our actual learning comes through Experience. What is experience? I.e. actual practice, including On Job Training; 20% is through exposure to informal, social learning & coaching, and only 10% through formal classroom courses and other Education.

Most of us run to complete Grad programs immediately after undergrad; without any prior experience (OJT-on-the-job training, volunteer, internship, etc.). Even after the Grad program, you still do not have the equivalent experience to land you a job that is proportional to your degree. Should employers hire you or hire someone with an undergrad degree but with long years of experience and exposure?

Additionally, when developing our learning and development strategy, it is good to consider the experience, exposure, and education of each of our staff. Some staff may only need experience over academics and some may need exposure over experience.

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Jonah Soe Kotee is a Liberian human resources and employment-law professional with more than 20 years of experience in human resource management, employment relations and workforce development in Liberia and internationally. He holds an LLM in Employment Law from the University of Leicester and a Master’s degree in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Roehampton in the United Kingdom. He is also a Certified Global Talent Management Professional (GTML) and has undertaken professional training in Strategic HR through Cornell University. Jonah is the Chief Executive Officer of Gurus HR Consultancy Group, a Liberia-based human resources advisory firm providing recruitment, HR consulting, payroll, HR outsourcing, Employer of Record solutions, training, compensation and benefits, and employment-law advisory services. He also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in Human Resources at AME University, where he contributes to the development of graduate-level HR professionals. Jonah has a particular professional interest in Liberia’s labour and employment framework, human capital development, workplace compliance, compensation, employment relations and the future of work in Liberia. Through his professional work and public commentary, he advocates for a labour market that protects workers while enabling responsible employers to grow, invest and create sustainable employment opportunities. His perspective is informed by practical HR experience as well as academic training in employment law and strategic human resource management. About this article: This article represents the author’s professional perspective on issues that should be considered in discussions surrounding the modernization and reform of Liberia’s labour and employment framework. It is intended to encourage informed dialogue among employers, workers, HR professionals, policymakers, trade unions, legal practitioners and other stakeholders.