Why you recruit ‘Kagu bird’, dear HR

Most of the corporate leaders and the people in HR function in general would show a strong weakness to recruit/appoint ‘Kagus’ with a ‘blind confidence’ that kagus’ will make big difference to the corporate once they are recruited.

Kagu, otherwise called as Cagou is a long-legged, crested, beautiful bird endemic to the forests regions of New Caledonia. The bird has 'nasal corns' which is a unique feature and is not shared by any other bird species.

The most interesting aspect of Kagu is that they have fully developed wings but are still flightless as their flight muscle is very weak.

When they spread their wings, they would appear big. This gesture of spreading wings is believed to serve two purposes, especially for the male birds to attract the female bird during courting and also to scare away and intimidate the aerial predatory birds. However the fully developed wings do not help the bird to fly.

The management message is very clear. Many Kagus are there in the corporate. Like Kagu how it has fully developed wings but are not useful for flight, many people may in corporate will be carrying many attractive qualifications (certificates), would have graduated even from premier institutions’ but may not possess the knowledge required for the overall growth of the organization. Year after year, they may be also accumulating and acquiring different degrees, diplomas and training certificates. When they showcase their educations qualifications, one may think such people are extremely important for the organization.

By seeing the educational qualification of these ‘Kagus’, some corporate leaders and the HR function often get mesmerized and may assume such people to be ‘prodigies’ and best assent to the corporate. But most of such people never ‘worth ones salt’. They may have several degree certificates but still lack wisdom and commonsense. They also may have done several diploma certificates. The courses they would have done may also have perfect relevance to the job they are recruited. But still most of them may fail to make any difference.

The corporate have to verify the practical knowledge, commonsense and presence of mind of all those have educated even from premier centres. By just seeing the truck load of degree certificates one carries, the corporate should not conclude that such people are the right/best people or right choice. If they do so, it would be like interpreting and concluding, after seeing the bird ‘Kagu’ and its fully developed wings, as Kagu is a flying bird.

Mere presence of the fully developed wings had never helped the bird kagu to fly. Similarly mere education will not make one able and capable. Question your knowledge and understanding before what you think you have understood about others is the management message, the nature communicates to the corporate through its creation of Kagu.

Be open and alert to learn different management lessons from nature.

Dr S Ranganathan