Why You Should Hire Curious George

We all remember Curious George and his human friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat. Typically, George’s curiosity would lead him on some adventure — sometimes getting in a little trouble — that, in the end, would help him grow and learn. Curious George sent us a message that learning is fun and curiosity is a good thing.

But when was the last time you actively sought to hire intellectually curious employees? In the late 90s, I joined a well-respected law firm in town that was going through generational growing pains as the “old guard” retired and the “young guard” was trying to figure out what to do. One of the senior partners said to me, during one of our frequent discussions, “The big problem here is that we stopped hiring people with intellectual curiosity.”

His comment stuck with me, as evidenced by the fact that I’m writing about it, some 20 years later. He was right. At that time, the firm had become mired in stagnation. Markets were changing, clients’ expectations were changing, and the business model had been reduced to annual efforts to cut expenses in order to break even. Seemingly no one was curious about how to expand the business, how to react to the changing times or how to get unstuck from the muck in which it had become mired.

What’s it like at your business? Are you doing the same ol’, same ol’? Have you made an effort to hire people with intellectual curiosity? “Curiosity is just as important as intelligence in your employees….These types of workers are always interested in the next best thing and are more likely to look at how they can improve the day-to-day business," according to CIO magazine.

“As you focus on your business, you need people who are worth investing in. While being organized, creative and a team player are minimal requirements, curiosity can drive your business forward,” notes Forbes.

If you want to innovate, if you want to stay ahead of your competition, or if you just want to stop being stuck in the muck, take a look at your employees. Particularly your closest circle of leadership. Are they intellectually curious, either individually or collectively? If not, maybe you should reexamine their roles and how to inject some Curious George into the business.