Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her study shows that an employee’s attitude is a better predictor of their success than their skill level.
The goal is to find individuals with the right mindset, work ethic, and potential to learn and grow within the organization. So, when hiring, look for the right attitude because that will help create a positive work environment and overall organizational success. Once onboarded, you can invest in your team’s training and development to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.
This approach has several advantages:
- Cultural Fit: Candidates with the right attitude and values are more likely to align with the company’s culture and contribute positively to the work environment.
- Adaptability: Individuals with a strong learning mindset are often more adaptable and can acquire new skills and knowledge quickly as the business landscape evolves.
- Long-Term Potential: Hiring based on attitude can lead to long-term employee retention, as these individuals are likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to personal and professional growth within the organization.
Here are a few tips on how to adjust your hiring strategy:
- Rethink how you develop job descriptions and attract the right people for the positions within our organizations. Include the soft skills that will help the candidate succeed in the role, in addition to the technical skills.
- In the interview process, train your hiring managers to ask well-thought-out behavioral questions to determine whether the candidate has the personal qualities and interpersonal skills needed for the job and to be a contributing team member.
- Create a culture where the “soft skills” are valued as much or more than the “hard skills.” Review your learning and development strategy to ensure employees have opportunities to build their capabilities in problem-solving, innovation, emotional intelligence, and other competencies that will help them succeed. Promote people to leadership roles that demonstrate the personal qualities that will set the bar for the organization in creating the workforce for the future.
When implementing this philosophy, it’s essential to have a robust training and development program in place to ensure that employees have access to the resources and support they need to acquire the skills and knowledge required for their roles. Remember to strike a balance between attitude and necessary skills. Some roles may require a certain level of expertise or technical proficiency that cannot be easily trained from scratch and, therefore, still need employers to check for skill levels.
Lastly, with PeopleThink’s Keep It Real™ Leadership program, you can access the right leadership training! Ongoing feedback and coaching will help nurture the desired attitudes and behaviors within the organization.
Till the next time, keep it real.
Karen
