Post by Ouafa Rian (.

Perfection as Fantasy — Show Me Your Flaws, I’ll Show You Mine! One piece of work has truly stood out for me over the past weeks. Not only because it has been deeply energizing, curiosity‑driven, and meaningful—but because I felt a sense of connection and co‑creation with Alex Smith and Peter Krarup. And yes… I invested hours into it, because it is F U N. Recruiting a new VP for our AME team at GRUNDFOS has shown me three crucial aspects of recruting: First: “Impersonal” interactions drain the humanity out of the process. When someone replies to my human, imperfect, typo‑filled comments here on LinkedIn with a perfectly polished chatbot-generated response FAST… my nervous system reacts, I go bananas and it takes time to get into the genuine dialogue. Those of you who know me, know I’ve been a tech‑lover since 1994. My first email was [email protected]. And human before tech has always been my mantra... Secondly: The huge influx of AI-perfect résumés is a challenge. Applications look “perfect”— flawless wording, flawless structure, flawless everything. But when the phone rings… and the human behind the AI-crafted résumé speaks… the real skills, values, and energy becomes. If you don’t actually want the job, please don’t apply. We’re not searching for perfect humans or perfect robots. We’re searching for humans who can transcend themselves, who have imaginatory force to build a sustainable future with us. People with successes and mistakes. People who can carry heritage (80 years), nuances, flaws, and have courage visiting them more often than not. People who want to make a difference—and leave no one behind. The third learning, I had forgotten I am like this: When I’m energized by the work, I go all in. I pick up the phone every time. I reread every résumé. I ping Alex Smith again and again to ensure alignment, fairness, a clear overview, and a humane process. And hope she find it fun too... A leader teased me: “Ouafa, don’t give so much love. A shortlist is not 13 candidates!” Oh—but yes it is. Because among them are humans worth exploring together with. And once again… the difference between shortlisted and non‑shortlisted often came down to AI: perfection without innovation is stagnation. Perfection without trancendence is not going for the long run. AI can shape what it "thinks" we want to hear in GRUNDFOS, but the human voice on the phone reveals the truth. Both ours and yours. I will continue to assess and evolve the heartcore(human) skills leaders must embody to trans-FORM while having fun. I will keep listen not only to what people say, but from where they speak. And an ongoing daily attention to challenge my own biases. And always ask: Are you fun as a leader? I’m committed to a race to the top... through relationships, across countries, cultures, neurodiversity, colours, genders, time zones. Want to join me—and us—at GRUNDFOS? Relax your mind. Open your heart.