Can You Really Hire for Character? Or Is It Just a Leadership Myth?

🚀 Episode 4 of Leadership Explored is out now! Listen here: leadershipexploredpod.com

Hiring for character sounds like a no-brainer. We all want trustworthy, ethical team members who align with our values. But here’s the hard truth: hiring for character doesn’t always work the way we think it does.

We’ve all seen it play out: ✅ High-trust, low-performance hires who just can’t deliver. 🚨 High-performance, low-trust hires who get results but quietly destroy team morale.

So what’s the right balance? How do we evaluate character without falling into the traps of bias, over-relying on personality tests, or hiring people who seem great in an interview but don’t work out in practice?

🎙️ “A toxic high performer might boost short-term results, but they’ll erode trust, morale, and team cohesion in the long run. No level of skill is worth that cost.” – Ed Schaefer

What We Explore in This Episode:

🔹 The real risks of using MBTI, DISC, and other personality tests for hiring. 🔹 Why behavioral interview questions beat hypotheticals every time. 🔹 How “culture fit” can sometimes lead to culture stagnation. 🔹 Why hiring for trust is more important than hiring for talent. 🔹 The biggest hiring mistake leaders make—and how to avoid it.

The conversation gets deep, challenging some of the most common leadership assumptions. We break down what actually works when it comes to evaluating character and making the right hiring decisions for long-term team success.

Key Quotes from Episode 4:

📢 "We all want a shortcut to assessing character, but no test will tell you everything. The real question is—are we hiring for who people are today or who they can become?" – Ed Schaefer
📢 "Hypothetical interview questions are too easy to game. If you really want to understand someone’s character, ask them about a time they handled adversity, not what they would do in theory." – Andy Siegmund
📢 "A high performer with low trust is a leadership liability. No matter how talented they are, they will break teams apart over time." – Ed Schaefer
📢 "The best hires aren’t just the ones who ‘fit’ today—they’re the ones who grow with the team, adapt to challenges, and keep learning." – Andy Siegmund

So What’s the Answer?

Hiring for character isn’t about checking a box. It’s about understanding how someone has responded to challenges in the past, whether they build trust, and whether they have the agility to grow with the team.

Personality tests? Fun, but flawed. Hypotheticals? Easy to game. Real-world behavior? That’s where the truth is.

Your Turn: What’s Your Experience?

Have you ever hired someone who looked perfect on paper but turned out to be a disaster? Or someone you weren’t sure about, who became a rockstar on your team?

Drop a comment and let’s talk about it.👇

🎧 Listen to Episode 4 now: leadershipexploredpod.com

#LeadershipExplored #HiringForCharacter #LeadershipPodcast #TrustMatters #TeamSuccess