Do you find hiring the right people difficult? I certainly do! When building a team, it’s easy to get caught up in finding candidates with the perfect set of skills for a particular job: skills are measurable, tangible, and easy to assess. But here’s the truth: skills can be taught, and they often become outdated as industries evolve. Attitude, on the other hand, is far more valuable: it’s about mindset, motivation, and the willingness to grow and adapt. And although not objectively measurable as such, you usually get a good feeling for one’s attitude if you take the time to listen to them carefully.
A candidate might not tick every technical box, but if they have the right attitude – eager to learn, open-minded, and resilient – they’ll quickly acquire the skills needed for the job. More importantly, they’ll continue to evolve with the role, adapting to new challenges and contributing to the company’s growth. On the other hand, someone with all the right skills but a poor attitude – rigid, uncooperative, or lacking enthusiasm – might not be the long-term asset you hoped for.
Take the example of leading companies like Google and Apple: they often focus less on whether a candidate knows a specific coding language or software tool and more on whether they have the problem-solving attitude, creativity, and drive to figure things out as they go. These companies know that skills can be learned, but the right attitude is what fosters innovation, collaboration, and long-term success.
In sports, the same principle applies: great coaches look for players with the right mindset, work ethic, and discipline. Sure, technical ability matters, but what makes a team great is a group of individuals with the right attitude, who are coachable, motivated, and hungry for improvement.
Hiring for attitude ensures that you’re bringing in people who won’t just perform well today, but who will grow with the team and contribute positively to its culture. Skills will come with time, but attitude is what drives long-term success. So, next time you’re hiring, don’t just focus on the technical qualifications – look for someone with the right mindset to take on any challenge and thrive.
