Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

I was in the beautiful state of Alabama yesterday kicking off a full day of training. 

I met the EVP/COO of the credit union. She had worked there 39 years. She started as a secretary, and just kept getting promoted. 

We chatted for ten minutes or so. And then I asked her this.

Looking back at your time at the credit union, what was the one attribute that was most important in a new employee - one that signaled the best potential?

She didn't even hesitate. 

"Attitude," she said. 

It shouldn't have surprised me. I've heard that so many times. 

In fact, I wrote that Southwest seeks candidates with a warrior's spirit. The other two traits Southwest seeks? A servant's heart, and fun-loving. Seems like they are after a certain attitude!

I must admit, though - it is hard to measure attitude in the traditional interview process. So I'm going to do some research and come back to you with some ideas on how to look for attitude in the hiring process. 

I'll leave you with these two questions.

• Does your credit union seek out attitude during the hiring process? How? If you would, please let me know. I can share with others.
• On a scale of one to ten - how well do you hire for attitude?

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I would still love you to complete the survey on 2016 challenges! It should take you about 3 minutes. Many thanks!