ScopeAT

For more than 100 years, the Land of Oz — with its yellow brick road, ruby shoes, and lions and tigers and bears, oh my — has held a grip on our imaginations. This has been true from the turn-of-the-last-century book by L. Frank Baum to the 1939 classic movie, from the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of 1975 to the best-selling 1995 book by Gregory Maguire, which told the story from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. And out of that book came another hit Broadway musical, now adapted into the Hollywood film Wicked.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Wicked depicts how Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, becomes a baddie. Recently, moviegoers have flocked to theaters to be bedazzled by Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) and the friendship they form. Much of the movie’s fun hinges on what an unlikely pair they make: Elphaba’s intelligence, thoughtfulness, and isolation contrasted with Glinda’s perkiness, self-centeredness, and popularity. 

But beyond the sensational songs and ruminations about good and evil, the movie holds a number of lessons for recruiters and other talent professionals. Here are five takeaways from Wicked: 

1. Look for great talent in the most unlikely places

As Wicked opens, viewers learn how Elphaba became green and what she has endured because of it: She is scorned by her father and mocked by her peers. By the time she arrives at Oz’s prestigious Shiz University to drop off her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), Elphaba holds little hope for her own future. 

But she is fiercely protective of her sister, and when Shiz’s headmistress tries to help the wheelchair-bound Nessarose — despite her insistence that she can take care of herself — Elphaba loses her composure, wreaking havoc on the school courtyard. Glass cracks. Furniture flies. And from a window, the sorcery professor, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) witnesses it all.

She approaches Elphaba and, in the song “The Wizard and I,” tells her: “Oh, Miss Elphaba / Many years I have waited / for a gift like yours to appear.” She then predicts that the Wizard of Oz could make Elphaba his “magic grand vizier.” Even though Elphaba is not a student at Shiz, Madame Morrible admits her immediately and offers to give her private sorcery lessons. 

The message here? You don’t know where great talent will appear — or who has the skills to do the job. Many talented candidates haven’t been given the same opportunities as others. But these overlooked talents can be creative, smart, and hard-working. So, next time you’re sourcing candidates, consider ditching pedigree and looking beyond the so-called top schools or companies and starting your candidate search at the bottom of your automated results. 

2. Help employees with potential sharpen their skills

When Elphaba starts at Shiz and is assigned to share a room with Glinda, her skills are still undeveloped. Though she clearly has talent, she’s only able to conjure her powers when she’s angry or in a charged emotional state. 

But Madame Morrible tutors her, starting with simple tasks such as levitating a coin. Over time, Elphaba gains mastery of her talent. 

In many ways, Madame Morrible is simply addressing Oz’s skills gap. The Wizard is looking for someone with a particular set of skills, and the sorcery professor sees that Elphaba has the potential to become what he needs.  

Employers face a similar challenge, with 75% reporting that they can’t find candidates with the right mix of skills. But workers are eager to learn. When considering a new job, nearly 9 out of 10 job seekers want to see a skills development program, clear career paths, and career advancement opportunities. So, skills training is a win-win for employees and companies, as well as Oz. 

3. Create a culture of belonging if you want people to thrive

When Glinda sees Elphaba for the first time, she gasps. “What?” Elphaba asks. “Do I have something in my teeth?” Upon realizing that Glinda is shocked by her greenness, Elphaba offers an explanation she’s clearly given before: “No, I am not seasick. Yes, I have always been green; and no, I did not eat grass as a child.” 

Elphaba faces constant rejection because of her skin, and she’s lonely. So, when Glinda gives Elphaba a pointy black hat to wear to a student dance party, Elphaba is delighted — only to discover that the hat was a cruel joke, giving her fellow students another reason to mock her. As she stands on the dance floor alone, her pain yields to tears.

But Elphaba gathers her courage and begins to dance. And Glinda, who has masked her empathy with pink tulle and funny asides, joins her. Suddenly, Glinda sees the beauty and humanity in Elphaba, leading others to do the same. She even gives Elphaba a makeover, while singing one of the film’s biggest hits, “Popular.”

Once Elphaba feels connected to her peers, she truly starts to excel. 

It’s no different in organizations. Employees want to feel like they belong, no matter their skin color — or age, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. When employees feel like they’re part of the group, companies win too. According to the Harvard Business Review, a high sense of belonging was linked to a 56% increase in job performance, 50% drop in turnover risk, and 75% reduction in sick days. 

4. As a sponsor, you can make magic happen too 

If Elphaba’s father, the governor of Munchkinland, had had his way, his daughter would never have enrolled at Shiz. She only became a student because of Madame Morrible, who took it one step further, writing to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to tell him about Elphaba’s skills and gifts.

The result: a personal invitation for Elphaba to visit the Emerald City. “Once I’m with the Wizard,” Elphaba sings,  “My whole life will change / ’Cuz once you’re with the Wizard / No one thinks you’re strange!” 

But this invitation wouldn’t have appeared unless Madame Morrible had advocated for her. 

The same goes for the workplace: If you want people from nontraditional backgrounds to succeed, they can benefit from someone in the executive ranks advocating for them. Through sponsorship, employees can build stronger networks and find opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible — which is especially important for women and employees from underrepresented groups to move up the corporate ladder. 

5. Be transparent about what the job entails, as well as your company’s mission and values 

Unfortunately, when Elphaba and her new BFF Glinda arrive in the Emerald City, they discover that all that glitters is not gold. Elphaba is betrayed so deeply that she’s forced to make a choice, belting out in “Defying Gravity”: “Too late for second-guessing / Too late to go back to sleep / It’s time to trust my instincts / Close my eyes and leap!” 

But here’s the deal: If Elphaba had known what her role with the Wizard would entail, she wouldn’t have boarded the train for the Emerald City. Importantly, recruiters need to be as clear as possible with candidates about a company’s mission and values and what the role they’re applying for requires.  

Candidates want to work for companies whose values reflect their own. According to Edelman, almost 6 in 10 employees choose a workplace based on shared values. And if the values don’t align, you may lose top talent — though most likely, they won’t fly off on a broom. 

Final act: “Everyone deserves the chance to fly” 

While the movie hinges on the question of what makes a person “wicked,” it’s also about the power that people from underrepresented groups can command when they can show up as their authentic selves.  

For people who didn’t get the opportunity to attend college or work at a pedigreed company, this holds a potent message: Everyone should be given the opportunity to develop their skills and shine.

“And if I’m flying solo,” Elphaba sings at the movie’s end, “at least I’m flying free. / To those who’d ground me / Take a message back from me / Tell them how I am / Defying gravity.” 

It’s a chance everyone deserves.

*Image from Universal Pictures

Uncategorised