Three essential traits in hiring: Attitude, aptitude, and honesty

Throughout my journey as a leader, I’ve received so many pieces of advice on how to hire the right person – the person that will go above and beyond for the organization and work well as part of a team. As a result, my hiring philosophy has evolved into prioritizing attitude and aptitude, knowing that these characteristics matter much more to our collective success than a specific skill set. Skills and knowledge can be acquired; motivation and heart are harder to change.

That approach has led me to hire some of the best people I’ve ever worked with–and some of whom I still work with to this very day. It has also helped me avoid hiring those that would have likely stifled NAFCU’s growth and success.

My father-in-law recently shared with me an article from CNBC that has me adding one more trait to my employee must-haves: Honesty. In the article, Harvard Law School fellow and career expert Heidi Garner tells readers to avoid those “taking credit for other people’s ideas,” as it signals a lack of competence and trustworthiness.

On top of it being unethical to pass off someone’s work as your own, it shows a lack of respect for others on your team. Ignoring or even hiding someone’s contributions to accelerate your personal gain also shows an unwillingness to collaborate and be a team player.

 

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