The “Peter Principle” is the principle that "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence". It was formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull in their 1969 book by the same name.
I call them the “brand dead” or “brand spectators”; those who fur up the organisation’s arteries. Most MDs tolerate a Peter or two - but when conditions change, Peter and pals can very quickly poison your brand from within. When the big battalions are mobilised and change is demanded, Peter, not market conditions, is your worst enemy.
Consider the impact a Peter can have on your recruitment drive:
"Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it... Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine." The late David Ogilvy, advertising executive
"If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings - and put compensation as a carrier behind it - you almost don't have to manage them." Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric
Ogilvy and Welch point the way towards recruitment nirvana – making the most of the fact that it’s an employer’s market to recruit challenging and maverick game-changers who will stimulate the innovation you need.
But the Peters will desperately cling onto the status quo, recruit in their own image and reinforce the employer brand that failed to spot the issues that have since marched all the way around the corner and into your boardroom.
And if you’ve encouraged Peter-style behaviour within your intermediaries and recruitment agents, you’re in deep trouble.
When you get a moment, just take a look at the various recruitment and blogging forums and consider how many really good people are out there at the moment. Listen to what they’re saying about the recruitment practices of the Peters. Ask yourself whether Peter can be motivated to change.
But most of all question whether your recruitment strategy is paying Peter by robbing Paul, and the effect this is having and will have on the performance of your brand.
Ian Buckingham’s book Brand Engagement is available from Palgrave