HR Computers Must Be Smashed!

A young man who wishes only to be identified by the online handle "Pinkie Pie" recently won tens of thousands of dollars and the adulation of Google executives by beating out hackers all over the world in Google's Pwnium security challenge. It's important to note that this young man had previously applied for employment at Google and didn't even receive a response.

Pinkie Pie's big win shows that the young man has incredible talent and the ability, even at his age, to monetize his talent. But Pinkie's gifts were tragically overlooked either by an HR computer or a living, breathing HR "computer", both of which are linearly-programmed to weed out candidates based on rigid criteria, not look for talent.

HR computers, both living and non-living, serve but two functions: 1) to make sure new hires don't "make waves" in the established corporate structure, and 2) to minimize the possibility of additional litigation or liability to the company. In 2005 Keith Hammonds, former Executive Editor of "Fast Company", wrote an excellent, if not controversial, piece on the matter. In a follow-up interview with totalpictureradio, Hammonds reiterated the arguments he made in his piece: "HR people aren't the sharpest tacks in the box...HR is there to protect corporate assets."

While small business is the cornerstone of the American economy, much of the hiring needed to get the unemployment rate down to acceptable levels will unfortunately have to come from Corporate America. And, unless the linearly-programmed corporate HR computers are smashed, many talented young men like Pinkie Pie will stay unemployed or underemployed longer than they should be.