There’s a lot to consider when you’re adding someone new to your team. You want someone who’s experienced and skilled, but you also want someone who’s adaptable and willing to learn. A lot of business owners find themselves toying between candidates who are experienced, and those who have the right attitude. But, what’s more important?
What Does Hiring for Experience Mean?
When a lot of business owners and managers are hiring, they focus on candidates’ experience. They look at their previous roles and responsibilities, technical experience, industry-specific knowledge and relevant experience. Certifications, training and education are also looked at, giving a clear overview of whether or not someone is experienced enough to handle the demands and responsibilities of the role. This approach is common in industries where hard skills are critical, such as software development or law, where industry skills are necessary. It’s also popular for roles where learning on the job is not a viable option.
Though some jobs allow candidates to learn as they go, many require specific skills, training and abilities. Businesses who hire based on experience want to be confident in the competency of candidates, and there’s less risk involved in hiring someone who’s proven they can do the job. Hiring for experience also speeds up onboarding, as candidates are experienced enough to hit the ground running.
What Does It Mean to Hire for Attitude?
Some business owners and hiring managers choose to prioritise attitude, putting less weight on a candidate’s industry experience. They place greater emphasis on who the candidate is as a person, rather than just what they know. This means looking at their willingness to learn, their emotional intelligence, problem-solving abilities, and how they work as part of a team. Rather than looking at training and certifications, hiring for attitude means looking at communication skills, resilience and if they have a growth mindset. Instead of choosing a candidate based solely on their previous roles and responsibilities, how they would fit in with the existing team is taken into account.
This approach to hiring is often used in businesses that value internal training, promote from within and have a strong team culture. Startups, creative industries and customer-focused organisations are likely to prioritise attitude, as a lot of what they do is based on teamwork, customer support and adapting to business growth.
Pros and Cons of Hiring for Attitude vs. Experience
The Pros of Hiring for ExperienceSpeedier Onboarding When candidates have prior experience, they can get stuck into their new role quickly. This means they contribute to the business sooner, and onboarding is a speedier process.
Proven Experience There’s always a risk of a new employee making a mistake, but this risk is reduced when they have proven experience. Hiring for experience reduces the risk of mistakes being made in roles requiring precision or judgement.
Instant Credibility When you hire experienced candidates, you add credibility to your business. It brings legitimacy to your business, especially when clients or stakeholders value pedigree and talent.
There’s also a handful of cons that come with hiring for experience, including a lack of flexibility. Though experienced hires bring experience, they may also have hard-to-break habits that don’t align with your team. Plus, experience doesn’t guarantee they’ll be a good cultural fit with your existing team.
The Pros of Hiring for AttitudeEagerness to Learn Candidates who are hired for their attitude are often more open to feedback and growth, as they’re keen to prove themselves. They don’t have the experience to back themselves up, so they need to prove themselves in other ways.
Positive Influence Strong attitudes can improve team morale and drive collaboration, which gives the business a boost and benefits the team as a whole. This isn’t always the case when you hire for experience.
Long-Term Investment Candidates with a great attitude tend to stay and grow within the business, making them a worthwhile long-term investment. Employee turnover can be costly, but employees who fit in well with the workplace culture are likely to stay for longer.
Of course, there are also cons that come with hiring for attitude. For example, candidates without the right experience might require more support in the form of comprehensive onboarding and mentoring, and more time to succeed. There’s also the risk of not being able to train them enough to keep up with a scaling business, as some roles do require immediate expertise.
Finding the Balance When You’re Hiring
Effective hiring doesn’t always mean having to choose between experience and attitude. If you want to get things right, take both into account. Consider if the role requires technical knowledge, or whether the skills are something you could teach. Think about the type of person that would fit in well with your existing team, and who’s likely to grow into the role. If you need someone to hit the ground running, focus on candidates who have the experience to do that.
Always look for candidates who meet the minimum amount of competence required for the role, but factor their attitude into your decision-making. Consider their ability to collaborate, how they deal with failure and feedback, and how determined they are to grow within the role. You need to find the balance between someone who’s capable of doing the job, but also someone who wants to grow during their time with you.
Experience matters, as it brings reliability, technical strength and industry expertise. But, attitude is what holds teams together. Hiring someone with all the right skills but the wrong mindset is a costly mistake.
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Of course, there are also cons that come with hiring for attitude. For example, candidates without the right experience might require more support in the form of comprehensive onboarding and mentoring, and more time to succeed. There’s also the risk of not being able to train them enough to keep up with a scaling business, as some roles do require immediate expertise.
