MI6 ‘says it would probably not hire James Bond’

'Teamwork is central to SIS’ ability to deliver intelligence, and heroes working alone rarely achieve much'

Moody looking Craig donning sunglasses

Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service is launching a new recruitment drive focusing on the “human side” of working at MI6, and as such it doesn’t imagine James Bond would make the grade.

“James Bond would probably not be successful in joining SIS, if he were to apply,” an intelligence source told BuzzFeed.

“The service he represents is not the modern reality. Teamwork is central to SIS’ ability to deliver intelligence, and heroes working alone rarely achieve much.”

The number of people applying for jobs at SIS is likely to rocket following this week’s release of Spectre, a Bond film that makes working in the secret service look more glamorous than perhaps any that have come before it.


 A recent MI6 ad for the campaign

But MI6 is keen to stress that being a determined loner like Bond doesn’t actually make for a good spy, given the job requires working closely with fellow team members as well as with foreign contacts.

I mean, most people were probably aware that working for MI6 isn’t dependent on your aptitude for throwing explosive watches at the right time, but the job is perhaps presumed to be more about IQ than emotional intelligence, which isn’t necessarily the case.

“Having a high degree of emotional intelligence is every bit as important to SIS as educational attainment,” the source added. “They want people with a real passion for human interaction, understanding others and dealing with the sometimes complex nature of human relationships.”

In the films, Bond’s lone wolf, occasionally mutinous actions have always landed him in trouble with his employers, while actor Daniel Craig recently labelled 007 a “lonely misogynist”.