My ideal hire: A renaissance craftsman

I often get asked what am I looking for in a candidate interviewing for a position at Orange Health. This is the best description of my ideal hire.

Several years ago, I was on a trip through Europe. During my visit there I got to see some magnificent works of art from renaissance in museums and cathedrals. I noticed a curious thing - art and science merged into one in that era.

Here are a couple of examples:

Michelangelo’s Moses - captures details of muscles activated by moving your pinky Source: https://www.narenkatakam.com/moses-and-his-little-finger/

One of the famous artist from that era that most of us know about is Michelangelo. Did you know that he was well versed in human anatomy because he had learnt how to do dissection and autopsy of human cadavers by age of 18? His knowledge of human biology is reflected in his art as shown in the image above. The muscle called Extensor digiti minimi is only activated by moving your pinky finger upward. To showcase that muscle, Michelangelo took the pain to move the finger correctly in his statue. I don’t know how many people who saw his work in that era really appreciated the minutiae in his work - but it seems he incorporated these details as much as for himself as he did for his patrons.

Another example of this kind of detail is how much effort artists of that era put in getting the texture and lighting correct for very complex objects to capture - folded cloth, for example.

Colour Detail of The Madonna with Canon van der Paele Source:https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1628/colour--technique-in-renaissance-painting/

Seeing these work of art - it finally dawned on me why europeans started overtaking rest of the world at this time. Its because they were actively trying to excel at their work and in the process were finding more knowledge and scientific detail in their world, which in turn made them better at several other things.

This level of craftsmanship was almost scientific in its approach. These artists were perfecting their knowledge of the material world to deliver superior art. Over a period of time their meticulousness set the bar for finesse that public expected at large. It showed in every aspect of their lives - the way their homes were architected, how aesthetically pleasing their roads and bridges were, how well thought out their footpaths and lanes for cycling are. All of it translating into a better quality of life and an enviable environment to live in.

What has this got to do with hiring strategy?

Every great company I can think of today was not just built by incremental improvements over existing products. Not Apple, not Tesla, not even Toyota (that pretty much introduced the world to the idea of continuous improvement). All of these companies excelled far ahead of their competition when they introduced their market winning products. The reason for that I believe is that they had, what I call, renaissance craftsmen at the helm of affairs - men or women who combined art and science at a subliminal level to deliver something that no one knew they needed, upto the point they got to see what they made.

Renaissance craftsmen are people who are intensely in love with their profession. Their passion is reflected in how deep their work goes. Their actions are clearly thought out and they are very articulate about their reasons. They are relentless in their pursuit and intrinsically motivated to deliver exceptional outcomes. They study their functional roles - have read books, blogs, are aware of concepts and latest tools in their field of interest. Their field is their craft - and they are proud of their work. They can talk at length about how they solved problems creatively.

Renaissance craftsmen - are a mix of right brain and left brain. They know that what is needed cannot be extrapolated from what already exists. There is no arbitrage left in today’s world. No point making a better candle - the world needs a bulb. So creativity and vision is a must. They also understand that their ideas can only be realised pragmatically. They must have a step by step plan to achieve their goals and test their hypothesis along the way. They also must be scientific in their approach - build repeatable and scalable solutions that can deliver the outcomes reliably. They iterate regularly and refine their technique and processes along the way.

Great craftsmen have humility. They are interested to listen to new ideas. They are mature and confident. They can take failures in their stride. It’s usually not a struggle to keep them motivated. They are ambitious in their attempts and don’t settle for what’s just enough to get by. They aren’t in it just for wages. They are here to demonstrate craftsmanship.

How do I identify them in an interview?

Here I borrow a leaf from Elon Musk. I usually ask them to take me through some of the innovative things they have built that they are most excited by. I ask them why they built it? How they came to the conclusion that this must be built? What concepts did they use to build that solution? What inspired them to do it this way? What was so special about their approach?

I look for excitement in their eyes. It’s hard to fake. If they were in love with the problem they solved, they will talk with a certain sparkle in their eye about it. They will give specific details about the issues faced and how they tinkered and solved those.

At a gut level, I should feel like I am learning from the person. They are saying things that are fascinating for me to learn. I should be hearing insights or ideas that I hadn’t thought of before.

I check for their articulation as well. How clear are they in framing the problem? Are they crisp in their solution or just meandering around dropping jargon throughout?

And finally, do they sound like specialists or generalists? I am not a big believer in generalists. Even for generalist roles, I like to hire people with “T” profile - breadth in exposure to various functions, but clear depth in at least one aspect/ function of the business.

Isn’t this a high bar to meet?

It is. I will be honest, I don’t always get candidates like these. But more senior the role - more I try to hold out for the right fit. In case, I am cornered to hire someone who doesn’t match these standards because of expedient need - then I make sure that I hire the best I have interviewed on this scale of craftsmanship.

Nobody is perfect. I realise that. Once I have someone on board, I then aspire to work with them and push them towards this idea of excellence. The only way I know how apprentice someone to be a better craftsman - is to demand more.

I ask for written plans. I edit gaps furiously. I push for more crispness in thought. I request for more details and drive them to pursue more depth in their function. I question them to think more out of the box, not just from extrapolation of existing data. In time, it becomes clear if there is progress being made. If it works, I am only too glad to have this craftsman or craftswoman amidst us. If it doesn’t it usually becomes clear to both people that they must seek out another path that they would like to pursue.

This sounds tiring.

Yes, it can be a bit taxing at times. But for most part, I have found it to be a rewarding experience for most people I have worked with.

In his book “Drive”, Daniel Pink talks about what motivates us. It’s not money. Money is hygiene - in fact frequent incentives were counterproductive in high cognitive jobs. It’s Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose.

Purpose is your company’s vision. Your employees already bought into it while taking the job. You must afford good people autonomy to take action and feel truly empowered to achieve the goals you have set out for them.

But mastery is a concept for craftsmen. It requires an intrinsic drive in the person you are hiring. They must already crave it. You must hire for it. If they are craftsmen, it’s not tiring - its energising for them.