This is the Magic Hiring Blend: 85% for Attitude and Potential and Only 15% for Skill

After 20 years in talent and staffing, here’s the most important thing that we learned.Skill matters. But not as much as you think.

We don’t hire for perfect résumés. We don’t chase buzzword experience. And we don’t believe one more certification makes someone ready for a role.

At Evolve Consulting Co., we’ve built our hiring strategy around one clear principle:

Hire 85% for mindset, drive, and coachability.Hire 15% for hard skill, and only the kind that actually matters on day one.

Now, before we lose you. This isn’t about lowering the bar.It’s about raising the standard on what really drives performance, growth, and retention.

Because if you want people who will evolve with your company, the answer isn’t “more experience.” It’s hiring people who are built for change and have the right attitude.

Why Most Teams Over-Index on Experience (And Pay for It Later)

Hiring someone because “they’ve done it before” feels safe. But safe doesn’t mean smart.

Over-indexing on skill often gets you:

• A rigid mindset that struggles in new environments

• “This is how I used to do it” energy

• High expectations, but low adaptability

  
  

And guess what? Technical skills have a shelf life.According to RBC’s Future of Work report, more than 50% of Canadian workers will need to be reskilled in the next decade because the pace of change is outpacing most people’s training. (RBC, 2023)

So if you’re hiring for what someone did five years ago? You are already behind.

What Makes Up the 85%, here are The Real Differentiators

Here’s what we actually screen for and build entire interview processes around:

✅ Curiosity: Are they asking great questions? Do they care how things work?

✅ Coachability: Can they take feedback, apply it, and level up quickly?

✅ Grit: How do they handle failure? Uncertainty? Changing priorities?

✅ Initiative: Are they waiting to be told what to do, or already thinking ahead?

✅ Alignment: Are they drawn to your mission for the right reasons?

These are the qualities that tell us: this person won’t just survive in the role — they’ll stretch it.

What Goes in the 15% — And How to Define It Clearly

We’re not saying skills don’t matter, so don’t AT us.We’re saying you need to get radically clear on which ones actually matter on day one.

Ask yourself:

• What absolutely needs to be done in the first 90 days?

• What tools, platforms, or workflows do they need to know now?

• What can be taught with the right support in place?

  
  

If you can’t train it, it goes in the 15%.If you can train it, it belongs in your onboarding, not your job ad.

 How to Interview for Potential (Not Just a Polished Résumé)

If you want to hire for growth mindset, ask growth-minded questions:

• “Tell me about a time you had to learn something you’d never done before.”

• “What’s a piece of feedback that really stuck with you — and how did it change your work?”

• “What’s something you’re working on getting better at right now?”

• “When was the last time you hit a conflict, what was the outcome and what did you think from your perspective”

  
  

And don’t forget to frame your expectations clearly:

“We’re looking for people who are proactive, coachable, and energized by learning. We care far more about how you grow than what’s already on your résumé.”

That alone will shift who applies and who shows up ready to rise.

Final Thought

If your team’s full of people who checked all the boxes on paper but can’t adapt when things change, you already know how this story ends.

But when you build a team based on mindset, potential, and real alignment — you get people who move with you, build with you, and stay longer because they believe in what you’re doing.

That’s not risky hiring.That’s strategic scaling.

TL;DR — How We Recommend that you Hire

✅ We hire 85% for attitude, coachability, and mindset

✅ We define the 15% of skill that actually matters in the first 90 days

✅ Audit what’s teachable, and look for people built to learn

✅ Ask questions that reveal how candidates grow, not just what they’ve done