Insights

The Power of Skills #1

We were very excited to hear that Brighton got its first Michelin star in nearly 50 years.

Maré is led by head chef Ewan Waller. He's just 24. He earned that star six months after opening.

Imagine the job spec had said 'minimum 5 years' head chef experience.' He'd never have got the role. Brighton wouldn't have its star.

We encourage our clients to steer clear of years of experience as a selection criterion. Not because it doesn't matter at all, but because the evidence tells us that beyond a basic threshold, tenure is a weak predictor of performance and can cut off exceptional talent. What actually differentiates people is the ability to learn, adapt and apply the relevant skill in context.

And our tastebuds are very happy they get it right!

It's something we see play out in practice all the time. A client will come to us with 'must have 10 years in the sector' baked into a role profile (excuse the pun!), and when we dig into what they actually need, it's specific skills and behaviours, not time served.

And this isn't just about opening doors for younger people. Rigid experience requirements lock out career changers, returners, and people whose most relevant skills were built in a completely different setting. When we filter on years, we screen out talent across every generation.

We can't wait to visit Maré soon..... we'll call it research.