Good Recruitment, Bad Selection: Comparing the BBC's “The Voice” to Business

Are there comparisons between the selection process on the BBC’s “The Voice” and in employment?

Round 1- the “blind” recruitment of a team of 10 by each coach: The CV is the voice. The panel cannot see the singer before deciding who they want.

Round 2 – a competitive duel between singers paired off by each coach from their original 10. Five songs, so each coach can then decide which 5 singers will continue in the competition- the interviewed short-list.

I found the selection decisions in round 2 to be a little odd. Experienced singers and better performances seemed to be rejected in favour of younger, raw talent; the incomplete article preferred to the finished package.

There seems to be some process weaknesses also:
- The coaching seemed limited to persuading the participants that they were in a knock-out round, while singing a collaborative duet.  At least each coach now knows how their remaining team members handle ambiguity.
- The resulting choices seemed to be based on “gut instinct” rather than consistent criteria. The momentum gathered pace, but seemed rushed on the second day.
- Tom Jones even selected a man with dark curly hair. If Scott were alive today, he would be so proud to see his concern that people select in their own likeness validated on national television.

Round 3 - to be aired next week, is an assessment centred on live performances. The coaches will appear in a better light if they develop the rawer talent rather than take on the threat of managing those who already know what they are doing? Getting good professionals to excel may have tested their coaching skills, but the finale would be of a higher standard.

If this show is competing for ratings then its competitors should now be less worried. They have dropped some real high-flyers and immediate performers. Perhaps the BBC will now produce a spin-off show for those rejected. They could call it “These Britain’s already have Talent”… Well perhaps not :-)

This show does not compare to recruitment in the real world…

“The Voice” on the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00k96j4

Walter Dill Scott on Personnel Management http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001124751