A few years ago, a friend of mine hired a candidate who, on paper, was exceptional. First-class degree from a reputable Nigerian university, a Master’s degree from abroad, and other notable certifications. Within six months, the new hire could not lift a pin without seeking his team’s support. He struggled to adapt when their business plans shifted, and his reports said very little. After failed appraisals and performance improvement plans (PIPs) which yielded insignificant results, he was eventually eased out. Later, he was replaced with another candidate with lesser qualifications who rebuilt the function within one year.
This is not in any way insinuating that graduates with first-class degrees from reputable universities represent the above. There are exceptionally intelligent graduates with similar credentials that also deliver outstanding results. However, the above plays out in many organisations across Nigeria, yet we have not changed how we hire.
Our hiring culture did not develop its obsession with certificates by accident. For decades, academic qualifications were a reliable sorting mechanism in a labour market flooded with candidates and short on structured assessment processes. When you cannot easily verify what someone can do, you default to a degree from a recognised institution or a CV that lists prestigious previous employers. In the past, that was reliable, but it no longer is.
