Behaviour Drives Performance: Why Hiring for Attitude Matters

Behaviour Drives Performance: Why Hiring for Attitude Matters

Most hiring managers obsess over trailing indicators—qualifications, experience, and past results—while overlooking the key driver of success: behaviour.

To hire top performers, you need to identify the right behaviours for success in your organisation and, crucially, understand how to measure them effectively.

The Limits of Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications indicate that a candidate has the technical capability to do a job, while experience suggests they’ve done it before. These are valuable, but they don’t guarantee high performance.

What truly sets great employees apart is their innate attitudes and behaviours—the qualities that drive them to perform at their best within your organisation’s unique environment.

Applying This Thinking in the Real World

Take a lawyer, for example. Years of study and rigorous exams provide the technical knowledge required. Early in their career, they handle minor cases to build experience. But what determines whether they make Senior Partner? It’s their fact-oriented, logical, and patient nature—their behaviours—that drive success. At Executive Heads we believe that Behaviours truly drive performance.

While this is a broad generalisation, the principle is clear: behaviour drives performance.

What This Means for CEOs and Senior Leaders

When speaking with CEOs, Chairmen, and business owners, I often hear about the qualities they seek in key hires. They want a confident, goal-driven, charismatic CEO to drive revenue, or a structured, analytical Finance Director to ensure sound financial planning.

Yet, when I ask how they measure these crucial traits, the response is often one of two things:

Confusion—because they don’t realise these traits can be measured.

Overconfidence in “gut feel”—because their last instinctive hire worked out well (while conveniently forgetting the nine that didn’t!).

Hiring Smart: Measuring Behaviour for Success

If you’re making a senior or leadership hire, behavioural profiling can help you understand the true needs of the role and your organisation. This ensures your chosen candidate possesses the behaviours necessary to excel.

Without it, you risk another costly hiring mistake.

Using McQuaig Profiling to Build High-Performing Teams

When growing a business, it’s critical to measure and value the behaviours that drive success. McQuaig Profiling provides deep insights into an individual’s attitudes, motivations, and interpersonal skills.

By incorporating McQuaig behavioural assessments into your hiring and development processes, you can:

• Identify candidates who align with your company’s culture and goals.
• Build teams with resilience, adaptability, and collaboration at their core.
• Create a positive work environment that fosters sustainable growth and long-term success.
• Understanding Different Behavioural Profiles

Every organisation needs a mix of behaviours to thrive. Below are some common McQuaig behavioural profiles:

The Generalist – Competitive, ambitious, goal-oriented; thrives in fast-paced environments.

The Pioneer – Seeks responsibility and authority; analytical and task-focused.

The Persuader – Optimistic and charismatic; excellent at influencing others.

The Administrator – Logical and structured; excels at predictable, routine tasks.

The Balanced – Versatile and adaptable; fits well into most situations.

The Specialist – Detail-focused and reliable; thrives in process-driven roles.

The Co-Operator – Sociable and cooperative; excellent team player.

The Enthusiast – Highly conscientious and rule-following.

The Transition – Experiencing personal change; may display temporary unpredictability.

Workplace Behaviours: Key Insights & Statistics

Data highlights the importance of positive behaviours in the workplace:

• 79% of UK employees report moderate-to-high stress levels, with younger workers (16-24) and women experiencing the most stress.

• 25% of UK employees (around 8 million people) have experienced workplace conflict in the past year, impacting engagement, productivity, and wellbeing.

• Organisations that provide mental health training for managers see a 30% reduction in mental health-related absences.

• Companies that foster open communication and mental health awareness achieve a 20% higher employee retention rate.

So… How could we support your business?

If you want to hire and develop high performers, you must measure and value the behaviours that drive success—not just qualifications and experience. By using behavioural profiling, you can make smarter hiring decisions, build stronger teams, and create a work environment that fuels performance and growth.

Want to find out how behavioural profiling can help your organisation? Let’s talk.