I was lucky enough to spend over a decade living and working in the beautiful country of Tanzania, East Africa.

But as stunning as it was—the landscapes, the people, the culture—it wasn’t without its challenges.

One of the biggest? Recruiting the right people.

At the time, there were just 400 dentists in the entire country. For a population of 60 million. Half of them worked in government roles or in academia. The rest were clustered in the big cities.

We were recruiting for a small private, social enterprise clinic in the Lake Zone—supporting vital charitable work in remote communities where emergency dental care was desperately needed.

And so, like most people would, we went for the obvious solution.

We hired the most qualified dentists we could find.

It made sense, right? They had the skills, the credentials, the experience.

But it didn’t take long for the cracks to show.

These were technically proficient clinicians. No question. But they didn’t connect. Not with the team. Not with the community. And, if we’re honest, not even with the mission.

For them, it was a job. For us, it was something much bigger. And the result? Low morale, constant friction, and far too much time spent managing behaviour instead of delivering care.

It was frustrating. And draining.

So we stopped. Took a step back. And asked ourselves the uncomfortable question:

What if we’re hiring for the wrong thing?

That’s when things shifted:

We started to hire for attitude, not just for skill.

We looked for people who were curious, open to learning, and actually cared about the work. People who connected with the ‘why’ behind what we were doing. Yes, they still needed the aptitude—the ability to learn, to problem-solve, to work as part of a team—but the real focus became: do they give a damn?

And when we found them, we trained them properly. We invested in them. We gave them the support they needed.

And things changed.

The team gelled. Patients noticed. The community trusted us. The atmosphere shifted from frustration to momentum.

And the best part?

Fifteen years later, that very clinic is still running—now fully operated by the very people we hired back then, under the banner of their own indigenous charity.

Hiring for attitude changed everything.

It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since, especially when working with dental leaders who are stuck in the same cycle I was—trying to find the perfect CV and wondering why it never seems to work out.

So if you’re hiring, or about to, here’s the simple truth:

Skills matter.

But attitude is what makes the team work.

Want more stories and practical advice like this? Join my newsletter here.