In today’s competitive business landscape, hiring decisions can make or break an organization’s long-term success. While many companies still prioritize technical expertise or years of experience when making hiring decisions, exceptional companies flip the script. They hire for values first, aptitude second, and skills third—and the results speak for themselves.
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This approach may seem counterintuitive in a world where resumes are stacked with credentials and certifications. Yet, organizations that prioritize character and cultural fit before anything else consistently build stronger teams, reduce turnover, and outperform competitors in resilience and adaptability.
Let’s explore why this hiring philosophy works, provide real-world examples, and unpack the long-term impact on both people and performance.
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Why Values Come First
Values are the foundation of trust, collaboration, and decision-making. When an employee’s personal values align with the company’s mission and principles, they show up authentically, stay motivated, and contribute to a healthy workplace culture.
- Patagonia is well known for putting values at the center of its hiring. The company attracts individuals who care deeply about sustainability and environmental stewardship. Employees are motivated not only by the paycheck but by the mission, resulting in extraordinary retention and loyalty.
- Southwest Airlines famously hires for attitude and values before skills. Their mantra is: “We can train for skill, but we can’t train for attitude.” This approach has built a workforce known for customer service, humor, and genuine warmth.
When values align, employees feel part of something bigger than themselves—and that is a competitive advantage no technology can replicate.
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Why Aptitude Comes Second
Aptitude refers to a person’s ability to learn, adapt, and solve problems. With industries evolving faster than ever, a high aptitude ensures employees can thrive as business needs change.
- Google places significant emphasis on problem-solving skills and the ability to learn quickly. They look for cognitive ability in interviews rather than just technical expertise. This has allowed Google to adapt across industries—from search engines to cloud services to AI.
- Netflix also prioritizes curiosity and adaptability. Their famous “Freedom and Responsibility” culture depends on hiring people who can make smart decisions in ambiguous environments.
Aptitude fuels innovation and ensures that today’s hires don’t become tomorrow’s liabilities in a rapidly shifting market.
Why Skills Come Third
Skills are essential—but they are also teachable. A company can train an employee on the technical aspects of a role, but it cannot easily teach integrity, empathy, or growth mindset.
- Toyota exemplifies this in their long-standing philosophy of “Kaizen”—continuous improvement. Many employees start with limited technical knowledge but grow through mentorship, training, and a culture that values learning.
- Starbucks trains baristas worldwide to deliver a consistent experience, focusing less on hiring people with prior coffee expertise and more on people who embody friendliness and reliability.
By de-prioritizing skills in the hiring order, organizations avoid the trap of hiring “brilliant jerks”—technically skilled individuals who can erode culture and morale.
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The Long-Term Impact of Hiring for Values and Aptitude
Exceptional companies understand that culture compounds over time. Hiring people who fit values and possess strong aptitude creates ripple effects:
- Higher Retention: Employees stay longer when they feel connected to the company’s mission and see growth opportunities.
- Stronger Collaboration: Teams built on shared values communicate better, resolve conflicts constructively, and foster innovation.
- Resilience in Uncertainty: Companies with high-aptitude employees weather disruption more effectively, whether from economic shifts or technological change.
- Sustainable Growth: Investing in people over paper credentials creates organizations that can evolve continuously without losing their core identity.
Companies like Zappos, which offers new hires money to quit if they realize they don’t fit the culture, prove the power of values-first hiring. The short-term cost of training someone new is far outweighed by the long-term benefits of protecting culture.
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What This Means for Project Managers
For project managers, the lesson is clear: exceptional projects require exceptional teams. When assembling a project team, prioritize alignment in values, then look for members who can learn and adapt. Technical skills can be developed through training, but cultural alignment and problem-solving aptitude determine whether the project team thrives under pressure.
This is especially relevant in project-driven industries like IT, construction, energy, and finance—where deadlines are tight, uncertainty is high, and collaboration is non-negotiable.
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Beyond Hiring: Developing the Right Values, Aptitude, and Skills
Exceptional companies don’t just hire for values, aptitude, and skills in that order—they also develop them. Ongoing professional development is how organizations sustain culture, strengthen adaptability, and keep skills relevant in a changing world.
This is where Master of Project Academy’s Sandbox Membership becomes a game-changer. The membership provides access to over 60 Micro Leadership, Professional Development, and Soft Skills courses—the very capabilities that transform potential into performance.
Here are just a few examples of the courses that help professionals grow beyond technical expertise:
- Building Confidence in Your Career: Learn to step outside your comfort zone, nurture positivity, and set achievable goals while distinguishing genuine confidence from arrogance.
- Building Trust with Your Team for Effective Teamwork and Collaboration: Strengthen bonds through authenticity, empathy, effective communication, and conflict resolution.
- Integrating Your Values into Your Work: Discover how to align your personal values with your organization’s mission for greater fulfillment and seamless integration.
- Leveraging Your Strengths: Perform at Your Highest Potential: Identify, understand, and maximize your unique strengths to consistently deliver at your best.
- Finding Personal Time for You: Explore strategies for balance, boundary-setting, and time management to sustain long-term performance and well-being.
These courses go beyond hard skills—they shape mindset, resilience, and leadership capacity, which are the foundations of long-term career success.
When organizations provide employees access to this kind of growth, they aren’t just training staff—they’re cultivating future leaders who embody the company’s values, adapt with aptitude, and expand their skillsets as needed.
Taking the Next Step
If you aspire to lead teams and projects with this kind of clarity and impact, building your project management expertise is essential. A PMP Certification equips you not only with technical skills but also with the leadership mindset to select and develop high-performing teams.
➡️ Join our PMP Live Class Virtual Training to gain the tools, strategies, and confidence to lead projects—and people—with excellence.
Final Thought
Exceptional companies know that values are the compass, aptitude is the engine, and skills are the tools. By hiring in that order, they create workplaces where people thrive, projects succeed, and innovation flourishes. As a project professional, adopting this philosophy doesn’t just make you a better manager—it positions you to shape the future of work itself.