Who would you like to employ—the secure or the risky?
Broadly, an organization should look to fill two types of roles. The first is a role where the principles and rules of the game are defined, and the work needs to be done in an exact, definite manner.
The other role requires the employee to be playing a game with fewer known rules and guidelines, and an unclear path to the destination.
When you’re hiring for the first kind of role, look for people with a proven background of following instructions. Look for people currently in need of job security, stability, and general respectability.
When you’re hiring for the second type of role, look for people who are more like artists. These people love engaging with newness, they love dancing with risks, and they love the thrill of their purpose in your organization.
You will go terribly wrong if you hire people with the first state of mind for the second type of role, or the other way around.
First, decide the mind-set required for the role, then look for people with the appropriate nature.