HR people don't get paid to follow sports, so the HR Capitalist does it for you, translating the scores and news into a language you can understand....  Today we continue with the 2007 Baseball Preview, HR Generalist style....  Today's profile - Daisuke Matsuzaka or as his friends call him, Dice-K...

Player - Dice-K

Team - Boston Red Sox

History - An absolute phenom in the Japan Professional League, the Boston Red Sox spent 100M to sign him in the off-season, a risky proposition considering he comes from a non-major league background.  Has emerged into a media darling in spring training.  Early results are mixed, as the Diceman pounded the always poundable Kansas City Royals, then dropped his second start to the Seattle Mariners in the confines of Fenway.  Is he worth 100M or is he simply another .500 pitcher with a 4.5 ERA?  Time will tell, because based on his Japanese Professional League history, there's no way to tell....

Primary HR Issue - Dice-K reminds me of a functional area pro who you are considering for your open Director of Marketing slot, which means he/she would switch industries.  Like Dice-K, the marketing candidate you are recruiting has great background and a proven track record, but it's in another industry.    Can they make the transition to your industry?  Maybe.  They have a track record of success elsewhere, and you think the skills are transferable, but it's still another industry.  You also know if you make the hire there will be individuals in your company who won't understand the hire given the lack of industry experience.

What you, the HR Pro, would do about it - Before making the hire, you would take a long look at your finalists.  What's the roster of available candidates look like?  What are the pros/cons of those with industry experience compared to your candidate?  What unique KSAs does your Dice-K equivalent bring to the table that you can't get elsewhere?  At the end of the day, you'll soak on these issues with your hiring manager.  Assuming both of you think hiring Dice-K is the right thing to do, you'll spend the money on Dice-K and cross your fingers that the industry differences don't overwhelm him (your business equivalent of language barriers, higher competition level, and of course, the DH....)

The Likely End - Once you bring your Dice-K in, you live with the decision.  The only difference between you and the Red Sox is that if it doesn't work out, your Dice-K is much more likely to move on to the next opportunity to find a better fit.  The Red Sox don't have that luxury - players don't walk away from guaranteed contracts...

See Other HR Capitalist Baseball Preview Entries - Kansas City Royals, Ozzie G,  Crop Circles and A-Rod