When I conduct training sessions I always tell managers they should adopt this philosophy: Hire for attitude, train for skills.

We discuss the fact that a majority of employee terminations are the result of poor character traits and not technical incompetence. When necessary, I refer to research that supports this conclusion, but I find the real-life experiences shared among the participants are always more convincing than the research data.

The sticking point for most managers is uncovering character traits during the job interview. As the job candidate, what can you say during the interview that will convince the employer you’re the kind of person they want to hire? Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s hard to describe, but I know it when I see it.”

Here are some examples that reflect that great attitude:

I recently attended a fundraising event at a local golf course. On the ninth hole they were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for the participants. By the time we reached this oasis, it was late in the day and all the food was prepared. Three young men were standing around the grill with very little to do. Two of them were sitting down having a conversation, but I noticed one of the fellows picked up a towel and began to clean the grill. There was no supervisor telling him what to do, he simply took the initiative to start scrubbing the grill and to collect garbage.

I introduced myself to the young man and gave him my business card. I told him that if he ever needed a reference for a job interview it would be my pleasure to explain how he took the initiative to begin cleaning up without being asked. I explained to him that the way people behave when no one is watching is the most accurate reflection of who they are. He looked at me with a smile and was genuinely surprised by my comments. He then told me how his siblings were given household chores to complete before they were allowed to play video games, and they were both excellent students. This “get it done” attitude was instilled at a very early age.

One of my favorite books in the training profession is “Telling Ain’t Training.” Its premise is that simply telling people what to do is not an effective teaching strategy. It’s also not very effective in a job interview. Don’t just tell me what you’ve done; show me what you’ve done. Sharing a story that demonstrates you have excellent organizational skills is much more believable than simply telling me, “Oh yes, I’m very organized.”

I once asked a candidate to describe his organizational skills, and he told me he was a single parent with six children. What followed was an impressive description of how they organize all the family tasks each morning before the school bus arrives. They have color-coded lunch boxes, the clothes are organized the night before and the older children are responsible for helping the younger siblings get ready before breakfast. We hired this person, and I can assure you that his work area and assignments were extremely well-organized and he rarely missed a deadline.

Character traits follow us from our personal lives into our jobs. There always will be exceptions, but if you don’t take pride in the quality of work you perform around the house, than it’s unlikely that you will suddenly adhere to a much higher standard at the office. My dad told me that the quality of my work is my signature. If you’re going to take the time to do something, do it right or don’t bother doing it at all.

Before your next job interview think about all those examples that reflect your character and work traits. Most should be work-related, but you should also share personal examples. The attitude you bring to work starts long before you reach the employee parking lot. Once we get past the basic skills, it’s a positive attitude that will win you the job. Don’t just tell me you have a positive attitude, find creative ways to show me you’re the right person for the job.

Kaminski is president of Stone Associates Training. He is an HR consultant with 35 years of experience in the employment field, teaching managers the art of hiring great employees. He also is an adjunct instructor at Keuka College. You can contact him with your questions, suggestions and comments at bill@stoneassociatestraining.com.