Hiring for Character Over Skill in the Age of AI

2 hours ago7 min read

You know that feeling watching an NBA game when a play breaks down and instead of forcing a bad shot, your point guard resets the offense, finds the open man, and gets the hockey assist on a corner three? That's character. That's the stuff you can't teach.I look at hiring the same way. A résumé is just a stat sheet—it tells you someone averaged 20 points a game, but it doesn't show you how they act in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line.Right now, in this wild economy that Goldman Sachs economists are calling a 'jobless growth' period—where the economy is expanding but hiring is lagging—everyone's scrambling for the player who can hit the latest, flashiest three-pointer. A 2024 Microsoft and LinkedIn report dropped a bombshell: 71% of employers said they'd take a candidate fluent in AI with less experience over a seasoned pro with limited AI knowledge.It's like drafting a kid purely because he's got a killer step-back three, ignoring whether he can actually run a pick-and-roll. The problem is, the goalposts are moving faster than a fast break.PwC found that requirements for AI-exposed roles are shifting 66% faster than in other jobs. What's a hot skill today could be as obsolete as a flip phone by next season.We're in a 'job-hugging' economy where people are staying put longer, and hiring cycles have slowed to a crawl. Every hire you make is a franchise player; they're going to shape your team's culture for years.And culture isn't some vague vibe you hope for. It's chemistry.It's the intentional construction of how people think, collaborate, and pick each other up after a tough loss. I approach culture interviews like a scout at a combine.I'm not just looking at the vertical leap; I'm watching how they interact with the other prospects. I lead every culture interview I can because, as an executive, you need to feel the energy in the room.You need to see if someone has that dog in them. I ask the same core questions to every candidate—not to get a perfect answer, but to see the energy behind it.Who takes a beat to think? Who connects ideas instead of just reciting a rehearsed answer? In an era where ChatGPT can write a résumé and coach someone through a mock interview, consistency is how you cut through the noise and find genuine self-awareness. Some of the most telling moments are when the questions flip.What does the candidate ask me? Are they trying to understand how the team runs its offense, how decisions get made in the clutch? That curiosity is a tell. It shows they're invested in the game, not just their own stat line.I'm scouting for the same core traits everywhere—curiosity, drive, honesty, self-awareness—but how people show those traits changes. Ambition looks different in Milwaukee than it does in Medellín.The framework stays the same, but the conversation has to flex. Skills will change.The tech stack will get updated. But character? That's your franchise player. That's the foundation of a team that can adapt, problem-solve, and win championships together, no matter what new rules the league throws at them.

#hiring

#character

#culture

#AI skills

#corporate strategy

#human resources

#featured

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