More than 10 years before the Good to Great book was published, we introduced hiring for attitude and training for skills for the opening of the Mirage. Back then, we were convinced that looking for certain immutable character attributes like optimism, flexibility, and resilience(today they call it grit) were essential for great customer service and experiences. The research we conducted also showed the importance of job skills training to complement the “attitudes” the employees brought with them. 8 out of the 10 interview questions applicants we asked focused on those attributes – were applicants comfortable talking about their service experience and attitude, did they smile easily, did their body language and gestures convey their passion for what they did, and did they recover easily from challenges and change. The remaining 2 questions focused on specific educational background, practical skills, specialized knowledge, and work experience. We told new employees that we loved their smiles and passion during the interviews and since we knew they had those, and we expected to see them on the job… and we immediately started catching them doing those things and rewarded that behavior in many visible and reinforcing ways. Our managers then practiced effective coaching techniques to help develop and refine employees’ technical skills. Help your company achieve greatness by hiring for attitude and training for skills today.
James C. “Jim” Collins (born 1958): American researcher (Stanford), author (Good to Great), speaker and consultant focused on business management and company sustainability and growth.
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