Every position requires specific qualifications to meet the needs of the employer looking to fill a vacancy. Even when you are looking to hire a house helper, there are certain traits you seek to fulfill your requirements. These typically include basic criteria and, perhaps, specialized skills.

Basic needs would include physical fitness (which is why you ask for a doctor’s certificate or health clearance), good moral character (verified through a referral), a clean record with no pending criminal cases (requiring an NBI Clearance), and proof of identity (such as a Barangay ID or Voter’s ID). Additional needs might include the ability to cook, wash, and iron. This is where you inquire about their experience or even test them to demonstrate their skill level.

Of course, the higher the position, the more qualifications are needed. These normally come in the form of education, experience, emotional quotient, intelligence, personality, character, and referrals. It is also worth noting that a candidate who holds the highest qualification in just one area—say, education—while lacking in others, is not necessarily the most suitable choice.

Sometimes, those managing the selection process possess their own criteria and biases. This leads to a hiring process that deviates from objective qualifications, focusing instead on personal preferences that have nothing to do with the merit of the applicant.

Selecting candidates, determining promotions, or granting salary increases based on subjective criteria rather than objective qualifications can easily lead to abuse. This lack of transparency almost certainly results in a less-than-optimal selection process. Eventually, the organization and its stockholders will suffer, potentially leading to the company's decline.

Placing unqualified or less-qualified people at the helm of any organization is inherently unfair to shareholders and stakeholders alike—with the possible exception of parties with vested interests. There should be laws that mandate penalties and impose criminal liabilities on officials who abuse their authority during the selection and hiring processes.

Equal liability should face the recipients of such unearned positions, promotions, salaries, benefits, and bonuses. Both parties should be treated like thieves who have stolen money, opportunity, and the future of the organization.

To avoid such regretful situations, there must be an objective method for establishing the qualifications required for critical positions. This must include performance criteria or benchmarking for employees at every rank to justify a promotion or a specific salary increase. I have seen organizations where the success of the business was entirely due to the accomplishments of one executive, yet a completely different executive received the promotion. That is certainly not fair, and it is a guaranteed way to lose your best talent.

You should also keep in mind that those who make decisions on hiring, promotions, compensation, and benefits without strictly basing them on qualifications usually do so for ulterior motives. These include building alliances, rewarding loyalty, monetary considerations, undue influence, blackmail, or sheer incompetence. At any rate, an organization must fight this disease and rid itself of these people.