What Should You Actually Hire For — Experience, Degree, Attitude… or Personality?

We get this question all the time:

“Do I go for the one with the fancy degree, the one who’s done the job before, or the one who just feels like the right vibe?”

Short answer? It depends.Real answer? Attitude and personality often matter more than anything on paper.

Let’s break it down:

Experience is great when you need someone who can hit the ground running. No hand-holding, no training wheels — just plug in and go.

Degrees are necessary in some fields (law, finance, engineering), sure. But for most roles? They’re a filter — not a guarantee of anything useful in the workplace. And here’s the golden rule: Never let it just be the degree. A real qualification still needs to come with an awesome personality, a positive mindset — and honestly, a little experience doesn’t hurt either.

Attitude is your non-negotiable. Think: coachability, ownership, initiative and the ability to take feedback without falling apart.

Personality is what makes someone a great cultural fit. Do they lift the energy in the room (without being exhausting)? Can they communicate like a human? Do they gel with your team without drama?

Let’s be honest — you can have the world’s most impressive CV, but if you’ve got a crap attitude and your personality clashes with the team? It’s a hard pass.

And no AI tool, degree, or buzzword-filled cover letter can give you honesty, reliability, or someone who just gets in and gets it done.

So what should you hire for?

• Financial controller? Experience first, but don’t ignore their vibe. Finance people don't often get marketing or founder visions.

• Sales gun? Attitude and personality are everything. Make sure they aren't too egotistical and damage the brand.

• Graduate role? Go for mindset and potential over prestige.

The best hires aren’t always the most qualified — they’re the ones who show up, fit in with the current team, bring good energy and learn fast.

Hire the human. Train the skill. Back the mindset. Trust the vibe. Go with your GUT feeling.

That’s the Frankie way.