experience VS. talent

[littlerob]

I was just wondering what you guys thought about the difference between hiring experienced "old school machinists", and new up and coming machinists was? I think the responses are very valuable.

[Kipper]

Leaning toward employees will result in sexual harassment allegations!

On Topic, Probably with the old boys they will know what they are doing...as opposed to the "up and coming" thinking they know....

I'd like to lean towards a younger person if it's on offer?

[Geof]

You need an 'all of the above' option. Once you get above four or five employees and have a variety of things that have to be done ranging all the way from programming and setup to deburring, washing and preparing to go for anodizing you need all of those categories.

Although my experience with Kipper's old boys who (think they) know what they are doing has not been good; they tend to get huffy when you prove they really don't know what they are doing.

Given my druthers I favor some experience with talent and a willingness to learn and be flexible.

[littlerob]

I guess the reason I posted this poll is, I am new to management I haven't had very good luck with either young guys or experienced guys, and for both reasons Kipper and Geof said. Geof made a good point that older guys get a little huffy I know this especially because I am a younger guy with older employees, Kipper made a good point that it is a lot easier to say to an experienced guy here is the part just make it, and walk away. I think the point of the poll is to help me understand what I should be looking for in a new hire. Robert

[kreutz]

Old does not mean experienced. A friend of mine used to say that "Lizards go everyday up and down the light poles and none of them becomes electrician" meaning that the fact that somebody is doing a job for a long time does not mean he knows what he is doing or that he does it right.

[TOTALLYRC]

Old does not mean experienced. A friend of mine used to say that "Lizards go everyday up and down the light poles and none of them becomes electrician" meaning that the fact that somebody is doing a job for a long time does not mean he knows what he is doing or he does it right.

Neither does the "well, he has been here for 20 years" mean they know what they are doing. I agree with Geof, above a certain number of employees you will need all of the above. Why waste a good experienced employee who really knows his stuff on mindless button pushing? That is where the shows up on time type of person comes in.

And yes, when you show an experienced old hand that there is an easier and faster and it comes out looking better way, watch out.

[Kipper]

I once went for an interview and the interviewer showed me a car in 2 halves, he asked me how I'd put it back together....I got the job and guess what the first job was when I started? Yup putting the 2 halves together on the old dhc lol

It had been sat in the corner for 10 years and no-one had the bottle to rebuild it.....What's my point, ask them how "they" would tackle a job....If it's not to your liking don't hire.....if it is and it doesn't work...."unhire" them

[Khalid]

Experience comes with doing a job again and again.. whereas talent comes in when the same job is modified and optimized effectively...

[Geof]

Experience comes with doing a job again and again.. whereas talent comes in when the same job is modified and optimized effectively...

That is a good concise definition.


Kipper; I had an interview almost half a century ago at DAFS (Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland) for a position as an instrument mechanic in their Aberdeen lab. One of the pointy head white coat types asked how I would machine a triangular pyramid, I responded with 'you mean a tetrahedron?' and the interview degenerated into arguing about whether that was the correct name. It is and I got the job.

[jcoats]

I have met several people with 1 year of experience, repeated 20 times. And some 'masters' at their trade that only have been at it for a few.

I take folks as individuals. In my experience, if you can, you want some gray hair that have 'been there, done that', and some rookies that are willing, but mainly the 'in between', where most are anyway.

[Mcgyver]

When you say talent I think its what i'd call intelligence or smarts. To me talent it is a good given gift, an ability to hold a note, draw a line that looks like something etc.... smarts is what is need to succeed as this is mechanical and can be learned and figured out via logic. Art on the other hand cannot be solved by logic & analysis; thats where talent comes in. Then again, there is mechanical appitude - lots of smart people seem deviod of it; perhaps that is a talent still I have hard time seeing someone with no mechanical apptitude as smart

Smarts solves the puzzle, how to set up, sequence of operations etc ....end of the day though, whether manual or cnc it can all be codified. its intellect that figures it out.

Niether do much good in isolation but with a choice i'd gravitate to someone smarter with less experience than vice versa. Of course you're seeking that person who has both. Take any group of grizzled machinists and half are below average (i love that line)...but the smart ones will rise to the top

[glovebox20]

I vote for a young person with lots of talent who isn't afraid to take the new technology to the next level. Experience will come with time as long a you keep your young employee's happy, However, it's always nice to have someone with some good experience to help steer the new talent in the right direction when needed.