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Comment on Ask HN: Would you hire someone whose very smart but annoying?

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No. The suggestion I give all my clients is to first pass every potential recruit through a 'Family Photo Fit' - ie, will they fit in with the rest of your team. If not, then their skills, relationships, intelligence etc won't have a chance to be leveraged.

I think Branson has written about 'hiring for attitude, training for skills' which is along the same vein.

Annoying team members are bad. If you have a bad performer who is disruptive, it's bad for your business; if you have a good performer who is disruptive, it is many multiples worse as their behavious starts to become accepted by others who want to also perform at their level.

But definitely be open about the 'non-match' on your organisation's culture - there are possibly other businesses there where he would fit better, and at least it gives him a chance at become more aware of those hardwired elements.

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