<p>BCEagle, about half way down in this article on the book “The Hand” they discuss engineer hires.</p>
<p>[Online</a> NewsHour: The Hand- December 31, 1998](<a href=“http://www.pbs.org/newshour/gergen/december98/gergen_12-31.html]Online”>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/gergen/december98/gergen_12-31.html)</p>
<p>In another interview of the author I once heard, they elaborated on this story. The company went to the best schools for the best hires (with the hopes of pruning the older employees eventually, iirc), but discovered that once on the job the new hires had to consult with the older engineers when they were stuck problem-solving - they themselves were not good problem solvers. They had better luck with hires who also had done car mechanics.</p>
<p>In my opinion, hand work of any kind would assist brain development - it need not be limited to auto mechanics - but the point is that recruiting from the best schools doesn’t guarantee the best hires, as you appear to be experiencing.</p>