Do “traits trump skills”?

With 60% of TA leaders now identifying skill shortages as their top issue it was interesting to read this article Traits trump skills from Ade McCormack, Founder, The Intelligent Leadership Hub who has an interesting view around the importance of traits v skills when it comes to hiring in a skills short market. 

We have seen this as an approach used in the delivery of the Recruit, Train, Deploy (RTD) solution where cohorts are hired based on teachability and aptitude. Traits like a positive attitude, eagerness to learn, and adaptability are considered valuable for RTD hires as the skills required are being taught prior to and during the placement.   

Other benefits to consider: 

Cultural Fit: Hiring for traits can ensure a better cultural fit within the organisation. Employees who align with the company’s values and culture are more likely to stay longer and contribute positively. 

Long-term Potential: Candidates with strong character traits such as reliability, integrity, and teamwork are often seen as having greater long-term potential. They can grow and adapt as the company evolves. 

Immediate Impact: While traits are crucial, certain roles may require specific skills from the get-go. For example, technical positions might necessitate a baseline level of expertise that cannot be quickly taught. 

Hiring in this way, based on character traits over specific skills in the form of an RTD model has generated some great success and led to a *97% retention rate throughout the duration of the assignments and of the cohorts that have converted to permanent positions, *48% are elevated to a more senior positions within 2 years. Plus the RTD Solution, when carried out well, can enhance and bolster social mobility and goodness knows, as an economy, we need to make our workforce more socially mobile.

This “take a chance on me" approach reflects my own personal journey.  Having changed careers 10 years ago from Procurement to Recruitment.   

I was hired as an Account Director role at AMS, moving roles from a Professional Services Senior Category Manager. Having demonstrated traits such as commercial awareness, emotional intelligence and adaptability I learned about recruitment whilst doing the job!  Creating new skills during the journey whilst embracing the ambiguity of the change in role and being confident in my ability to adapt.  It was more like “take a chance on them” as AMS had identified I had the “traits” to make that change and grow in my new role, 10 years on it was definitely the right move! 

In summary, while both traits and skills are important, many employers are leaning towards hiring for traits, especially for roles where cultural fit and long-term potential are critical. What are your thoughts on this approach? 

*Statistics provided by PSR RTD supply chain 2023. 

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