Hiring for Attitude or Experience: What Builds the Strongest Teams?

When recruiting new employees, one question continues to divide managers – Is it better to hire someone with the right attitude or someone with years of experience?

There is no universal answer. Every role is different, and both qualities matter. However, many successful organisations believe that while technical skills can often be taught, attitude is much harder to change.

The strongest recruitment decisions usually balance both.

Why attitude matters

Attitude influences how someone approaches their work, colleagues and challenges.

Employees with a positive attitude are often more likely to:

• Be willing to learn.
• Adapt to change.
• Support colleagues.
• Take responsibility for mistakes.
• Solve problems proactively.
• Treat customers with empathy and respect.
• Contribute positively to workplace culture.

In sectors such as health and social care, where compassion, teamwork and communication are essential, these qualities can be just as important as technical knowledge.

The value of experience

Experience should never be underestimated. People with relevant experience often bring:

• Proven technical knowledge.
• Confidence in the role.
• Industry understanding.
• Faster decision-making.
• The ability to mentor others.
• Greater independence.

For highly specialised or regulated roles, experience may be essential to ensure safety, compliance and quality of service.

Can skills be taught?

Many employers invest in training because technical skills can often be developed through:

• Structured induction programmes.
• On-the-job learning.
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Professional qualifications.
• Continuous professional development (CPD).

What is often more difficult to teach is curiosity, resilience, kindness, integrity and a genuine willingness to improve.

The risks of hiring solely for experience

A candidate may have an impressive CV but still struggle if they:

• Resist feedback.
• Have poor communication skills.
• Do not work well as part of a team.
• Lack empathy.
• Are unwilling to adapt.
• Have values that do not align with the organisation.

One negative attitude can affect team morale, productivity and workplace culture.

The risks of hiring solely for attitude

Equally, recruiting someone based only on personality without considering whether they can perform the role carries its own risks. If the learning curve is too steep, both the employee and employer may become frustrated.

It is important to assess whether the candidate has the potential, aptitude and support needed to develop the required skills.

Looking beyond the CV

Successful recruitment often involves exploring how candidates have behaved in previous situations rather than relying solely on qualifications.

Behavioural interview questions can help employers understand how someone has:

• Worked as part of a team.
• Responded to challenges.
• Managed conflict.
• Learned from mistakes.
• Delivered excellent customer care.
• Adapted to change.

Past behaviour can provide valuable insight into how someone may perform in the future.

Building teams, not just filling vacancies

Every new employee influences workplace culture. Recruitment should consider not only whether a candidate can do the job today, but also whether they will:

• Share the organisation’s values.
• Support colleagues.
• Contribute positively to the team.
• Grow with the organisation.
• Deliver a positive experience for customers or service users.

Hiring with long-term success in mind often leads to stronger, more engaged teams.

Finding the right balance

The best recruitment decisions rarely come down to choosing attitude or experience—they involve assessing both.

Experience brings knowledge and confidence, while attitude drives learning, collaboration and resilience. A candidate with the right values, a willingness to learn and the potential to grow can become an outstanding employee when supported by effective training and leadership.

Ultimately, organisations that recruit for both competence and character are often the ones that build the strongest, most resilient teams.

Leadership Insight

While technical skills can often be developed, attitude shapes how those skills are applied. The most successful teams are usually built by people who are not only capable, but also collaborative, adaptable and committed to continuous learning. Recruiting for long-term potential—not simply immediate capability—can strengthen both organisational performance and workplace culture.

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