First Who... Then What

            One topic I found particularly interesting this week during our lectures was part of our study on the “First who, then what” mindset from Good to Great, a book written by Jim Collins. In chapter 3, Collins recounts an interview with the steel company Nucor’s executives. Nucor built its workforce on the view that “you can teach farmers how to make steel, but you can’t teach a farmer work ethic to people who don’t have it in the first place.” In essence, Nucor chose to establish steel mills in traditional farming towns like Norfolk, Nebraska and Plymouth, Utah in an effort to attract employees with a farmer-like work ethic. Farmers wake up at dawn and immediately get to work, rarely stop for a break, and turn in at dusk. Employees with that kind of work ethic would make production rates soar – and that’s exactly what happened. With such an emphasis on performance and production, Nucor was able to boast an absenteeism rate of just 1.0% per year.

The main idea in this chapter was to
get the wrong people off the bus, then
get the right people on the bus.

            I really enjoyed reading about Nucor’s theory on hiring the “right” people as opposed to hiring just anyone. When you stop to reflect on the idea, it really does make sense and probably saves them a lot in terms of wasted time and lazy workers. This excerpt from the book also illustrates the point that it isn’t necessarily skill or experience that makes the greatest employees per se, but where they come from and what they value. I think more companies need to steer their human resources departments this way. When I stop and think about it, all of my peers that are in the process of finding a job for after graduation, spend countless hours editing and re-editing resumes. While previous work experience and related skills are obviously something most employers look for, it would really be nice to go into job interviews knowing a company places high value on certain character attributes and work ethic as well, like Nucor.