Photo taken by CHUTTERSNAP.
In an email regarding questions for the first job I ever applied to, I misspelled “form” as “forum.” The email was being sent to the person who would decide whether or not I get hired. So, I had double- and triple-checked the email for any spelling or grammar errors, and even had another person proofread it for me; I was nervous and wanted to make a good impression. Yet, despite the care and attention I gave that email, I still managed to make a mistake. And who knows, there might have been others that I also missed. The point: Humans make mistakes.
And Kyle Wiens clearly shows that he is forgetting that (important) fact in his article “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” He tries to excuse his choice to not hire anyone (even those whose job does not require such qualification) whose grammar is not to his standard by saying one’s level of grammar relates to how good they are at their job, and their comprehensibility.
Wrong. And I will believe this until Wiens shows or cites proper research that proves his theory that grammar skills correlate to how well someone can or does do their job. Simply saying “I’ve found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing” is not enough. Coincidences happen and biases warp the way we perceive things.
I also disagree with his statement that good grammar makes something more comprehensible. I’ve received plenty of grammatically correct emails from higher-ups before, but they can and have been vague at times. That’s because necessary details were left out. And that’s typically what is needed to understand someone; it’s what makes them comprehensible. This is why we can read sentences full of jumbled letters, so long as the first and last letter in a word is in the right place (the necessary details). It’s why we can understand people with poor English, too, because they make the details that matter clear. Our brains can fill in the rest from context, leaving room for mistakes.
So, don’t pass up qualified individuals over grammar errors, especially if their position doesn’t call for being exceptional at it. If you’re going to continue, regardless, with your grammar stickler traditions, Wiens, then at least have the decency to help your employees improve their grammar. Teach them; proper them up. Don’t punish them. “Real human beings” make mistakes and require help to improve. Jobs usually help people grow, but it seems you’re expecting them to come in perfect.
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