According to Investopedia, the definition of human resources is the company department charged with finding, screening, recruiting and training job applicants, as well as administering employee-benefit programs. This process takes place at the launching of the business and it continues and develops as the company develops and grows. The HR department might face some obstacles until they find the perfect candidate to fill a certain post, which does not differ from what people go through in order to find the perfect candidate to fill a certain spot in their lives aka “The One”.

By mid or late teens, young men and women go through the first screening process of evaluating the market. Watching movie stars, famous actors and singers, popular people at school etc, helps in creating the idea of what a successful candidate should look and/or act like. Some people develop a crush on a person they have not even met or talked to. They have not really evaluated that person. It is like looking for staff members before you even launch your own company. But when people grow a little and develop a better vision, or mission statement, they become more likely to get over their initial crushes and try to find the real deal.

Like any business, if a company wants to attract talented and qualified staff members, the HR department has to offer interesting packages. This corresponds to the “Ugly Duckling” phase in people’s life. People go through huge transformations during their late teens with regard to everything: their looks, their sense of fashion, the way they act and talk. It is not just a matter of hormones, but also a preliminary market study that drives people to pay more attention to the way they look and behave in order to appear more appealing to the potential candidates, offering a special distinctive package that can’t be found anywhere else.

Then starts the phase of going through resumes, taking into consideration the candidates’ achievements, and interviewing them. The interviews may last a few weeks or months until a candidate passes all the preliminary tests and proves suitable. In a company, the HR department is required to provide a very clear job description, stating all the employee’s rights and duties, compensation and penalties in case of failure. This doesn’t happen in real life, the relationship might be a little vague for one or both parties, someone might not be sure of what they are supposed to deliver or get. But people dive in; they accept the interesting job offer or the interesting romantic opportunity, and it is always rainbow and butterflies at the beginning.

The company is supposed to administer employee training programs, explaining exactly what a company-employee relationship should be like. But this is not the case in the love life, where conflicts arise. That’s why people are more likely to be successful in their careers but face endless problems in their romantic lives. The minute they feel trapped, unappreciated, or left with no room for growth, people are more likely to approach their bosses, or the HR department to demand a raise, a promotion or a training opportunity. But when it comes to love and being with your significant other, it is usually more difficult, since your partner might accuse you of the same problems that you complain about.

It is wise to take a leave and think thoroughly before you consider a life-changing decision, like leaving your job or your partner. Such a decision when taken in a hurry or under the influence of a certain situation might leave you regretting it forever. On the other hand, a company might let you go after several warnings and penalties if you fail to deliver what was clearly written in your job description, just like your significant other. But then, as the company develops, the recruitment process becomes more selective, just like people when they grow older and start to be pickier in choosing the most suitable partner.

The perfect employee does not exist; everybody is prone to mistakes, everybody might slip every now and then. The perfect partner does not exist either; choosing and being the most suitable partner is a mutual process. It is a developing process that changes as the relationship grows and solidifies. If for any reason, you can’t find the perfect candidate then it is time to consider changing some of your search criteria or what you deliver. It is always your choice.

Heba Hassan

Photography: Mohamed Samir Hassan

EDITORS: Mennat-Allah Yasser Zohny & Nada Adel Sobhi