Superman or Clark Kent: Find hidden talents in your team

Remember Superman, the man of steel? His alter ego, Clark Kent, worked as a journalist at the Daily Planet newspaper. Clark had a boss who didn’t even know he had the most powerful person working for him. But what if he knew? What if he used Superman’s skills properly? How could Superman help the Daily Planet?

Let’s talk about Superman’s and Clark Kent’s work attitudes and skills and how employers can use hidden workforce talents to improve the business.

Clark Kent is Superman’s alter ego. He is an idealist and believes that as a reporter, he can create as much or even more positive change as Superman — only with the power of words. Clark often stays invisible to others. He believes no one will suspect him when he approaches a crime scene because he’s a journalist, so it’s part of his job. However, there’s more to this. Clark admits that Superman is not suited to doing all things.

Superman can solve many problems with his fists. But Clark, being a super man, also wants to draw attention to critical global issues (inequality, unfair politics, environmental challenges).

A similar thing happens in the workplace. Employees have different views and powers that help the company build the future. However, some organizations value their Supermen more than their Clark Kents. For example, business leaders demand more from new employees during leadership meetings, like being more super than regular. However, the only real difference between Clark Kent and Superman is the glasses.

Glasses are a symbol of how your employees see your company’s goals and culture. Are business leaders and HR managers ready to take off their glasses and help the Clarks of the world see opportunities to become Supermen?

Think about it: Clarks often leave a company because they’ve lost sight of their role in the organization, or maybe they recognize the possibility of being Superman elsewhere. Do you give your Clarks a chance to succeed?

Both Clark and Superman have strengths: the power of the word (Clark Kent) and the power of strength (Superman). However, they both have their Kryptonite, a.k.a. skills gaps you should consider and help them develop.

Try not to compare your Clarks with your Supermen. Instead, look for ways to clarify your vision and stop the leader that prevents others from seeing and following your company’s culture.

Let’s inspect Clark Kent’s and Superman’s work style, habits, and values to give real-life job and career advice for recruiters, HR managers, and employers.

Clark Kent gets his first Daily Planet gig using his Superman connections. However, Clark is so bad on the job (distracted by being Superman) that he gets fired. Because the newspaper editor doesn’t remember his name, though, Clark is able to apply for another job at the paper years later.

To get the job, Clark keeps turning boring assignments into scoops through the presence of Superman.

Clark Kent positions himself at work as a clumsy person who can get into trouble to avoid suspicion among colleagues. However, he provides cheerful and easy-to-understand stories for the paper and is a good reporter.

So what’s the difference between Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent?

• Absenteeism will be forgiven if there’s impressive output. Despite his annoying tendency to disappear when a catastrophe or dramatic rescue unfolds, Clark Kent’s periodic interviews and reliable relationship with Superman make up for his disappearances. It’s implicitly accepted by many corporations that absence doesn’t mean a poor work attitude if a person brings benefits to the business.
• Work on tasks that no one else can do or wants to do. Some companies hire people without experience if they aren’t afraid of challenges at work. For example, the Daily Planet hired Clark because of his connection to Superman. Although those hired to fill these jobs won’t save the world from approaching asteroids with superpowers, they have Clark Kent’s job potential, meaning developing the skills of Superman ones.
• Be a multitasker. In most cases, Clark Kent has to become Superman while he’s still a journalist. Following the Superman example, employers should value the ability of their workforce to manage time, be punctual, and meet deadlines.

• Be prepared for emotional work. Having the right attitude around clients with whom an employee doesn’t really want to do business is so-called “emotional work.” It involves not showing the true feelings and emotions an employee is currently experiencing. Clark Kent cleverly uses emotional work to hide his identity as Superman. Kent, however, is gentle, even modest. He could just as easily be working at a fast-food restaurant, continuously reciting “Good day!” and giving frozen smiles.
• Add hidden skills to the CV. Imagine if Clark Kent listed “cloaked superhero” and “kryptonite researcher” among his skills. If his boss found out, he would use all of Superman’s hidden talents. As an HR manager or business leader, it’s essential to pay attention to the wishes of your employees and what they would like to develop in their careers. Encourage employees, help them improve their skills, and show them skills you’d like them to improve.
• Be a master of camouflage. Clark Kent is simply socially invisible. In most respects, he has an entirely different image than Superman. He squats, hunches, wears glasses that cover his face, has a different hairstyle, speaks in a slightly higher tone of voice, and doesn’t have as much confidence as Superman. Yet, despite his crime-solving skills, no one looks at him and makes comparisons to Superman, which leads us to how to find hidden talents in shy or unconfident employees.

To build a strong team, you need to identify the potential of your employees and then help them develop their hidden strengths. Here are some ways to discover hidden talents and turn potential strengths into actual skills for the future: