13/07/2025
It’s frustrating, disheartening, and frankly exhausting to see how hiring decisions are too often based on who you know rather than what you know. Skills, experience, dedication, and work ethic can be overshadowed by personal connections, social circles, and political alignments.
In many workplaces, especially in public service or politics-adjacent roles, there’s this unwritten rule: if you didn’t work under the "right" administration, you’re suddenly less valuable. Not because your qualifications changed—but because of perception. You can be competent, ethical, and effective, but if your name isn't in the right conversations or you weren’t aligned with the “in” group, opportunities dry up.
This isn't just unfair—it’s inefficient. Organizations lose out on real talent. People are passed over not for lack of capability, but for lack of connections. And let's be honest: it's demoralizing to watch someone get a position simply because they knew the right person or played the right political game.
We need to move toward merit-based hiring—where skills, integrity, and performance matter more than proximity to power. Yes, relationships and trust matter, but they should complement qualifications, not replace them.
To those who've been overlooked, stay encouraged. Your worth is not diminished by biased systems. And to those in positions of influence—please, be better. Use your seat at the table to champion fairness. Normalize transparency in hiring. Question your own biases. Because we all deserve a system where what you know actually matters.
