Hiring the right person for the job is not just getting the best talent in the market. If you ever interview some HR personnel, you’ll get to know that they don’t just hire the most competent person to do the job. There are so many variables that make up the hiring equation.
Character is one integral part of the equation that often many companies tend to miss out on. As a result, they may not need to deploy resources to train the new resource. They may also get the job done fast but there comes a point when the neglected character pops up, and that’s when the companies or department heads realize what they missed.
Elon Musk, the guy who founded SpaceX, said that the biggest mistake he ever made was to tilt all the way to the talent and give little to no consideration to the character. He soon came to the realization that it’s important to have people in your organization that have a good heart.
This article elaborates upon the famous quote of Peter Schutz- Hire Character. Train Skill.
Why Consider Character Over Skill?
The reason is simple; character is somewhat something that’s hinged. Companies have to train their employees all the time to keep up with the market and business needs, which means that talent and skill is something that can be acquired with some assistance.
The character, however, is a tricky thing to handle. Neuroscience shows that personality is something that’s difficult to change. And most of a person’s personality develops by the age of 5 to 6. This indicates that you’ll have a very hard time if you try to work on the character of your employees.
Plus, people with the right character will prevent the workplace from becoming toxic. And that’s what you want. If you aim to build up a space that has the best talent but also make up for people with unpleasant demeanour, you will see how quickly the organization deteriorates!
What do you get when you have People with Great Characters Working for you?
Why is it that you need to lay emphasis upon who enters your organization as an employee? The answer is simple; you don’t just want your business to work for one day. You want it to flourish for aeons to come. And the journey becomes easier and efficient when you have people of high character working by your side.
As famously said; talent is what gets you through the doors; character is what lets you stay in the room.
Here’s what you get when you have people of character working for you:
They’re not Afraid To Show Loyalty To The Company
People with great characters aren’t going to jump out of their seats and leave the moment they get a better offer. They tend to consider a lot of things before making a switch. Plus, such people don’t only care about their personal growth, but also tend to stay longer and make the company grow.
Even if they have to leave, they’ll leave gracefully.
They’re good Team Players That Make Better Teams
People with great characters are usually better team players. A talented person who’s a lone wolf can be a problem for the company since they have a hard time adjusting with the team. On the contrary, team players can get through the challenges by adjusting well and learning the necessary skills over time.
They Acknowledge The Company’s Efforts
You need people with a sense of gratitude to be on your side. That’s probably the best trait to have in your employees. It becomes a chore to handle a team of ungrateful people. When you choose people with high characters, your organization can soon turn into an overall gracious one.
The four words by Peter Schutz have a lot more depth than often perceived. If you want to move fast, you can focus on talent and get the tasks done in a jiffy. But if you want to go farther, then focusing on the character is easily your best bet.
Choose what aligns with your principles and business ethics the best.
