Hire for Attitude: The Key to Better Hiring Decisions

When building a strong team, most companies focus on resumes and technical skills. However, what if the real key to long-term success lies in something less tangible: attitude? According to leadership expert and bestselling author Mark Murphy, the biggest predictor of employee success isn’t what’s on a resume; it’s how someone thinks, behaves, and aligns with a company’s values.

Murphy has spent decades researching leadership and organizational culture, and his insights have been featured in publications like the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes. He’s even shared his methods at the United Nations and Harvard Business School. And he’s clear: skills can be taught, but attitude is much harder to change.

At VPM Solutions, we’ve taken this insight to heart. Our platform now includes an attitude-focused assessment that allows virtual assistants (VAs) to showcase how they think and work—not just what’s listed on their resume. This gives companies deeper, more relevant information when hiring and helps ensure a better fit from the very start.

Why Attitude Matters More Than Skills

Marc Murphy’s book Hiring for Attitude provides invaluable insights into why companies should prioritize attitude over skills during the hiring process. His research, which tracked over 5,200 hiring managers, revealed a startling statistic: 89% of new hires who fail do so for attitudinal reasons rather than a lack of skills.

Skills can usually be taught, but attitude determines an employee’s success and longevity within a company. Employees with the right mindset are more likely to:

• Be engaged and motivated
• Handle stress and adapt to change
• Collaborate well with colleagues
• Contribute positively to company culture

When you hire for attitude, you build a more resilient, cohesive workforce capable of long-term success.

Culture Starts with Your Job Description

One of Murphy’s most practical takeaways is that most job postings sound identical, and that’s a problem. Generic descriptions like “fast-paced environment” or “team player wanted” do nothing to set your company apart. Instead, they invite a flood of applicants without indicating if they’ll truly fit your culture.

Murphy suggests making your job ads purpose-driven and reflective of your company’s unique values. Instead of saying, “We’re a collaborative team,” describe how collaboration actually happens in your organization.

Thanks to technological advances, this doesn’t have to take extra time or resources. Murphy noted on Pete Neubig’s NARPM Podcast that AI tools like ChatGPT can help you quickly analyze and refine your job ads, ensuring they stand out and attract the right candidates.

Building on this innovation, VPM Solutions has made the process even more powerful: the platform includes a built-in attitude assessment for VAs and an easy-to-use filter for companies.

Fewer, Better Applicants Beat More Applicants

Another misconception Murphy tackles is the idea that more applicants equal better results. In reality, an open floodgate of resumes wastes time and often leads to poor hiring decisions.

Quality Trumps Quantity

Companies naturally filter out the wrong candidates by writing clearer, more culture-focused job postings. This makes it easier to focus on applicants who are already more likely to succeed. It’s not about having hundreds of resumes—it’s about having the right few.

Recruiting Is Marketing

Hiring is more than just an HR function; it’s also marketing. To recruit effectively, you must highlight your company’s unique strengths while making it clear who will not thrive in your environment. That honesty saves time for everyone and builds trust with candidates.

As Murphy puts it: “The best hiring processes appeal strongly to the right people and discourage the wrong ones.”

Key Attitudes to Look for During the Hiring Process

So what exactly should companies look for when hiring for attitude? Murphy’s research identified 15 core attitudes that predict success. These go beyond personality and focus on key behavioral traits that impact performance and retention.

Here’s a breakdown of the 15 attitudes that matter most:

By screening for these attitudes, companies can select candidates far more likely to thrive, especially in virtual and distributed work environments.

How VPM Solutions’ Hiring for Attitude Assessment Can Help

VPM Solutions has developed a 20-question assessment to evaluate these 15 critical attitudes. Here’s how it works:

• For Virtual Assistants: Every VA on the platform can complete the assessment, allowing them to showcase their mindset, strengths, and work style beyond a resume.
• For Companies: Employers can instantly view assessment results when browsing VA profiles. This provides deeper insights into how candidates will align with their culture and work requirements.
• For Remote Work: Since the tool highlights traits like accountability, aptitude for remote work, and adaptability, it’s especially powerful for building distributed teams that succeed without constant oversight.

This feature makes matching the right candidates to the right roles easier, faster, and more effective—reducing turnover and strengthening team culture from day one.

Available Now: VPM Solutions’ Hiring for Attitude Integration 

Whether you’re hiring your next property manager or building a fully remote support team, focusing on attitude will transform how you recruit and retain talent. 

To learn more, book a Free Demo to experience the assessment in action.