Organisations should invest more in selection to attract the best people and avoid those purely motivated by money, according to Will Hutton, chief executive of The Work Foundation and chair of the Big Innovation Centre.

Replying to a question at LINK, talent measurement firm SHL’s second annual customer conference held in London last week, as to how recruiters can recognise the difference between those with ‘decent values’ and those motivated by greed and financial gain, Hutton said: “It starts with purpose.

“The best people are not motivated by money, they wish to leave a footprint to do something from which they make a lot of money. The best people know that.”

Referring to the biographies of property magnate Donald Trump and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Hutton argued that both were motivated by other things than money. 

“Steve Jobs wanted to make perfect beautiful Apple kit,” said Hutton, while Trump, he added, “loves to do deals and build great buildings”.

Hutton urged organisations to pay more attention to selecting the right people.

“I always think that we should invest much more than we do in selection because once they are in it is jolly hard to manage them out,” said Hutton.