There’s a special place in organisational folklore for the senior role that’s doomed from the start. You might know the sort I mean: the job description reads like a cross between a superhero origin story and a wish list to Santa, like…
…must be a strategic visionary, operational genius, financial wizard, digital native, and—if possible—able to walk on water.
The salary, of course, is “competitive” (translation: as little as the employer can get away with, but just enough to think they can justify the unreasonable demands).
I’ve been involved in rabbinic recruitment for more than 15 years and I know that this is prevalent - although to be fair, it’s by no means universal and in major communal organisations (at least in the one for which I mostly recruit), there is a real attempt to improve things.
Actually, this phenomenon is especially rampant in sectors where there may be an over-reliance on goodwill.
The charity sector is a prime offender.
Here’s a theoretical - if realistic - case. Imagine a job ad for a “Head of Everything” at a small charity. The successful candidate would “lead a team” (of one), “transform digital strategy” and “deliver sustainable growth” on a tiny budget.
Take the (fictitious) case of Rabbi Spamstein (name invented to protect the innocent - a quick online search will reveal there is no rabbi called ‘Spamstein’). He was recruited by Congregation Moshav Zekeinim, a once-thriving community now down to a handful of regulars and a leaky roof. The job spec? “Revitalise the community, attract young families, double the membership, fundraise for repairs, and - of course - lead inspiring services every week.” But the community had been in decline for a decade, the budget was in the red, and the board was divided on everything except their need for a miracle worker.
Six months in, Rabbi Spamstein had aged five years, could give classes in plumbing, and has long discovered that the job is impossible. In a recent sermon (attended by some 15 dozing nonagenarians), he asserted that even Moses couldn’t have succeeded.
It is obvious that Rabbi Spamstein was set up to fail from the get-go.
Why do organisations do this? Sometimes it’s wishful thinking, sometimes denial, and sometimes a genuine lack of understanding about what’s actually possible.
Sometimes, it’s the inability to face the fact that circumstances have changed and attempting to recapture a long-gone (and, in some case, imaginary, golden era) is impossible and actually destructive.
The result is predictable: talented people burn out, the organisation stagnates, and everyone wonders what went wrong.
Before you leap into your next “dream” role, or for that matter, hire someone into one, here are three points to consider:
Reality check: Is the job description grounded in the actual needs and resources of the organisation, or is it a fantasy in disguise?
Existential honesty: Are there deeper issues—financial, cultural, structural—that need addressing (or at the very least acknowledging) before anyone can succeed in this role?
Support systems: Will the new hire have the tools, mandate and backing to make real change, or are they being handed a parachute and pushed out of the plane?
Have you ever been interviewed for a ‘set-up-to-fail’ role or attempted to recruit for one? Please let me know in the comments.
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