Character matters more than skills when hiring good employees
Experience is highly over rated. So says the 2006 Stanford Business School Entrepreneurship Conference panel of recent graduates, venture capitalists, and established entrepreneurs.
I agree.
This character over skills argument applies to both the entrepreneurs who are starting a business (you don’t necessarily need to have experience in a business to be successful at it) and to those that you hire to build out your star team of people.
Oh sure, there are exceptions to every rule. My teammate Chris just casually mentioned passing by my office that he’ll keep the character over skills rule in mind next time he’s looking for a heart surgeon. But we’re talking about starting new businesses here, not choosing a mechanic, whether it’s for your car or your hip replacement. (outta my way Chris, I’m on a blogging roll here)
What do you think? You’re starting up a company and you need to put together a team. Are you going with experience or character?
I’m certainly looking for a specific skill set for each role, but when it comes down to it I’ll take a rookie with enthusiasm over a seasoned veteran with habits every time.
March 21st, 2006 at 5:44 pm
I’m not sure this is an either or scenario, however…let’s say you have narrowed your search down to 3 candidates, many times skills/professional exerience are similar to one another. So definitely, if the candidate who’s personality, level of integrity, individuality, creativity and other important characteristics were clearly evident and distinguishable from the others that person would get the job.
On the other hand, I’ve hired people who seemed like a saint but couldn’t tie their shoes…it’s a crap shoot sometimes.
March 21st, 2006 at 7:42 pm
I would say that in most cases this is true. You obviously have to hire someone with basic skills needed to do the job, but you can’t teach character, enthusiasm, or a work ethic. Also, if you are starting out in a new business you may not be able to afford the candidate with the most experience, so getting one with great potential may just be the ticket!