Trish's Blog

I’m tired of cookie-cutter candidates. They tick every box, say all the right things, and yet bring nothing genuinely new to the table. On paper they look perfect, but in practice they rarely shift thinking, challenge assumptions, or move the work forward in any meaningful way.

What I want instead are people who took the long way around. Those with unconventional career paths, the quirky side hustle, the sideways move that doesn’t quite make sense until you listen properly. I want the curious “troublemakers” who ask the questions no one else will and aren’t afraid to challenge the sacred cows.

Hiring for Weird Wisdom™ means valuing life experience over polished résumés, potential over perfection, and learning speed over linear careers. It’s about noticing how someone thinks, not just where they’ve worked or how well they’ve learned to perform competence.

Safe hires keep organisations comfortable. They also keep them stagnant. When everyone fits neatly, thinking narrows and momentum slows, even if performance reviews stay polite.

Weird hires do something different. They shake teams out of autopilot, challenge complacency, and inject fresh energy that pushes boundaries that should have been questioned years ago.

This matters for Diversity of Thought because innovation doesn’t come from people who all learned the same way, worked in the same places, and think in the same patterns. It comes from difference meeting difference; thoughtfully, respectfully, and with enough tension to create movement.

The outcome is tangible: better problem-solving, stronger decisions under pressure, and organisations that evolve rather than repeat themselves. If your hiring feels safe, it might be worth asking what you’re actually optimising for.