I’ve been talking about my experience at Hire Minds lately, and there were some amazing quotes I picked up while at the event. One of my favorites was during the Chipotle session when the speaker mentioned their hiring philosophy.

Experience NOT preferred.

Short and sweet, yes, but the gist of the saying is that it’s easier to find someone who is enthusiastic, friendly, and passionate than it is to find an experienced professional and try to train them to fit that bill. Hire for attitude and train for skill is one of my favorite sayings.

I know when we’re looking for entry level people we give culture fit considerable weight. Someone may have great experience and an acceptable salary range, but if they don’t fit the culture, we won’t be considering them for the position. It does no good to fill the position with a poor fit and have to re-recruit for it six months later. We look for people with a hunger for knowledge and a penchant for helping others whenever possible, and it’s been very successful thus far.

Next time you’re getting a job posting ready, consider looking at qualities other than experience and education in order to make your decision. You might be pleasantly surprised with the result.