Technical skills matter, but they can be taught. What can't be taught is whether someone genuinely cares about helping people. Whether they take ownership of problems. Whether they communicate honestly when things go wrong. We've learned to hire for these qualities first.
The best hire we ever made was someone with less technical experience than other candidates. But they had curiosity, integrity, and a genuine interest in client outcomes. Within a year, they'd caught up technically and surpassed people who'd looked better on paper. Character beats credentials.
