You hear the cliché all the time—one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Another word for it is “toxic” and is used when talking about employees that have a bad attitude. More and more organizations are placing greater importance on attitude and aptitude when assessing job candidates, as it’s commonly said you can train for skills but not attitude. So how do you know if YOU’RE “the bad apple?” Most of us would never self-identify that way.
Individuals lacking the right attitude are a drag on the organization’s productivity and psyche. They resist coaching and collaboration and waste time complaining. They lack motivation and thus, aren’t problem solvers or morale boosters. They undermine co-workers and/or focus on self-promoting instead of working. At the end of the day, all the skills in the world won’t overcome these shortcomings.
On the flip side, having the right attitude will help you become productive quickly, even if you lack some of the hard skills identified in a job description. Therefore, it’s critical for you to develop the right attitude and mindset, not just for the sake of interviewing and landing a job, but to ensure you’ll be successful throughout your career. So, what does a good attitude look like?
Someone with a good attitude:
- is open to feedback and suggestions for training and skills building, which are critical in the early stages of employment;
- will seek challenges, help solve problems, and will mesh with co-workers;
- will be self-starters who don’t need constant oversight or emotional support;
- will exceed expectations and positively impact those around them to do the same;
- won’t waste time talking about the work they’re doing, they’ll just do it.
It’s almost impossible to train for “attitude” so help yourself stand out by developing and displaying the right attitude along with honing your hard skills. Smart staffing agencies, recruiters, and interviewers will take notice.
