Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

Your "perfect candidate" is your biggest mistake. Here's what actually works in 2025: This office sign changed how I hire forever. It said: "Hire for Attitude Train for Hard Skills Mentor for Soft Skills." ↳ Most people nodded. ↳ A few truly understood it. Until I started proving it was true. Example: Sarah, my most controversial hire. ↳ Zero industry experience ↳ Wrong degree ↳ "Too junior" for the role But she had something different: When everyone saw processes ↳ she saw possibilities When we discussed problems ↳ she explored patterns When others defended tradition ↳ she asked "what if?" 6 months later: She rebuilt our entire client approach. ↳ Revenue up 47%. 12 months later: She's training the "experienced" team. Here's what most miss about hiring: Skills are temporary. Mindset is transformative. ↳ I can teach you our tech stack in 3 months ↳ I can't teach curiosity in 3 years ↳ I can train process, but not persistence ↳ I can mentor management, but not drive The game has changed: Your "perfect candidate" with 10 years XP? They're perfect for the past. You need someone who can create the future. After 370 interviews and 15 mis-hires, this is the formula I trust: 50% - Attitude ↳ Learning velocity ↳ Problem-solving instinct ↳ The energy they bring to the room 30% - Potential ↳ Pattern recognition ↳ Adaptability ↳ Leadership instincts 20% - Base Skills ↳ Just enough to start ↳ Everything else can be taught The results? ↳ 90% of these hires exceed expectations ↳ 70% promoted within 18 months ↳ 85% have led major innovations Traditional hiring is broken. ↳ It optimises for the past. ↳ This approach builds the future. Who's the best "inexperienced" hire you've ever made? Share their story below ⬇️ ---- Follow ⚡️Harvey Lee ⚡️ for career acceleration tips that actually work in 2025.

After managing 500+ salespeople over 20 years, I can tell you exactly why this works 👇 I once hired two candidates: Candidate A: 10 years experience, perfect resume, knew every sales methodology Candidate B: Zero sales experience, bartender, but hungry to learn Guess who became my top performer? The bartender.  Within 6 months, he was outselling veterans. Why? He had what you can't teach. Here's what I've learned about hiring for attitude: People with the right attitude will run through walls. They'll make 100 calls when others make 20. They'll learn your product inside out. They'll turn rejection into fuel. Character shows up when things get tough: When the deal falls through at month-end. When the customer's angry. When quotas seem impossible. Character doesn't quit. Skills might not be enough. Passion is your secret weapon: Passionate people don't watch the clock. They obsess over getting better. They inspire customers to believe. They make everyone around them better. But here's the part most companies get wrong: They hire for skill and hope for attitude. They pick experience over hunger. They choose credentials over character. Then wonder why their culture's broken. Skills can be taught in weeks. Attitude takes a lifetime to build. Character is forged through years of choices. Passion? You either have it or you don't. I'll take someone with zero experience but the right mindset over a seasoned pro with a bad attitude. Every. Single. Time. Because skills without the right foundation? That's just wasted potential. But attitude + character + passion + training? That's how you build champions. What matters more to you when hiring - the resume or the mindset?

Hiring isn’t just about resumes; it’s about reading between the lines. At Supersourcing, we’ve seen that hiring isn’t just about skills—it’s about how candidates approach challenges, take ownership, and fit into the team’s rhythm. So, let me share an experience that stuck with me. We interviewed someone with stellar technical skills. On paper, they were a dream hire. 💫 In reality? Not so much. 🚫 They showed up late—not once, but twice—and didn’t bother to share an update or request a reschedule. That lack of accountability spoke louder than their resume ever could. So, instead of chasing the “perfect” candidate, we hired someone with fewer credentials but a solid sense of ownership and a positive attitude. Six months later, not only are they excelling, but they’ve also brought fresh energy to the team. They’ve stepped up in ways we didn’t anticipate—taking on new challenges, supporting their peers, and driving collaborative wins. Their attitude was transformative, to say the least. And here’s the truth bomb - nearly 89% of hiring failures aren’t due to skills but poor attitude. So, what makes for great attitude? - Turning feedback into growth - Facing challenges with curiosity and resilience - Collaborating for collective wins - Owning the job (and then some) It all comes down to this. For candidates: Your attitude can keep doors open long after your skills get you through them. For companies: Skills are trainable. Mindset isn’t. Hiring for cultural fit and adaptability will pay dividends every time. What do you think? Have you experienced the difference between hiring for mindset vs. skills?

If you're still hiring for skills over attitude You’re building your company backwards 5 years ago, I believed something that I now know was completely wrong. I thought: “Let’s build a strong culture, bring people in, and shape them into it.” Sounds like the right strategy, doesn’t it? Get the best talent, then immerse them in your world. Train them into the vision. Shape their thinking. Coach the culture. Only it doesn’t work like that. Because here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: You can teach skills. You can train processes. But you cannot change someone’s mindset, personality or attitude. Not sustainably. I’ve seen it too many times: brilliant people on paper, absolute misfits in practice. It’s not about how well someone can code, sell, or execute it’s about whether they believe what we believe. Whether they get what we’re building. Whether their energy amplifies or drains the room. Now, my non-negotiable is simple: Hire for character, not credentials. For alignment, not appearance. For hunger, not just history. Culture isn’t a deck of values we teach. It’s the natural output of who we choose to bring into the room. Without that, there is no culture. No amount of perks, workshops or 'mission statements' can fix it. So, I flipped the script: 1. Are they us, even before they join us? 2. Then we’ll teach them everything they need to know. That one shift changed everything. What’s one belief about work you’ve unlearned?

