Skills or Attitude? Maybe both?

Listen here:

Imagine you are hiring for a position in your company – pick a position it doesn’t matter which one. You have done interviews and have two candidates you are considering.  One is experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge however the attitude they possess is not what you would consider acceptable.  The other one is “green” in their experience and would require additional training however they have the “go get ’em” attitude and is very pleasant – would fit right into the company.

Which one do you choose? Why?

While you may think the answer is obvious – skills first – many people select on personality.  This is especially common with first time interviewers or those lacking confidence in their interviewing skills. I have to tell you that it may not be that straight forward. Honestly the answer is usually somewhere in between.

What can happen if you hire strictly on skills?

• A poor attitude that infects everyone else at the office
• You have to constantly “put out fires” because of what this person says or does
• If they talk to your clients – look out! You may have client issues
• It will eventually get to the point where you don’t care what skills they have and you will have to get rid of them

What happens if you hire strictly on attitude?

• You later find out they can’t handle the stress of the position
• You spend all your time training them
• They give their best effort but still can’t pick up the job
• Each task takes longer so they are not completing all the requirements of the job

Of course these are extreme examples as more likely you won’t ignore skill or attitude altogether.  What does become difficult is finding that fine line between the two.

So in my usual manner, I won’t answer but give you some things to think about.

• Can the job be trained or are the skills learned at a school?
• How much time does the position spend with a client (in person or over the phone)?
• Do you have someone to train the person or would it be you?
• How long would it take to train someone with less than ideal skills?
• How much can the person’s attitude affect those around them?
• How tolerant are you of various kinds of attitudes? (this is a big one)
• Does the candidate have skills from another type of job that translate easily into your position? (don’t toss someone aside just because they had a different job title than the one you are looking for)

Answer these questions either before you start interviewing so you know what concessions you are willing to make or after you have the final candidates to put the answers in perspective. Either way it will make you more comfortable with your choice.

Hiring new people for your organization can be one of the most stressful things you do because these are the people who will be the face of your company.  These are the people who will help you grow, give ideas, provide customer service and let you go on vacation. Take a thoughtful approach, understand your needs, what you consider acceptable and don’t compromise. It may take a little longer to find the right person thats ok since it is about quality.

To ensure you have the best hire – create your plan and determine your needs before you even write an ad or interview candidates. This will help reduce the stress of hiring your next team member.