Why You Should Hire for Personality Instead of Experience
When you’re interviewing new candidates, one of the toughest things to anticipate is how that new hire will work out as part of your business. It’s impossible to predict a candidate’s future or to anticipate how they will fit in.
However, you can give yourself an edge when hiring by focusing not just on experience, but also on the candidate’s personality. In many cases, personality is just as big (or even bigger) an indicator of success as education and experience. Here are a few hiring strategies you can implement today to make sure your next hire is the right hire.
Focus on Personality Above Skills
One of the most important mantras to remember in hiring is, “Skills can be taught but personality cannot.” It’s always possible to hire someone who lacks some aspects of training or education and fill in their skill gaps, but it’s very difficult to change an employee’s attitude or habits.
If you have a candidate who exhibits the qualities you want in an employee, it’s often worth the investment to train them rather than hiring someone who isn’t a good fit with your business culture. Obviously you’ll have to decide for your own business how much training is worth, but remember it’s always possible to teach your employees new skills.
Positivity Benefits Your Whole Business
If you don’t make personality a priority in the hiring process, you run the risk of hiring an employee with the right skills but the wrong attitude – and you could bring your whole staff down as a result. An employee with a poor attitude can bring down your staff and your customers, as well as your bottom line.
In contrast, an employee with a positive attitude will make your entire workplace more positive. A good attitude can serve as a natural motivator and a focal point for your team. Other employees will enjoy their own work and office life more, and they will be happy to help a friendly employee perfect their skills and gain experience.
Collaboration and Culture Breed Success
Teamwork isn’t just about employees working on projects together. It’s about pulling in the diverse expertise of your entire workforce to exceed a client’s expectations. Personality drives collaboration. If you have an employee with multiple degrees and certifications, but who cannot communicate effectively, then all those resources are lost. Your team cannot benefit from them.
Hiring for personality means finding the right fit in your workplace culture. An employee who is a good fit will be someone whose values, ethics and goals match those prioritized by you and your whole team. This, in turn, makes the team work together more effectively and helps you be more efficient.
How Does Neese Personnel Help?
When it comes to finding the right talent for your needs, we look at employees as more than just a collection of skills. Even when a candidate has the right skills for a job, they might not be the right fit for your organization. That’s why we make learning about a candidate’s personality and work ethic a priority.
Our experienced Oklahoma City recruiters have a refined process for evaluating candidates, allowing us to quickly sift through a deep talent pool to find the perfect combination of personality and experience for your hiring needs. We’ll help you find employees who love their careers, which will help you provide the best service.
Ready to learn more about how Neese Personnel can help your business succeed? We’ve been helping Oklahoma City businesses with their personnel and hiring needs for more than 40 years. Give us a call today at 405-942-8551 to learn more and find the right talent for your business today.