Which is more important to you, attitude or aptitude?
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Would you prefer your PM to be someone who is skilled in his trade or someone who is very passionate and positive thinking? Which is more important to you, attitude or aptitude, when you are hiring a PM? Saving Changes...
The right mix of both makes up a great PM selection ! Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Aamer, I agree, without doubt, that the right mix of both is the best. Bu in case you have two candidates, one with good attitude and the other with good experience and skills, which one would you select? Saving Changes...
In that case I would like to go for the one with the right attitude . Though he will not be as good as the other aptitude guy , but its still worth an investment in the right human resource for whom I can lay down a plan to groom further as per the organization competitive needs. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
I usually went for aptitude when hiring a PM and in more than a few cases regretted that I did not go for attitude. Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Thank you for all your inputs. So far, the preference is towards the attitude's end. Anyone has any alternate view? Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I'd prefer a mix of both, but if I had to choose I'd choose attitude. Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Strange. On one hand, it seems like most people go for the attitude. On the other hand, most interviews that I have seen are structured in such a way to find out more on a candidate's aptitude. For example, most questions and discussions are around what the candidate has done in the past, what certifications or skills he has and the size of the projects he has handled etc.
Could it be that we are asking the wrong questions during the interviews or the fact that it is not easy to ask questions around attitude? Saving Changes...
Imran ManirSenior Project ManagerBurton On Trent, United Kingdom
I'm assuming that to justify appointing a candidate, a recruiter will need to provide facts behind their decision. These facts will need to be seen to be grounded in objectivity. Since aptitude is more likely to be quantifiable than attitude, it is used to a greater degree to determine a candidate's suitability for a role.
Attitude is a subjective matter and therefore perhaps more difficult to quantify. Saving Changes...
I am not sure you can separate them.
If you choose on only attitude you could end up with an enthusiastic incompetent. If you only consider aptitude you could end up with someone skilled but who doesn't care enough to do the job well.
If aptitude on both candidates was comparable then that is when attitude can be the differentiator. Then you need to consider what sort of attitude would fit into your organisation!
Hiring is always a mine-field of compromise and subjective judgement!
Saving Changes...
Audumbar DhuriSenior Project Manager| Bentley Systems Dombivali, Maharashtra, India
Aptitude can be gained ..difficult to acquire attitude ..mostly is ingrained over a long period.
A person with right attitude can find ways to get the job done by collecting and pursing skills to gain the required aptitude.
So, I think , we can benchmarch assessment of aptitude to an average level beyond which a person with right attitude should be given preference in hiring. Saving Changes...
