Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

Relevant offers

Money

Consumer confidence up, but caution urged Gold bullion dealer's victims want information Student debt myths debunked Damages claims key to Hibernian funds recovery Loan sharks cruising poorest areas - report Auckland, Wellington expensive for expats SFO launches investigation into gold trader World Cup prompts shoppers to open wallets House sales rise, median price stable EPIC fund shareholders learn of $8.8m payout

OPINION: Many of us have kids who have just finished their exams, whether they be NCEA or University.

There is such an emphasis at school level on credits (even where they're not due!) and at University level on good grades.

When you have to choose between potential new employees, then there's not too much to go on other than their academic intelligence; or so one would think.

Many a smart employer knows that Intelligence is only one factor; and of course, we know our secondary school system can hide that well. Excelling in exams is often not the best indicator.

What a smart employer wants is someone with a great attitude; though of course, it helps if they have a few clues about them.

Like the movie The Paper Chase, it was never about the 'A' at the end of the course; it was about the attitude and application to get to that point.

That is what education should be trying to teach you. The results look after themselves. However too many people cruise doing the minimum amount required and don't do as well as they could; they don't see the point.

And of course exams don't necessarily show us those who are simply good at exams, those who don't need to try, and those who slog their guts out to do the best they can, whether that's pass or fail.

It is well documented in Labour Economic and Human Capital theory that a person will reach the same level in business whether they have done well in exams or not (the exception of course is those disciplines which have an academic criteria attached to them, such as Medicine or Law).

As we all know, many of those on the 'Rich List' did not excel academically, but they are smart alright; they know how to do certain things well and where they are lacking, they know how and when to bring in the expertise from outside.

Attitude is everything, if you have a great attitude, and an ability and desire to learn, you will prosper. They're the sort of people we should be hiring. We can always train the right person for specific technical skills.

Couple attitude with good people skills and you have a winning business combination.

Adam Davy is Managing Partner of BDO, Chartered Accountants and Advisers' Wellington office.