Selection of staff is an imperfect and pressurised practice. You get a few hours at best to assess your candidates before having to make a decision. How much better if we could evaluate each person over several months, having them perform tasks that we have set them, observed by our most trusted aides. At the end of such a thorough and intensive selection process I think we’d all be confident about getting the right person wouldn’t we? Not if you’re Sir Alan Sugar you wouldn’t. I have been following the latest series of the Apprentice eagerly. Last week saw the last five candidates being interviewed by Sir Alan’s cronies. The conclusion of the programme saw the great man not being able to identify the two best people for the final, opting to choose four instead.

To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. How can you have that amount of information on each person and still be unable to make a decision?

Over and above that exactly what is he looking for? It seems clear that he wants someone who can buy and sell, is entrepreneurial, can lead a team and be led. He also wants someone he can mould. He seems to focus on those characteristics to such an extent that he seems extremely unconcerned about lying, cheating, bullying, bribing, scapegoating, scheming, conning and sheer uselessness. He prevaricates whilst the rest of the country is shouting at their TV screens “Fire them!”

One of the main reasons why I watch the series is because of Sir Alan himself. He has shown himself to be tough, astute, witty. Now though, whilst still tough and witty, his judgement should seriously be called into question.

Regardless of whoever wins the final I think the producers ought to say “With regret, Sir Alan, you’re fired!”