STOP! You’re Hiring "Sociopaths!"
Why Character Should Matter More Than Competence in Hiring Decisions
I don't work in HR, so I don't know what rules and regulations they have against this. But what I do know is that many hiring practices are not valuing good character. I'm not saying it should be the number one quality we look for in candidates, but it should be in the top five.
If not, we risk having a workforce composed of highly competent people who lack the relational and ethical capacities required for healthy workplaces. I'm not targeting any specific clinical diagnosis, but rather organizational cultures that reward competence and performance while overlooking qualities like empathy, integrity, and accountability-traits essential for sustaining humane work environments.
The data suggests many of us are unsatisfied with the workplace. The "Great Resignation" a few years ago saw droves of employees quitting their jobs, citing hostile work environments, inflexible remote-work policies, job dissatisfaction, and wage stagnation as just a few reasons for their departure. Employees are clearly ready for a new way to work and are tired of organizational cultures that continue to undervalue their work and humanity.
What We Need to Be Asking Ourselves
I've supported organizations in reviewing their selection processes, i.e., how decisions are made when choosing candidates. I always make sure they have the fundamentals down on how to look out for unconscious bias in their review practices. I offer training for organizations to learn how to mitigate our cognitive biases in decision-making.
But aside from checking our own biases, it's also important for HR teams, executives, and leaders to consider what environment they want to create in their workplace. What culture is conducive to the safety (physical and psychological) of everyone involved?
How do we make sure people don't abuse their titles and positions? How can we build a team of people who want to show up to meetings or to the office? And can we encourage people to communicate respectfully and care about the humanity of others?
Bottom Line:
Culture matters. And bad culture makes work harder.
Oftentimes, when people complain about work, it's not really the work itself they are frustrated with; it's the relationships. It's the culture of how work gets done.
I always say, "Culture forms whether we intend it to or not." Our best bet is to be clear and exacting about what "good culture" looks like in the workplace. And part of that task is being more discerning about what makes a good candidate.
My personal belief is that technical skill can be taught, but character is much harder to teach. It's harder to teach integrity, dignity, generosity, kindness, cooperation, etc. Those are all qualities and social skills that are fundamental in creating prosocial work environments.
