Overheard a manager in Phoenix say 'We hire for skills, but we fire for attitude'

I was grabbing lunch last week and the table next to me was a manager telling a story about letting a really skilled person go because they were toxic to the team. It made me think, is it better to hire a slightly less skilled person with a great attitude you can train up, or go for the top talent even if they might be difficult? What's your take on balancing skill and personality in hiring?

2 comments

2 Comments

briannguyen4d ago

Yeah, that manager is right on the money. I saw this exact thing with a tile setter we subcontracted once. Guy was an absolute artist with tile, could do patterns I've never seen, but he was just miserable to be around. He'd snap at helpers, complain about every little thing, and it just killed the mood for the whole crew. We kept him on a big job because his work was so good, but honestly, the drama wasn't worth it. Ended up finishing the job with a slower guy who was actually pleasant. The whole team was happier and we still got it done right.

sean_robinson4d ago

But what if the work is the only thing that matters? I mean, @briannguyen, on a delivery job, a fast driver who gets every package right but is grumpy is still way better than a nice, slow one who messes up addresses. Sometimes you just need the job done right, even if the person is hard to be around.