If you’ve ever been entrusted with the task of hiring new talent, you probably know how challenging it can be to find someone who ticks all the boxes. While we all want to hire the most educated, most experienced people, here’s some food for thought: a candidate with the right attitude can develop aptitude over time. But a well-qualified individual without the right attitude may not always succeed in their role.  

During the pandemic alone, our organization recruited over 500 people into various positions. We skimmed through thousands of resumes and interviewed hundreds of candidates to find people who align with our vision and culture. The candidates who made the cut had one thing in common:

A positive attitude and an insatiable desire to learn.

As an organization, Ozone Group of Companies has always believed in choosing “attitude over aptitude.” Somebody could go to the best B school, graduate top of their class and be cream of the cream; but it’s irrelevant if they don’t have the right attitude. Now, don’t get us wrong! We do place a lot of value on skills and knowledge. However, attitude supersedes everything. 

Employees with a solution-focused mindset go miles ahead of those who’re better qualified or experienced. Here’s why: 

In today’s fast-paced world where new science, technologies and discoveries are shaping the future every minute, those who continue to do things the old school way risk becoming complacent and ultimately redundant. We need people who can keep an open, curious mind and actively seek new perspectives and opportunities. Those who can roll up their sleeves and dive right in with a “Yes, I can” attitude. Taking a page from Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest,” those who can adapt to change are the ones who’ll not just survive — but thrive in any team or organization.

A few more reasons why we’d rather have a person with a great attitude than aptitude on our team: 

•  A willingness to learn shows that they have the humility to accept that “I may not know how to do this, and that’s OK.”
  
• It proves that they’re not easily intimidated by tasks outside their wheelhouse.
•  It not only empowers the employee to go places in their career but also builds trust in the collective competencies of the organization. 

When each employee takes charge and does their part perfectly, teams work like well-oiled machines. Ozone’s “Attitude is more important than Aptitude” core value is not just limited to the hiring process but is also practised across the organization. Infact, we stress the importance of attitude and relating to each other as “human beings” before professionals on the very first day of our training. It is our endeavour to create a culture that’s humane, conducive to learning, encourages innovation and gives people the freedom to fail. 

If you’re an HR professional trying to recruit the right talent for your company, we hope you found our insights on prioritizing “attitude over aptitude” helpful! (Do let us know in the comments). If you’re a job-seeker who has the right attitude (and the chops), we welcome your resume in our inbox!

Remember: competencies can be developed over time, so long as there’s a zeal to learn and constantly better oneself! 

Check out our open positions at:  https://www.ozonegp.com/careers/