The Philosopher Who Questions Everything
Karim Benammar brings a unique perspective to the world of HR and organizational development. With an Algerian father and Dutch mother, he's travelled from English universities to teaching Western philosophy at Japanese institutions, eventually landing at the UN before establishing himself as an independent philosopher in the Netherlands for the past two decades.
But this isn't academic philosophy divorced from reality. Karim works directly with organizations, from corporations to government agencies to NGOs, helping them question their most fundamental assumptions about how they operate.
"Why do we think what we think, and what would it mean to think very differently?" This is the core question driving all of Benammar's work, whether he's addressing climate policy or hiring practices.
The HR Revolution: Hire People Who Hate Your Company
Perhaps nowhere are Karim's ideas more provocative than in his approach to human resources. In a series of LinkedIn posts that have been turning heads across the industry, he argues that traditional hiring practices, CVs, experience requirements, and formal interviews are not just outdated but actively harmful.
His most radical suggestion? Hire people who hate your company.
"I tell the police, I think you should hire people who have committed crimes. They're the experts," Benammar explains in the podcast. "You really want the experts in financial crime working in your financial crime unit."
It sounds shocking, but there's serious logic behind the provocation. Karim argues that we're trapped in what he calls "groupthink" – hiring people who already love us, already think like us, already fit our mental model of what an employee should look like.
The Dating Analogy That Changes Everything
One of Karim's most compelling arguments compares hiring to dating. Just as a nervous first date in an expensive restaurant reveals nothing authentic about either person, traditional job interviews encourage candidates to present a false version of themselves.
"You order stuff you never order, you talk about things you don't want to scare the other person, so you pretend you're a completely different person than you really are," he explains. "You can't build a serious relationship on that basis."
Instead, he advocates for longer trial periods, reverse interviews where candidates interview the company, and focusing on fundamental questions: What motivates you? How do you handle conflict? What do you want to contribute?
Beyond HR: The Abundance Mindset Revolution
But Karim's thinking extends far beyond hiring practices. His podcast series "Cornucopia" explores what he sees as humanity's biggest challenge: transitioning from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking.
"We are living in a fantastic time," he argues, acknowledging this sounds strange given current global conflicts. "Civilization is progressing, and we're becoming wealthier and healthier and more at peace than we've ever been. But our thinking about human nature is very much stuck in an idea of scarcity."
The evidence is compelling. The UN's entire budget equals that of Tokyo's police force. The WHO's budget matches that of the Dutch city of The Hague. Yet these organizations are tasked with solving global challenges affecting billions of people.
The Mental Frames That Shape Our World
What makes Karim's work particularly relevant is his focus on "mental frames", the unconscious assumptions that guide our decision-making. Whether it's requiring university degrees for jobs that don't actually need them, or maintaining hiring processes designed for a pre-Internet world, many of our systems are running on outdated software.
"Part of the reason why we don't want to take risks or be innovative is that the old system is backed up by rules, regulations, and sometimes we think law," he observes. "But most of the time it isn't. It's just a protocol."
A Message of Hope
Perhaps most surprisingly, this philosopher who questions everything is fundamentally optimistic. His wish for the world? That we take a moment to recognize how much we've already achieved.
"Take a moment, take a breath, and say, wow, we've done pretty well. This is pretty good," he suggests. "Let's do a little victory lap and then decide what's next."
Listen Now
This conversation with Karim offers both practical insights for HR professionals and a broader invitation to question the mental frameworks shaping our world. Whether you're hiring your next team member or thinking about humanity's future, this episode challenges you to think radically differently.
Ready to have your assumptions challenged? Listen to the full Impactpool Podcast episode with Karim Benammar and discover why sometimes the most practical thing you can do is question everything you think you know. Visit Karim’s website to learn more about him!