As I finish grad school and start looking for a job (please hire me!), I often think about what companies are looking for in an employee. Anyway, I took some time to write about "T-shaped" employees.

At the famous design consultancy, IDEO, the CEO has a propensity to hire what he calls “T-shaped” people: people whose characteristics resemble the letter “T.” T-shaped people have two significant traits. The vertical stroke of the “T” represents depth in a skill or particular discipline. This can pertain to any number of fields: design, science, analytics, engineering, etc. The horizontal stroke of the “T” is represents a disposition for collaboration across disciplines. It reflects the ability for empathy as well as enthusiasm about other people’s specialties. Of less interest are “I” shaped people who may have expertise but find it difficult to collaborate because they are too self-involved and don’t necessarily appreciate others’ talents.

At IA Collaborative, a design consultancy based in Chicago, the firm is only devoted to hiring T-shaped people but also actively works to create and inspire them. Once a month, the firm takes a break from their day-to-day routine and employees go on a “design excursion.” These excursions are meant to inspire the imagination and broaden horizons. Some of the latest trips have been to a leather tannery, a violin maker, the Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House, and Fermilab (one of the most famous particle physics laboratories). The firm also brings in speakers during lunch hours to give seminars (also known as “leminars,” a combination of lunch and seminar). IA Collaborative leaders do not expect that any of their employees will decide to pursue, for example, particle physics; however, the very act of breaking out of the office to explore new topics produces an excitement and curiosity that keeps employees interested in the company; allows for team bonding; and most importantly, symbolizes the characteristics of the kinds of employees that they want at their firm.