Why do companies only look for cookie cut PMs nowadays?
I have noticed an irritating trend during my job hunt. HRs or Line managers now need candidates who exactly fit their JDs , like candidates must have worked in X domain in Y project and are exposed to Z tech stacks. No evaluation on Product sense, Thought process, execution ability - if the shoe fits, hire!
This absolutely undermines a core tenet of product management, where individuals from diverse backgrounds, having worked on various projects/tech stacks, can contribute something meaningful and maybe crack a problem which experienced guys miss. Not to mention, this creates an entirely new challenge to a PM looking to change his industry, he is forced to get holed into some defined ABC roles. E.g. : My experience is in Banking , so I am having a tough time finding roles here in Bangalore where most Hiring mgrs are looking for B2B SaaS experience. Now if I were to look in Mumbai, I would have a much better chance.
Curious to know your thoughts on this..
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Demand supply economics. When cookie cut candidates are avl in plenty why should they go for someone with diverse exp?
Isnt that bound to happen to any JD? Engineers got spilt by branches, Computer guys got split by development work/stack etc. It was about time that being a PM would let you slide smoothly in any domain.
I don't agree. The premise of a PM function is to build sector agnostic capabilities. There is no extra benefit a cookie cut PM can bring except maybe a lower TAT. Also, it speaks volumes about how the org views a PM function.
Things are different for a SDE or QA - there you can select specific folks basis your tech stacks/requirement