Experience often looks impressive on a résumé, but attitude decides what actually happens once the work begins. I’ve learned that hiring kind people with a positive mindset creates stronger teams than hiring highly experienced individuals with a negative attitude. Skills can be taught, processes can be learned, and knowledge can be transferred, but mindset shows up every single day, in how people collaborate, respond to feedback, and handle pressure. I’ve seen teams thrive when curiosity, humility, and respect were present, even when experience was limited. And I’ve seen performance stall when negativity entered the room, no matter how strong the technical expertise was. Attitude shapes culture faster than experience ever can. Research around hiring and team performance consistently shows that learning ability and emotional intelligence are strong predictors of long-term success. When people are open to growth, they absorb skills quickly. When they resist change, even experience becomes a limitation. The insight I carry with me is simple: skills help people do the job, but attitude determines how the job feels, for everyone around them. Culture is built by behaviors, not credentials. My takeaway, hire for mindset, train for skill, and protect the culture you’re trying to build. Experience can be added; negativity is far harder to undo. What matters more to you when hiring, attitude or experience? #leadership #futureofwork #job #careergrowth

Most founders obsess over one question when hiring: Do I go for passion or for skills? It feels like an impossible trade-off. On one hand - the candidate who believes in your mission but lacks the technical depth. On the other - the highly skilled expert who doesn’t buy into your vision. Sam Altman argues this isn’t a trade-off at all. He lays out a hiring framework that rarely fails: → Values first → Aptitude second → Skills third Why? Because skills are teachable. Values aren’t. A brilliant but misaligned hire can quietly destroy culture. A values-aligned but inexperienced hire, on the other hand, will grow into the role and stay loyal to the mission along the way. This flips the usual logic most founders follow. We’re conditioned to look for résumés stacked with credentials. But the real differentiator isn’t what someone knows today — it’s what they believe and what they’re willing to learn tomorrow. It’s a lesson from one of the world’s best company-builders. Hire for values. Train for skills.

Skills Can Be Taught. Attitude Is the Multiplier. The image says it simply and powerfully: Hiring kind people with a positive mindset is better than hiring experienced people with a negative attitude. And this message matters now more than ever. Experience looks great on a résumé. Titles, years in the industry, awards—those are easy to measure. But attitude? That’s revealed in the moments that matter most: how someone treats others when no one is watching, how they respond to pressure, and how they show up when things don’t go their way. Skills can be taught. Systems can be learned. Processes can be coached. But attitude is a personal choice. A positive mindset fuels growth. It creates adaptability, teamwork, and resilience. People with the right attitude ask better questions, accept feedback without ego, and look for solutions instead of excuses. They raise the standard of everyone around them—not because they’re perfect, but because they’re committed. On the other hand, a negative attitude is costly. It spreads quietly, slows teams down, and drains culture. No amount of experience can offset someone who poisons morale, resists change, or believes they’re “above” learning. Skills don’t operate in isolation—people do. Great leaders understand this. They don’t just hire for what someone knows today; they hire for who someone is becoming. They invest in potential, character, and kindness because those traits scale. When people feel respected and supported, performance follows. This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about raising them. Choosing attitude-first hiring means holding the line on values, effort, and accountability. It means building teams that can win long-term, not just look good on paper. If you’re leading people, building a team, or considering your own next step, ask yourself: • Am I growing my skills and my mindset? • Do I add energy to the room—or take it away? • Would people want to work with me even on a hard day? Because in the end, careers are built on skill, but legacies are built on attitude. Skills get you in the door. Attitude decides how far you go. What do you value more when building a team—experience or mindset? Drop your thoughts below. 👇

The wrong hire can break your team. I once hired someone who didn't check all the technical boxes. They even lacked the expected experience. They weren't the obvious choice on paper. But they were curious, humble, and aligned with our mission. That person didn't just fit the team—they transformed it. I’ve also made the wrong hire—someone with impeccable skills and a flawless resume. At first, their technical brilliance was undeniable. But cracks soon started to show. Meetings turned tense. Conversations felt strained. The team dynamic shifted. Minor disagreements grew into frustration and resentment. Before long, the team was struggling. That person didn’t just fail to align with our values—they actively worked against them. Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest Airlines, put it perfectly: "Hire for attitude, train for skills." Here's the truth: Skills can be taught. Cultural fit can't. A person's attitude, values, and energy determine whether they'll thrive—or hold the team back. What I've learned: Some of my best hires weren't the most skilled at the start. They were: - Insatiably curious - Resilient when challenges came their way - Passionately aligned with the mission Those people don't just join teams—they elevate them. What you can do: When hiring, dig deeper. Go beyond skills and check for: - Adaptability - Teamwork - Alignment with your mission Because the right hire isn't just good for the role—they're transformative for the team.

The core skills of nearly any role can be taught. You can effectively train anyone to do a job—to follow procedures, master software, or execute specific tasks. This is about knowledge transfer and technical proficiency. However, the most valuable professional quality remains elusive: you can't train them to care. Genuine care is an intrinsic quality, rooted in empathy, personal values, and intrinsic motivation. It’s what drives discretionary effort, attention to detail, and a commitment to quality that transcends the minimum requirement. Organizations thrive when they hire for attitude and heart, recognizing that skill can be acquired, but care is a prerequisite for greatness.