A Scrapyard With A Difference!

Driving through Spain on a recent holiday, I was intrigued when I came across several large open spaces filled with old cars. There were cars of different makes, different vintages and in varying conditions too. And across most of these places was a common signboard that said “Desguace” which I later figured means “scrapping” in Spanish. 

I was curious to know more. And as I got chatting with a local, I learnt a whole lot more. These places are essentially junkyards for automobiles. As a car begins to age, the owner finds it cheaper to scrap it than to pay the taxes necessary to keep it on the roads. There are also laws that forbid owners from driving vehicles that are too old – even if they are in good condition. So when a car reaches the end of its useful life, or if the owner wants to buy a newer, more modern vehicle, he need to dispose off the old car. And that’s where a Desguace comes into play. The Desguace agents buy off the cars at scrap value and store them in these mega garages. And here’s where the fun begins. 

When a car owner is looking for a spare part for his or her car and cannot afford (or does not want to pay for) an original part from the manufacturer, all they need to do is drive into one of these scrapyards. And it’s guaranteed they will find what they are looking for. At an affordable price. The Desguace plays a dual role. It helps people get rid of old cars when they don’t need them anymore. And it also helps utilise parts of those old cars which are still in good shape – and which might be of use to other people. At an affordable price. A clear win-win!

And that made me think. Maybe there’s a business idea for a Desguace of a different kind. A scrapyard of – not automobiles – but managers.

Our overall health levels and average life expectancy are both increasing, and yet across corporate India the rule remains that employees retire when they reach the age of 60. They still have a lot to offer by way of knowledge and expertise, but organisations feel they can hire newer – and perhaps more cost-effective resources. And in a more recent trend, cost cutting and head count reduction have become quite common – so many executives find themselves laid off. They are skilled. Capable. Experienced. And unemployed.

Imagine if we could create a scrapyard for these retired managers. A one-stop shop where you could find the expertise you are looking for. Smaller businesses, and startups looking for good talent could come to these scrapyards to find the specific skillset they need. And they could get that expertise without having to pay top dollar for it. So imagine a startup that needs help to set up people systems and processes. Or a small manufacturing organisation that is looking for a CFO to help put a costing system in place. Or a D2C ecommerce company looking for a FMCG sales professional. All they would need to do is head to the nearest Desgauce – to the ‘Scrapyard of Managers’ and take their pick of top-quality talent. At a fraction of their regular price.

A Desguace for Managers. Sounds like an idea whose time has come. Any takers?

The writer is an author, speaker and leadership coach , and former MD of Kimberly Clark Lever