The Biggest Mistake in Recruitment (And How to Avoid It)
What’s the first thing you do when you need to hire someone? For most people, it’s writing a job description and screening for experience and skills. But here’s the problem: we’ve all worked with someone who ticked every skills box yet turned out to be a nightmare to work with.
I’m Dan Crompton, Leadership Coach with ActionCOACH, and in this post I’ll explain the single biggest mistake businesses make in recruitment and show you how to fix it by focusing on something far more important than a polished CV.
Video Transcription:
What do you think is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to hiring? If you think back to the last hire that you made, what was your first step?
Chances are first thing you did was to put together a job description and then in the interview itself you’re asking questions around experience and skills and all that kind of stuff.
But I think we can all think of someone that we have worked with or currently work with who passes the test, the skills test with flying colours, you know, ticks all the boxes in terms of experience and being able to do the job, but they might be a complete nightmare to work with or might just not fit the team that they’re joining.
So what’s missing here is not just the skill that you need to be assessing for, but it’s also the attitude of the person that you need in that role. Top tip on how to assess the attitude is asking questions that begin with give me an example of a time when.
So if one of the attitudes that you’re looking for, for example, is someone who can deal with difficult clients, be an excellent client handler, then ask the question give me an example of a time when you have dealt with a difficult client. What happened? What was the outcome what’s your relationship with that client right now?
So it’s just about defining 3 or 4 attitudes, that you need in that job role and then assessing for it, coming up with 3 or 4 questions that assess for each one of those attitudes, in the interview process.
The Real Reason Good Hires Go Bad
The biggest mistake I see time and time again is hiring based solely on skills and experience.
Skills are easy to test for, but they don’t tell you what that person will be like to work with. They don’t reveal how someone behaves under pressure, handles conflict, or fits into your team dynamic. That’s why the CV and traditional interview questions just aren’t enough. What’s often missing and what really makes or breaks a hire is attitude.
How to Hire for Attitude (Not Just Ability)
Here’s a simple process we can use to flip recruitment on its head:
1. Define the Attitudes You Want
Think about what characteristics matter most in the role things like ownership, resilience, teamwork, or client empathy. Write down three or four key attitudes that are essential to success.
2. Design Behavioural Interview Questions
Use the phrase: “Give me an example of a time when…”. This prompts candidates to reflect on real situations and behaviours. For example:
“Give me an example of a time when you dealt with a difficult client. What happened? What was the outcome? What’s your relationship with that client now?”
This style of question reveals far more than hypothetical “what would you do” responses. You get real insight into how they behave and whether they align with your company values.
3. Score Each Attitude Rigorously
During the interview, assess each candidate’s response against a simple rubric. Did they show the behaviour clearly? Was it authentic? Would they bring that same attitude into your business?
Final Thoughts
Hiring the right person isn’t just about what someone can do. It’s about how they show up. By focusing on attitude as much as skills if not more you’ll avoid the costly mistake of hiring someone who looks great on paper but doesn’t fit your team.
If you’d like help creating a recruitment process that truly works or want support designing attitude-based interview questions book a free 45-minute coaching call with me today. You’ll walk away with a clear plan you can use immediately to hire better, faster, and smarter.
