How HR robs us of good leaders

• Managers in rural cities are scared that people with high order professional experience will take their jobs.

• They want to employ people they know – or employ people they know who know other people they also know.

• Where there is little sustainable profit or liquidity generated, there are fewer jobs.

So when people say to me they want to move to a rural city (because of the 'lifestyle') I say 'do your research'.

So you're over 45 – please take a seat and beg

Geoff was a fit and trim 55 year old living in Adelaide. He came to me with an already strong CV as a manager with some good media experience. He had endured numerous rejections and fourteen knock backs before and after the interview stage. He was at his wits end.

He got on well with people and all his referees said he was 'bloody marvelous' but he kept getting the standard letter that reads:

Dear Geoff,

Thank you for your application. We had an exceptionally high calibre of applicants but unfortunately in this case, you were not successful, etc, etc.

We went on a small but difficult metaphorical journey together enduring another two rejections before he landed a job.

Golden rule #3: The more jobs you apply for, the greater the chance you will land a job. Probability leans to your advantage, plus, you get better at writing job applications.

That's if all things being equal, you learn from your mistakes and correct them. Unfortunately there's not much one can do about being 55. Actually a lot more Australians will turn 55 this year than ever before - but I digress.

What Geoff went through was not candidate selection. It was age prejudice. Geoff wasn't over qualified. He was specifically qualified for the position.

What would we have we done if Geoff had continued to be knocked back? Prejudice rigs the game so the best player can't win. The Internet allows unsuccessful applicants to see who actually won the position. It's easy to build a work profile or access a CV from scanning Linkedin and Google. If he had continued to be rejected, I would have suggested that we see a lawyer.