Forget Culture Fit. Hire for Character
Hiring is about more than filling a seat. It’s about choosing someone who will shape your culture, contribute to your mission, and represent your company’s values.
But it’s also one of the most challenging aspects of talent acquisition.
The Silent Driver of Performance
Character is often the X-factor behind high-performing teams. It’s the reason someone owns their mistakes, stays late to help a colleague, or handles pressure with grace. Skills and experience might get someone in the door, but character is what determines whether they elevate your organization or just get enough done to stick around.
Great character shows up in small ways: doing what’s right without being told, maintaining integrity under pressure, and holding others accountable with empathy. These behaviors often can’t be taught.
Why It’s So Hard to Assess
Character isn’t neatly laid out on a resume. It’s not measured by degrees, certifications, or a string of impressive job titles. In fact, some of the most polished candidates can hide deep flaws behind charisma and buzzwords. This is especially true in executive and leadership hiring, where the stakes (and facades) are high.
Most interviews are designed to uncover competencies. But assessing character requires something different: patience, listening deeply, asking situational questions that reveal someone’s decision-making under pressure.
Even then, the truth is murky.
References may be sanitized. Candidates may give rehearsed answers. And busy hiring teams might skip the deeper vetting because someone “looks good on paper.”
Red Flags You Might Miss
Failing to prioritize character can result in culture-killing hires. Red flags often surface after the hire: lack of accountability, unethical shortcuts, or a lack of follow-through. But by then, the damage has already begun and sometimes already started to harm the company’s reputation.
How to Hire for Character Intentionally
Hiring for character requires a process built around people, not just performance. Here are a few strategies we recommend:
- Behavioral Interviewing
Ask questions like, “Tell me about a time you faced an ethical dilemma at work. What did you do?” or “When have you taken a stand that wasn’t popular?” Watch for authenticity and self-awareness.
- Peer Interviews
Let team members interact with candidates informally. How someone treats peers, not just hiring managers, can reveal a lot.
- Reference Deep Dives
Go beyond checking boxes. Ask references specific, character-focused questions: “Would you rehire them? Why or why not?” “How did they handle tough decision-making?”
- Long-Term Lens
Prioritize long-term fit over short-term results. Sometimes, the slow-burn candidate with great character will outpace the superstar with a shaky moral compass.
In the End, Character Carries You
As Patrick Adams wrote in a recent reflection, “Character is what you do. It’s what you’re known for when the noise dies down.” It’s what sustains teams through downturns, conflict, and change. And in industries like ours, where trust is everything, it’s what separates good hires from great ones.
Hiring for character takes time. It takes intention. But the payoff? A culture of accountability, resilience, and trust that no resume alone can guarantee.
At The Bridger Group, we connect companies in the building products and interiors sectors with exceptional leaders who drive results. Contact us today
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