Commentary

Learning from rock stars

I doubt many people watching CBS-TV’s Rock Star: Supernova are thinking about how it maps with the global economy, but it does in some striking ways as I discuss in an article for Michael Smith, executive recruiting. The show is tracking the auditions of musicians who want to be the next front man or woman for the newly formed rock band Supernova. The auditions are turning out to be more than that. The performances, and the critiques by the rock band’s members, exemplify the kinds of skills and attitudes necessary for producing a high quality service or product in a fiercly competitive global economy.

Although billed as a 13-week audition, in truth Rock Star’s a hard lesson on how to identify and evaluate the next rising star in any business. The lessons are even more prescient for a business fighting it out in a globally competitive services industry, where the skills, talent, and drive of your employees are more important than ever.

The auditioning muscians make textbook mistakes in a rigorous interview process. What may be even more surprising for those who tune in on Tusday nights is the very business-like approach to selecting the next bandmate taken by the current members of Supernova. The show is demonstrating that Rock ‘n’ Roll is more than music; it’s an intensely competitive businesss. The band members understand the stakes of hiring the right person for the right job:

In the labor market, and particularly in today’s business world where services are the key to global competitiveness, relationships are critical to business and professional success. Finding the right talent, and making sure the talent can catapult an emerging company into the forefront of its industry, is ultimately what the hiring process is all about.

The complete article can be found here.