Aptitude and Attitude

[Motar]

You're an employer with one open position and two candidates. One candidate has more practical experience (aptitude).The other has more moral character (attitude). Which is easier to remediate - capability or character? Which candidate do you choose and why?

 

[petros]

Aptitude

 

[taxslave]

Depends on wether there are union rules or employment contracts involved. If neither I would take aptitude. Mainly because experience is not something that can be taught.

 

[Cliffy]

Don't give me no attitude! A person can have a bad attitude. What does that have to do with moral character? If the choice is between a christian or an atheist, how do you judge their moral character? I would look for integrity not morals.

 

[Spade]

If the Buddha applied for a job as a physicist, I would not hire him.
If the Buddha applied for a job as an ethics commisioner, he'd have my written support.

 

[BornRuff]

You're an employer with one open position and two candidates. One candidate has more practical experience (aptitude).The other has more moral character (attitude). Which is easier to remediate - capability or character? Which candidate do you choose and why?

"Moral Character" is a bit of a weird way to put it. A more common metric would be "soft skills", which are defined as "personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism". Essentially their interpersonal skills.

The extent to which each are weighted when it comes to a job search really depends on the job.

The one thing to consider is that it is way easier to train someone in hard skills than soft skills. You can send someone to a class to strengthen skills like accounting, marketing, programming, etc, but you can't really send someone to a class to be a nicer or more sociable person.

 

[Motar]

The one thing to consider is that it is way easier to train someone in hard skills than soft skills. You can send someone to a class to strengthen skills like accounting, marketing, programming, etc, but you can't really send someone to a class to be a nicer or more sociable person.

Agree, Ruff. Competence is easier to remediate than character.

 

[Sal]

You're an employer with one open position and two candidates. One candidate has more practical experience (aptitude).The other has more moral character (attitude). Which is easier to remediate - capability or character? Which candidate do you choose and why?

First of all, practical experience and aptitude are not synonymous. Practical experience is just that. Moral character is not necessarily displayed by attitude.

If one has to choose between a potential employee who has previous work experience and a particular skill set or a potential employee who has had no previous opportunity but is displaying a positive attitude in the interview meaning they are keen, have good references from a former employer ...I would go with the attitude hands down every time. Skills sets can be taught, character is intrinsic.

 

[karrie]

You're an employer with one open position and two candidates. One candidate has more practical experience (aptitude).The other has more moral character (attitude). Which is easier to remediate - capability or character? Which candidate do you choose and why?

Depends on the job.


Long term job with plans to promote or alter the job description? I'd hire attitude (assuming we're using the term to mean more than 'moral character', which is ridiculously narrow)


Short term job or one in which promotion and changes to the job description are not going to happen? I'd hire aptitude.


But, you have to consider the fact that a good attitude is an aptitude in and of itself, a predisposition toward learning and adapting.

Depends on wether there are union rules or employment contracts involved. If neither I would take aptitude. Mainly because experience is not something that can be taught.

This confuses me because experience is, literally, something that is taught.

 

[taxslave]

Agree, Ruff. Competence is easier to remediate than character.

Not a chance. Maybe in an office but not any hands on job. To be a successful tradesperson for example you must have an aptitude for the job. No amount of training will make a tradesperson out of an office boy that doesn't like to get dirty. You can make a worker into a bureaucrat but there is absolutely zero chance of making a worker out of a bureaucrat.

 

[karrie]

Not a chance. Maybe in an office but not any hands on job. To be a successful tradesperson for example you must have an aptitude for the job. No amount of training will make a tradesperson out of an office boy that doesn't like to get dirty. You can make a worker into a bureaucrat but there is absolutely zero chance of making a worker out of a bureaucrat.

A fact which you seem to be basing largely on attitude, 'not wanting to get dirty'.

 

[taxslave]

A fact which you seem to be basing largely on attitude, 'not wanting to get dirty'.

Not really. Working with your hands is sort of like art. ANyone can do it but to be any good you have to have a talent for it. The difference between a dealer mechanic and a crappy tire mechanic.

 

[karrie]

Not really. Working with your hands is sort of like art. ANyone can do it but to be any good you have to have a talent for it. The difference between a dealer mechanic and a crappy tire mechanic.

Yeah, I agree with you in that instance. Like I said in my post. When the skill is there, and that's all they'll ever need, the job won't be changing, the attitude isn't as important.

 

[DaSleeper]

I've had good "crappy" tire mechanics and bad dealer mechanics.....it all depends on the hiring practice at either place.

 

[MHz]

If theft is an issue then the moral guy should be more trustworthy, that doesn't mean the other type is a sign of dishonesty. In my personal experience aptitude is rated highest but that is also heavy equipment as we only interact for about an hour a day and most of that is listening.

 

[darkbeaver]

First of all, practical experience and aptitude are not synonymous. Practical experience is just that. Moral character is not necessarily displayed by attitude.

If one has to choose between a potential employee who has previous work experience and a particular skill set or a potential employee who has had no previous opportunity but is displaying a positive attitude in the interview meaning they are keen, have good references from a former employer ...I would go with the attitude hands down every time. Skills sets can be taught, character is intrinsic.

Skills can be taught where aptitude exists.

 

[JLM]

You're an employer with one open position and two candidates. One candidate has more practical experience (aptitude).The other has more moral character (attitude). Which is easier to remediate - capability or character? Which candidate do you choose and why?

Aptitude by a small margin. You want a guy who is capable and willing to perform the job properly, but if they are both useless then pick the guy with the best attitude, your chances of training him are probably better.

And then you get guys with good aptitude and good attitude and they are still A$$holes!

 

[BornRuff]

Not a chance. Maybe in an office but not any hands on job. To be a successful tradesperson for example you must have an aptitude for the job. No amount of training will make a tradesperson out of an office boy that doesn't like to get dirty. You can make a worker into a bureaucrat but there is absolutely zero chance of making a worker out of a bureaucrat.

The question was stated as someone who has more experience compared to someone who has a better "character".

I don't think it is reasonable to read that as "would you hire someone who was completely unqualified for the job if they were a nice guy". That would be a pretty dumb question.

It seems to be much more about two people who are qualified for a job, but one has more experience while the other has better soft skills. It would be highly dependent on the job, but there are certainly lots of situations where you would go with the better soft skills.

 

[Motar]

You want a guy who is capable and willing to perform the job properly, but if they are both useless then pick the guy with the best attitude, your chances of training him are probably better.

Agree, JLM. Ideally, we would prefer an employment candidate with both the work ethic and the knowledge/skills to perform well. Work ethic is the more challenging to remedy.

As a consumer, would you prefer a physician with a reputation for bedside manner or one with more clinical experience?

 

[Cliffy]

As a consumer, would you prefer a physician with a reputation for bedside manner or one with more clinical experience?

I prefer myself as a physician. I know my body better than any doctor, I know a lot about healing and I have impeccable bedside manners. ;-)