Hodges is extremely intelligent, but also arrogant. Much of the team finds him obnoxious and irritating. He has a sarcastic and slightly morbid sense of humor during investigations, which he in Wild Flowers says is a defense mechanism. In later seasons, he becomes more appreciated; in Play Dead, Julie describes him as "an awkward Jon Stewart".
He often tries to ingratiate himself to Grissom, who occasionally does acknowledge Hodges' expertise. He was devastated when Grissom left the lab, and initially only begrudgingly accepted Raymond Langston as a member of the CSI team, though he became more accepting of him later.
Hodges is extremely dedicated to the lab, believing that he can't be in a relationship because it would undermine his commitment to the lab.