By Debra Parent, PHR, CHHR, SHRM-CP, President, DJP Rightfit Recruiting, LLC

Hire for attitude, train for skill.  This is an old HR tenet, which most HR professionals know well.  Unfortunately, not all hiring managers are familiar with it.  As a professional recruiter with 35 years’ experience in a variety of industries, I have learned that following this old HR tenet is the best philosophy to adopt when hiring.  I have also learned the hard way, that you simply cannot train for attitude.  You may find the candidate with the experience you need, but if the attitude of the individual leaves much to be desired, this is not a good selection.  An employee with a poor attitude, ultimately will not be valuable to you as an employer, as an employee with a poor attitude will likely end up creating problems.  Yet, I see business leaders, often, preferring to hire solely based on experience, discounting what they actually see and hear throughout the interview and selection process.

You can teach someone the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the job, but you cannot teach them how to have a good attitude.  And by attitude, we mean, their soft skills primarily, such as, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and emotional intelligence, which consists of:

• Self awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social Skills

Hiring someone with poor interpersonal skills, professionalism, or emotional intelligence skills, which are often overlooked, can often lead to drama in the workplace, or having to deal with an employee who presents with performance, behavioral, or compliance issues.

How do we know anything about a candidate’s attitude and interpersonal skills?

We have signs from the very first contact with the candidate, and then every interaction following that first contact.   Take note of the professionalism and respect the candidate shows when communicating with the recruiter, or employer, from the first email, the first phone conversation and even the ease of scheduling of the interviews.  Does the candidate respond promptly, and use professional language in their communication, both verbal and written?  I have had candidates supply one-word answers when communicating via email.  That is not a sign of professionalism.  I have had candidates fail to respond to my outreach efforts, only to, weeks or months later, blow up my phone repeatedly asking for an interview.  

Candidates show you what they will be like on the job from the moment they contact you.  Pay attention to all of it, as their attitude is on display throughout.  The respect the candidate shows during the entire interview process, and what the candidate does after the interview counts as well.  It is all telling us what they will be like as an employee.

For any position, I would rather hire someone with a good attitude who could be trained, rather than hire someone with the experience and a poor attitude.  Finally, always consider how your team will be impacted by hiring someone possessing the experience you need, but a less than optimal attitude, as the impact to your workforce may be significant, and not in a good way.   Remember to hire for attitude, and train for skill.  You will rarely go wrong.

This is part II of a series written by Debra Parent, Founder of DJP Right Fit Recruiting

Read the whole series

Screen In Not Out: Recruiting Success Begins with your Mindset

Debra J. Parent, PHR, SHRM-CP, CHHR can be reached at rightfitrecruiting@comcast.net. 

Check out:  www.rightfitrecruitingservices.com, and Connect with Debra on LinkedIn