Should you hire for personality or attitude?

Bret L. Simmons, Ph.D.

ATDSN, December 3, 2014

Hire For Personality

Or Attitude?

www.bretlsimmons.com

http://www.slideshare.net/BretLSimmons

Why do you care?

Job Performance

•Task behaviors

• Extra-role

behaviors

•Withdrawal

behaviors

Personality?

Attitude?

Personality

Attitude

A predisposition or tendency to respond

positively or negatively toward a certain

situation, person, or idea. Influences an

individual’s choice of action, and responses to

the work environment (e.g. challenges,

incentives, supervision, etc.)

Hire For Personality

Or Attitude?

Personality or

Attitude.

Which is a better

predictor of job

performance?

Attitudes!

Job Attitudes

• Organizational

commitment

• Job satisfaction

• Trust in the

supervisor

• Justice (fairness)

• Engagement

Organizational

Commitment

•Affected by

•Job Satisfaction

•Justice

I want to be

here doing this

work with you

•Pay

•Opportunity for

promotion

•Co-workers

•Work itself

•Supervisor

Willingness to be

vulnerable to another in

a situation involving

risk

Are You Trustworthy?

•Ability

•Integrity

•Intentions

•Master, then continuously improve your job

•Care about the people you work with, work

for, and serve

•DWWSWWD

Trustworthy

Procedural Justice

•Consistency

•Transparency

•Voice

•Appeal

•Ethics

Engagement:

Investing the head,

hands, and heart in

full work

performance

• Value Congruence: expect people to behave at

work consistent with the highest values they

espouse in themselves and others

• Psychological safety: trusting interpersonal

relationships in fair and supportive organizational

environments

• Core self-evaluation (personality trait): self-

esteem, self-efficacy, emotional stability, locus of

control

Cause

(e.g. value congruence)

Effect

(e.g. engagement)

Outcome

(e.g. performance)

Gallup Q-12 Engagement – cause or effect?

I know what is expected of me at work.

I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.

At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday.

In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.

My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.

There is someone at work who encourages my development.

At work, my opinions seem to count.

The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important

My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.

I have a best friend at work.

In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.

This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

Hire for Personality

•Conscientiousness

•Internal locus of control

•Healthy self-esteem

Summary

• Be clear and specific about the

behaviors you want to see at work

• Hire for personality

• Develop the job attitudes that lead to

performance by partnering with your

employees to continually improve the

work environment

Questions?

Bret L. Simmons, Ph.D.

www.bretlsimmons.com

[email protected]

(775) 336-9576