From The Editor | October 22, 2014

From ASCII Atlantic City: When Hiring, VARs Should Hold Out For Character

jim roddy

By Jim Roddy, VP of Marketing, RSPA

ASCII Logo (Hi Res)

I have greatly valued the partnership between Business Solutions and The ASCII Group, so I was doubly honored when they asked me to kick off their final Success Summit of 2014 in Atlantic City today. Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer was the name of my ASCII presentation and is the title of a book I published in 2012, in part to celebrate my 10 years of being cancer-free.

I told the dozens of solutions providers in attendance today that a core principle is going beyond hiring for just skills and personality and holding out for high character. Don’t think of character as honesty alone. Honesty is an important character trait, but there’s more to good character than being forthright.

Here are six traits to examine when assessing someone’s character:

  1. Prudence: doesn’t make reckless choices, lacks prejudice, keeps things in perspective
  2. Justice: doesn’t advantage self, family, or friends at the expense of others
  3. Fortitude: demonstrates moral courage, does the hard thing, encounters adversity or bears pain with a pleasant disposition
  4. Temperance: exhibits self-discipline, emotional control, and thrift; confronts personal failings — doesn’t excuse them
  5. Ambition: is driven by desire to realize personal potential and improve self, your organization, and society
  6. Work Ethic: channels action toward a defined purpose, demonstrates initiative, determination to succeed, and quality workmanship

If a candidate is highly skilled but lacking in these core character traits, they won’t succeed long-term for your organization. Think about your worst employees and co-workers of the past. I’m guessing they could have had good skills but were lacking in character:

  • Instead of making decisions based on facts and critical thinking, they raced to an emotional reaction.
  • Instead of a displaying a “grin-and-bear-it” attitude, they repeatedly enflamed minor situations and created drama.
  • Instead of going out of their way to help your customers, they took shortcuts and acted in their own self-interest.
  • Instead of helping co-workers when work spiked, they said “that’s not in my job description” or didn’t volunteer to pitch in.
  • Instead of improving upon their weaknesses, their attitude was “that’s just the way I am,” and they continued to repeat the same behavior.
  • Instead of coming to work early and staying late when necessary, they frequently arrived late and ducked out when no one was looking.

The ASCII Success Summit — Atlantic City is being held October 22-23 at the Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino in New Jersey. It is the last of eight solution provider-focused conferences ASCII hosted in 2014. For more information on ASCII, go to www.BSMinfo.com/go/InsideASCII.