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>Since I joined Microsoft last month, I find myself dealing with people (outside my team of course) that would be completely unhireable by conventional corporate standards but who kick ass here because they have a passion for what they do and are damned smart at doing it. And *that* is what contributes to the bottom line. Everything else is superfluous. Any hiring authority who doesn't understand that deserves a good swift kick in the tail.

So, are you saying your team doesn't have a passion for what they do and aren't that smart? *GDRVVFFTFT*