“Your
attitude is like a price tag, it shows how valuable you are.” – unknown
Employers
are looking to hire candidates with the right attitude that would add value and
contribute to achieving their goals and create the kind of culture that would
make them a great company. Candidates can be trained to acquire skills;
however, attitudes are difficult to change as they are acquired over time. If a
candidate has the right skills but lack the right attitude, this is a recipe
for problems and headaches in future for the organization. As a result,
organizations are not considering just skills alone, when hiring, but also care
about the attitude the candidate is bringing to their organization.
According
to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “attitude” is defined as “the way you think
and feel about someone or something; a feeling or way of thinking that affects
a person’s behaviour; a way of thinking and behaving that people regard as
unfriendly, rude, etc.”
What kind
of attitudes are employers looking for in candidates? To answer this question,
we will review the attitudes that employers do not like or would not like
employees who work for them to have:
1.
Employers would not like to hire candidates whose major pre-occupation is
complaining. If you are an expert in complaining and never finding anything
good, then you are the wrong candidate for employers.
2. No
employer would hire candidates who never take responsibility for their actions
and always find an excuse why things did not work or would not work.
3. If you
are never excited about new tasks or projects, then you are the wrong candidate
for employers. Employers are looking for candidates who are excited about their
products and eager to share it with customers and clients.
4. It’s
so frustrating when a client or customer calls into a company to make an
enquiry, and the first person who takes the call responds by saying “it’s not
my job”. Employers are looking for candidates who are willing to go above and
beyond. Even if it is not in your job description, take the initiative to help
the client or customer.
5.
Employers are looking for employees who would spread information that would
build teams, and not create cliques and destroy morale through gossiping about
issues or people.
6. I was
impressed with a particular candidate who gave a beautiful response as to why
he wanted to join the company I was hiring for. My colleague and I have already
decided to hire this candidate, only for me to ask one more probing question
and it turned out that the candidate made up stories which were untrue to
impress us because he was desperate for the job. He was immediately
disqualified. No employer would hire a candidate who lies, as lies are very
dangerous for team building.
7. If you
feel you are too good for the organization you want to work for or know it all,
then you are the wrong candidate and no employer would want to hire such a
candidate. This kind of candidate is trouble as they would find fault with
everything.
8. Employers
are looking for candidates who believe in working as a team, and not all by
themselves. The success of every organization is built around several people
who would contribute their quota to achieve success. No one person can take an
organization to greater heights; you need others to make it to the top.
9.
Employers are looking for candidates who are alive to their responsibilities by
keeping to promises made such as meeting deadlines, being early to
appointments, etc.
10. If
you are a candidate who wants to be told everything before you lift a finger,
then you are the wrong candidate. Employers are looking for candidates with
initiatives to solve a problem. You need to have suggestions on how a challenge
can be solved and not wait to be told what to do every time you face an
obstacle.
11.
Employers are looking for candidates who are inquisitive, eager to ask
questions when they do not understand and most importantly, eager to learn new
things all the time.
12.
Employers are looking for candidates who invest in themselves to become better
people and not wait for the company to do all the investing. When you invest in
yourself you become better and are able to contribute meaningfully to the
company, thereby assisting the company realize it's set vision.
13.
Employers are looking for candidates who have focus and stay focused. I once
interviewed a candidate who wanted to work in banking operations, but instead
of developing himself in this area, he went to study computer science up to a
graduate level and is applying for entry level banking operations job. This is
a classical example of lack of focus in career choice.
Finally,
candidates need to understand that the right attitude will sharpen their skills
and differentiate them from the lot!
Photo
source: breakyourshackles.com
I have learnt over time that employees with the right attitude earn a lot of respect from coworkers and this puts them in a position for leadership.
ReplyDeleteRecruiters and Senior Managers should look for people with the right attitude because employees with the wrong attitude can ruin an organization. They are usually grumpy and never see anything good in the organization. If for any reason a particular change has to be effected or a new strategy executed, they will frustrate same and the effect on the organization are usually grave.
Thanks for this piece on HRM
ReplyDeleteNice article. Well done sir.
ReplyDeleteAttitude the master of all
ReplyDeleteTrue. Nice article.
ReplyDeleteAttitude indeed is everything...
ReplyDeleteAttitude indeed is everything...
ReplyDeletespot on... right attitude and mindset can only but get the job weldone.
ReplyDelete