Candidates for the Philosophers' Job Interview

Over the years I’ve done hundreds of job interviews. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over that time it is that there is no perfect selection procedure for choosing the right person for the job. It really doesn’t matter how many tests, assessments and interviews you throw at the candidates, the truth is you never know how those you select will turn out. And, of course, you never know how good those you rejected might have been. 

At one particularly long – excruciatingly long – selection centre I was involve with a colleague and I got to thinking about how some of the great philosophers might measure as job candidates. What follows is very much a slimmed down version of our musings. 

Heraclitus

Heraclitus was very much a self-taught philosopher. If you are looking for someone who deals well with change, Heraclitus is your man. Indeed, he’ll probably write in bold on his application form that the only permanent thing in life is change.  

He’s not the perfect candidate by any means. He can at times be a little cryptic (just ask him about stepping into the same river twice), so communication can be a weak spot. He can annoy co-workers by insisting on stating the obvious, like his observation about the sun being new each day. Oh, and it’d be wise to check his sickness record. He’s known as the Weeping Philosopher because of his debilitating bouts of melancholia. 

Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz

If you’re looking for an optimist to join your team who else would you go for but German born Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz. He is the living, breathing, walking incarnation of optimism. As far as Leibniz is concerned this is the best of all possible worlds. Another plus point, he’s got this thing about evil in the world that makes him passionate about good causes. 

On the downside, he does have a bit of an ego, but then so would you if you had been labelled the last universal genius. And whatever you do don’t take his stapler from his desk. Newton (yes, Sir Isaac himself) allegedly borrowed the calculus from him and they’re still arguing about it now. 

Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre scores highly when it comes to accepting that nothing just happens and it’s down to us to get things moving. He believes firmly that we are all the authors of our own destiny. He’ll tell you over and over again that we are condemned to be free. We have to choose because no-one will choose for us.

JP can be a poor team player. If team playing is important for you, make a note that his friend Albert (Camus) played soccer (as a goalkeeper) at university. JP’s very much against awards. He refused the Nobel Prize for Literature. So don’t try giving him the rosette for employee of the month.

Who would you choose? Not easy is it. Not much to choose on paper. Each has his strengths and weaknesses. Whoever you choose, the question is how well he will perform in practice. And the truth is you never know.

 

Garry Costain is the Managing Director of Caremark Thanet, a domiciliary care provider with offices in Margate, Kent. Caremark Thanet provides home care services throughout the Isle of Thanet. Garry can be contacted on 01843 235910 or email garry.costain@caremark.co.uk. You can also visit Caremark Thanet's website at www.caremark.co.uk/thanet.