Businesses are Hiring for Attitude Over Skills, Here’s Why

Every business would want to hire someone whose character is as great as their skills. However, such an individual is often hard to come by.

It’s likely the reason why businesses these days are making a difficult decision between the two and in result, favouring attitude over skill. This trend has become a mantra in the industry, including agencies offering IT job opportunities in Singapore and for good reasons.

What the Numbers Show 

Businesses that don’t hire for attitude are more likely to experience high employee turnover rates. In this scenario, 46% of employees are likely to fail within the first 18 months in the position and only 19% succeed for long term.

The reasons for these are:

• 26% are incapable of accepting feedback and constructive criticism
• 23% are incapable of managing emotions
• 17% are not motivated to excel
• 15% have a mismatched attitude for the job

Why Should You Hire for Character? 

• It’s easier to train someone the skills required for the job than change their character.
• Someone who is less experienced but with great attitude has a great chance to succeed.
• Someone may have the skills required for the job, but his mismatched personality can make him unfit for the position.

Why You Should Not Hire for Skills? 

• Improving someone’s attitude can be a much longer and risky path to take
• You can’t convince someone to change unless they’re open to it
• Although skills and experience are a plus, they only form a part of the equation

So, What Attributes Should You Look for in Applicants? 

• Commitment
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Initiative
• Willingness to Learn

When hiring, you may be caught in between in hiring a qualified applicant but with poor attitude and a not-so qualified applicant but with great attitude. Keep in mind, however, that not considering attitude may result in problems down the road.

If you’re in such a familiar situation, a recruitment company in Singapore such as Evolution Recruitment Solutions can help.

Consequently, if you’re looking for IT job openings in Singapore, Evolution is also the place to go. Visit their website today.