<p>For starters, fair is not always equal and equal is not always fair. I have learned that from my years of sales management. I am faced many daily with sales leads that need to be dispersed to reps. In a perfect world everyone is of equal abilities and I could just hand them out in a round-robin format without regard to strengths and weaknesses. That, of course, is not how it goes. </p>
<p>Some reps are better at some things than another. I have a rep that excels in complex, multi-tiered opportunities. These are typically much larger $ amounts but she gets them in almost all cases. I have a business to run and the bottom line is productivity. This means that she may only get 1 lead for every 5 or 6 smallers, less complex leads that other reps receive. Is it equal, no. Is it fair, yes. It would be unfair of me to give her leads on a 1 to 1 basis. I can tell you that there are times she will receive 3 leads in a row if they are all up her alley but then she may go 50 leads without receiving one. That’s the way it goes. I get complaints all the time that I am playing favorites. Damn straight. I am making sure that leads get converted to sales. Every time, thus far, I have handed one of “her” leads off to someone else it fails miserably. I’ll test folks on occassion to see if they have it but until someone else shows they can do it consistently she’s my rain-maker. </p>
<p>If you were to attempt to apply affirmative action to this model it would muck everything up. I view this as a microcosm of real life. If I were to put her into a blind rotation with everyone else or decide that those with lesser skill deserve plumb leads because it is unfair then it wouldn’t be long before I would be out of a job and she moved on to a company that valued her skills and abilities. It’s all about ability and production. Any employer out there who doesn’t seek out and retain the best workers, regardless of ethnicity or anything else, is doing their business a disservice. I don’t see where affirmative action fits in.</p>
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<p>Because this system gives bonus point for various, unimportant factors you never end up with the best people for the job. I don’t agree that using a test to hire people is the best way to do things but since that is what is in place we have to live with it (much like the SAT’s or ACT’s). If I were the employer I would want those who scored highest on the test before any bonus points were given but since it’s the government we can’t do that… Can you really tell me that you want your life depending on that 5’6", 120 lb. female firefighter who got their job based on lowered standards? I really would like to have my fat butt pulled out by the 6’5", 240 lb. strapping guy. Thanks very much.</p>