Hiring for attitude versus hiring for skill: the conversation most founders are having wrong

The hire for attitude, train for skill mantra has been repeated so many times that it has become business folklore. And like most oversimplified ideas, it contains enough truth to be seductive and enough error to be dangerous when applied uncritically.

Here is a more honest version: hire for coachability, clarity of thinking, and cultural alignment. For technical skills, be explicit about what you can train and what you cannot afford to.

When attitude matters more

For roles where the technical skills are relatively learnable — customer service, inside sales, administrative functions — the candidate's disposition toward learning, their self-awareness, and their work ethic matter enormously.

When skill matters more

For roles that require deep technical expertise that takes years to develop — senior finance, engineering, specialised advisory positions — attitude alone is insufficient. Hiring for attitude and planning to train someone for eighteen months in a senior role is a bet many businesses cannot afford to make.

The question to ask in every interview

Tell me about a time you were wrong about something significant. What happened, how did you realise it, and what did you do? The quality of the answer to this question tells you more about coachability and character than any technical exercise.