Hire me, I'm a runner!

by John Marsden

In a previous life, I owned a retail and manufacturing business. One of the most challenging aspects of owning a business is finding the right people to work with you.

I ended up with some very good people but it was difficult to tell who they were in an interview and nearly impossible from a resume. The resume has become an exercise in exaggeration.

Since I sold my business I have come to know a lot about the training of distance runners, and something that makes hiring a lot easier.

The dominant characteristic of distance runners is discipline. These people train every day, sometimes twice a day. They eat and sleep well. A lot of the training is done alone or in small groups, so they know how to work on their own.

It takes years, sometimes a decade, to be a good distance runner. You have to settle into the routines and deprivations of training, and proceed without reward for a long time. What you did last week is important, but it is the years of work that make a good performance. When gains are made, it is by a few seconds. The rest of the time these runners settle into the pleasures of the routine of work.

Runners live with the tyranny of the clock. They have learned a hundred times that what you say makes little difference, what matters is your performance.

These qualities make excellent employees. They are people who will get the job done, and done well, before they go home. They will not promise what they will not deliver. They will not show up for work hung over. They have both a physical energy and a calmness that comes from intense training.

Many distance runners are introverts, which can look like shyness, but is not. Introverts are observant, and understand people well, but are rarely the first to speak. This can lead to a quiet interview, where they under-represent their abilities. But they understand and can work well with the people around them. They can do more than they will say they can. They are productive, capable people.

When they are in intensive training they will only be able to work part-time and will need a flexible schedule to travel for competitions. When they are ready to retire from competitive running, they will embark on their next career with ambition and dedication. Hire them while they are still in training and your company will be well rewarded.

I know a headhunter in the pharmaceutical industry who chooses his people by their athletic background. He was a national-level gymnast and understands the discipline and character involved.

Look for the lean face, the eye contact and the quiet presentation. Check their academic record. Look to the bottom of the resume, under other interests. Phone their coach. He or she will know them very well, often over many years, and will know how they act in high-pressure situations.

Then hire them. You will not be disappointed.