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  • Publish Date: Posted almost 11 years ago
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​Last week, Liverpool striker Luis Suárez accepted a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. The incident has sparked much debate – even David Cameron had an opinion – with some pushing for him to be sacked and others recognising that he would be a real loss to the team. As a Liverpool fan myself, I was as disappointed as anyone with what happened. But, no matter what your views, can you learn anything from this for your business?

There’s no doubt that Suárez is a great footballer. But, by acting on impulse, his actions will now have a longer term effect on the club as he won’t play again until September. In the same way, if a high performing member of your staff behaved inappropriately, it could have an overall detrimental impact on your business. For instance, if an employee was rude either to a colleague or customer, it could damage morale, influence productivity and harm your brand. Yes, we’re all guilty of saying/doing things in the heat of the moment, but it’s fundamental that everyone in the team is able to be professional in the workplace, whether that’s on the football pitch or in an office.

This is an important point to remember when it comes to hiring. An applicant may appear to be perfect on paper, but if there’s a level of arrogance and a lack of respect for others, for example, they may disrupt the balance and culture of your team. As such, it’s imperative that you spend as much time in the recruitment process assessing for personality traits as you would for qualifications, experience and skills.

At ConSol, we recognise that one of the most important qualities is attitude. If a candidate has the right approach, they can be moulded to become the best they can be, but an experienced individual with the wrong attitude won’t benefit your team in the long run. An employee may be fantastic at what they do, but if their actions are going to impact negatively on the rest of the team, they aren’t the perfect hire. So it really is worth taking the time to consider what you really need from your top talent.