Are employees’ attitudes more important than skills?

For the majority of employers, the attitude of their workforce outweighs its skills base, it has been revealed.

The Telegraph reports that a recent survey by the campaign group Keep Britain Working revealed nine out of ten employers would hire a candidate who had the right attitude to work, over an individual who may have more relevant skills.

Commenting on the news, James Reed, founder of the campaign and chairman of recruitment group Reed, said: “While skills are vital, our research shows that the often neglected area of people’s attitude, or mindset, is even more important for success.”

He added as the UK economy struggles to exit the recession, more needs to be done to encourage the right skills and attitudes to see the country succeed within the global economy.

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Employers may find that recent graduates have the right attitudes to work, with Prue Watson, spokesperson for the Federation of Small Businesses, revealing many firms realise the skills graduates can bring to their workplace.