Attitude and aptitude are career worthy resources. That is a powerful statement. My only question is how do you truly measure attitude? For me as a hiring manager, I am very intuitive. So attitude is something I can pick up on and I can find questions to ask that will help me uncover things that people would not necessarily want to share in the interview. I am curious about what types of questions you ask to measure attitude.

I would love to stay in touch! Please feel free to stop by Interview Chatter any time. I am available by email as well! Please feel free to comment at your leisure!

I am currently the CFO for a medium-sized design firm in Los Angeles. In the past year, we have increased our staff by over 25%–and the year isn’t over :) Our strategic plan and corporate culture is one which is conducive to personal and professional growth. As lofty as that sounds, we develop the individual’s strengths and integrate them into our corporate growth. We have LOW turnover and distribute 25% of our profits quarterly to all our employees regardless of position.

I am hiring this particular candidate because they brought very specific examples of accomplishments, challenges and their own personal growth needs. Matching their personal goals, what type of management/leadership they require to succeed in a position/company, and what experiences they bring were the primary factors in selecting this candidate. Flexibility, ambition and dedication are good conversation starters, but not all candidates can be specific…almost pointed about “what they need and what they want to do with their skills”. As a leader, I can’t lead, if I don’t know where they want to be led. Our hierarchy is democratic and opportunities are created for those who “declare their worth”. Measurable results is what we seek. Recognition and value are what we offer.

Experience is important, but if you just put your time in at a company and the only measurable results you can articulate is…. I stayed, that isn’t good enough. Attitude and aptitude are career worthy resources. I believe some people call this the Human Resource.

Let’s keep in touch.

I also like the question your candidate asked. I will probably steal and write about it!

I recently interviewed 5 candidates in one day for a position. Only 1 out of those 5 candidates asked me “what are some of the obstacles and hurdles this company faces?” What a GREAT question!

By the way, that same candidate asked me “who has the most tenure at the company and what position do they hold?” It’s worthwhile to mention, that same candidate had less experience than the other four, but I will be extending an offer to them on Monday.

I would add this vulnerability, however, brings commitment and connection

As I mentioned in the post, I believe toooooooo many people have learned to mask some of the “attitude” issues they have and before you know it (usually day one or two of the honeymoon period,) you discover that you missed something about this particular individual and regret may creep in. Others have learned to “play games” and you don’t meet the real person until they have been there 90 days or more.
How many people can say that they fully expose who they are during the hiring process? Not many. Transparency is a missing ingredient in our society because we become vulnerable to people when we allow them to see us fully with all of our flaws. Just a thought! Thanks for sharing your comment!

Let me explain. When doing prelim interviews, people are looking for the right experience, whether technical or functional, to accomplish the tasks of the job. When those are determined and the short list has been set for people to meet with the team. Attitude is the leading driver. Can we sit down with this person each and every day and work with them? That is a common question racing the minds of most people. If they cannot, the experience matters little as the person will not be hired.