Skill versus Will

When recruiting or promoting it is common for the leader to set out to attract top talent and the perfect fit, however the reality on many occasions is that candidates do not meet all the desired criteria.

When taking on an employee who is under-skilled then it is implied the leader must help develop that person to acquire the necessary skills. It is possible though, that a business could intend gapping those skills because the individual brings other attributes of equal or greater value. In this case another member of the team may step up or across to successfully fill that skill gap.

A second and possibly even more important consideration alongside lack of skill is lack of 'will' - which is harder to mitigate. A leader can accept ability shortcomings if the person is keen to learn, however staff who do not have the right attitude, with enthusiasm and commitment for their own development, are unlikely to be a good fit or to contribute to business growth.

A good leader will be keen to understand both the ‘skill and will’ of potential employees.

Posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016

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