If you’re a boss, you have a great excuse to check out Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standup comedians of all time. Consider 10 who landed among the top 20 in the cable TV station’s list: Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Cosby, Roseanne Barr, Robin Williams, Don Rickles and Sam Kinison.

Now try to form a mental picture of Bruce performing with a fake arrow in his head, or Allen screaming profanities at the top of his lungs, or Cosby calling someone a “hockey puck.” You can’t, can you?

Keep those 10 names in mind the next time you have to hire someone. While you’re at it, come up with a job description that all 10 would satisfy.
It would have to be pretty basic, right? “Applicants must make people laugh and be able to attract an audience.” You couldn’t say much else without weeding out someone who is extremely talented.

After that, it gets down to personal preference. Maybe Martin is too silly or Cosby isn’t edgy enough. And God knows people could be offended by Kinison or Bruce or Rickles or Rock. (Or by Richard Pryor, for that matter, who was No. 1 on Comedy Central’s list.)

But would you reject those people for a sound business reason, or just because of your whim?

That’s the question you have to ask when you’re filling any job. Human nature is to pick people like us, the ones we’re comfortable with. But sometimes the best choices are people with different approaches. They challenge us — and open our eyes.

And if you hire for their diversity, don’t suddenly force them into a mold. If you let them bring their passion, it will be worth more than a few laughs.