You don't hire for skills. You hire for attitude.
Because you can always teach skills, but you can’t teach attitude.
We know that sounds preachy. But don’t tune out just yet.
In 1978, Herb Kelleher one of the co-founders of the US-based Southwest Airlines asked his HR department to hire people with a sense of humour. Back then, HR departments were called ‘personnel management’ and many organisations simply saw employees as a liability on the balance sheet.
Herb believed that if you buy personality, you get attitude for free.
The "personality hire" refers to hiring candidates and keeping them around an organisation because of their interpersonal skills, attitude, and overall fit rather than solely hiring them on their technical abilities or qualifications for a specific role.
It’s a controversial practice because without common sense, it can introduce unconscious bias and lead to unfair hiring practices. Some employees can take offence to being labelled as a personality hire because it implies that they’re not technically proficient enough to meet the role requirements. On the flip side, other candidates find it empowering to know employers genuinely like them and want them around for who they are.
But it’s more than hiring candidates with a smile. Or a sense of humour. It’s about hiring candidates with a personality because they help unlock and create open communication among employees.
So, let’s explore some key arguments on both sides of this issue, starting with why personality hires are in for 2025.
We know that a strong company culture is powerful. But what’s more powerful is when multiple people in the organisation drive it.
With over 50% of employees reporting disengagement in recent Gallup surveys, employing warm, friendly candidates who mesh well with your cultural values can be a game-changer for employees' happiness at work. And even if this one employee isn’t as productive as everyone else, they will bring value to the team that you might not be able to capture on a spreadsheet.
Think about the “it” factor. Well, these candidates have it. They can cheer the team on and rally. Hiring for personality reinforces the unique values that make your organisation stand out, creating a workplace where employees are naturally aligned.
Sure, a personality hire might lack specific skills for the position right now, but a friendly, motivated candidate with a good attitude often signals character. And if they have character, they’re self-aware and know they need to grow.
More importantly, employees who are aware of their knowledge gaps have a much higher chance of growing into the role and picking up the skills in their blind spots. And with the right mentorship and training, these candidates will get up to speed quickly.
Employees who lack the soft skills to handle people issues can damage your organisation internally and its reputation externally, so it’s wise to invest in candidates with soft skills up front.
It comes naturally to them. Outgoing, likable people excel at building relationships across teams and departments, which helps collaboration, breaks down silos, and encourages knowledge sharing.
But let’s be real—there’s a flipside to hiring for personality. Some HR leaders see personality hires as all charm and politics, quick to advance their agendas and sometimes brutal to anyone who gets in their way. While soft skills are essential, it’s important to consider balance.
So, let’s take a look at why personality hires could be out in 2025.
When personality hires lack the technical skills needed for the role, it can create frustration within a team.
Other team members can soak up their time training, correcting, or even covering for them. This added responsibility can pull other employees away from their tasks, creating a ripple effect of inefficiency and resentment.
So while personality is important, personality hires must hit the ground running to keep things running smoothly.
Judging candidates on personality traits like being "extroverted" can introduce unconscious biases into hiring decisions. A bias-prone hiring process limits diversity and restricts innovation, as it tends to favour similarity over a broad range of perspectives.
There’s a fine line between valuing personality and prioritising likeability over competence.
Over-indexing on personality is not a good idea. Because it’s easy to let highly likable candidates be favoured over more qualified ones in an interview. Likeability is a plus, but it should never overshadow the candidate’s ability to deliver results.
So, how do you get the balance right?
Like most things, you should use a common sense approach.
The appeal of personality hires is obvious—someone’s character can be more important than their skillset. But as time passes, significant skill gaps can become hard to ignore.
Try to strike the right balance and attract candidates who demonstrate both. Also, remember that some roles benefit more from a bigger personality than others.
A head of sales, whose primary responsibility is managing clients, may thrive with a personality hire, whereas an accounting role, focused on number crunching and tax preparation, might be better suited to a traditional hire with strong technical skills.
Balance is key. But remember, you can teach someone how to write code, sell tech or even manage people—but you can’t teach someone how to smile.