Looking for a HR Pro? Roll Like John McCain, Find a Sarah Palin, and Change the Game...

Let me start this post by saying that I'm not a political guy and I don't play one on TV.  I stayed at an Embassy Suites last week, so I can't even get the "I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express" academic credit.

Sarah Palin. Interesting.  Now both parties bring something historic to the game.

Democrats and Republicans alike are waiting for Ashton Kutcher to walk around the corner and yell "Dude, you just got Punk'd!!!"

Let me use the news of Sarah Palin (Governor of Alaska) being named the GOP VP candidate by John McCain to give you a non-political thought.

Next time you have a HR opening, change the game.  Be like John McCain and do something the operations folks don't expect you to.  Find a candidate who's a better communicator than your last five hires and has behavioral traits that are different then anyone else you've had on your team.  Here's the secret - you can't let the prospects of the sideline observers telling what he/she doesn't have chase you off. 

Hire someone that's not like you.  Don't be afraid of the criticism.  Look for the strengths that you don't have.

Sarah Palin's a solid conservative choice in many ways, being a lifetime NRA member and pro-life to boot.  She's also different from the standard fare in many ways - a woman, runs the state of Alaska, is a former beauty pageant queen and a high school hoopster, grew up hunting, is a working mom with 5 kids including a special needs child, has a pregnant teenage daughter and a husband who is a union member. 

What??? 

She's about as different as you can get for the GOP.  What's the equivalent for your next HR Manager hire?  Someone who's never worked in HR before, has a Mathematics undergrad and a Master's of Fine Arts, has been a Marketing Manager in a past role, runs the local Toastmaster's club and <insert your unique background point here>? 

In the next couple of weeks, I suspect we'll hear more about why John McCain felt compelled to take the risk.  I suspect we won't hear a lot from the Obama camp regarding any perceived lack of experience, because their ticket has the same issue, just in a different slot.  I also suspect we won't hear a lot of harping about experience on the democratic side from McCain's camp due to the presence of Palin.

That seems healthy to me. 

Meanwhile, don't get sucked into the vortex of the talking heads and negativity.  Apply the lesson, and the next time you have an opening, change the game.  Don't do what they expect.

Think different.