Hiring on attitude not degrees: أفكار لمقال IELTS

Some people believe employers should choose new staff mainly according to attitude and personality, not qualifications. I partly agree with this view, but I think the two factors must be considered together.

There are strong reasons to value attitude. Skills can often be taught, whereas qualities such as enthusiasm, honesty, reliability and the ability to work with others are much harder to change. An employee with a positive attitude is more likely to learn quickly, accept feedback and help colleagues, which improves the atmosphere of the whole team. Customer-facing roles in particular, such as hotel reception or retail, depend on friendliness and communication; a polite, motivated person may serve customers better than a highly qualified but unhelpful one. Some successful companies, including airlines, openly say they hire for personality and train for skills.

However, qualifications still count. For many jobs, a minimum level of knowledge is essential and cannot be learned quickly or safely on the job. Nobody would want to be treated by a doctor, advised by an engineer or have electrical wiring installed by someone who was merely friendly and cheerful. Qualifications also demonstrate persistence and the ability to complete difficult tasks, and they provide employers with an objective, fair way of comparing candidates, whereas judging personality in a short interview is subjective and can lead to bias in favour of people similar to the interviewer.

The best approach is balanced. Employers should set clear qualification requirements for technical and professional roles, and then use interviews, trial periods and group exercises to assess attitude among suitable candidates. For entry-level jobs, they can be more flexible and prioritise potential.

In conclusion, attitude and personality are very important, but they cannot replace essential qualifications, so employers should consider both.