Find out what personality traits and qualities recruiters and hiring managers look for, and what "X factor" will win them over.
Recruitment is getting more automated. Many of the legwork is done by applicant tracking systems, which use keywords and algorithms to shortlist prospective individuals. Nonetheless, there is a particularly human side to the hiring process.
Employers are searching for the person behind the resume, not just the ideal resume. The ideal candidate for the position and the team. And to do so, they take into account a complex set of features and qualities that work together to produce the ideal candidate for the position.
But what exactly is this success recipe? We created a survey in order to gather some hard figures on what constitutes the ideal professional. Over 200 hiring managers and recruiters shared their thoughts on the most significant characteristics and attributes they look for in a candidate.
Here's what they said.
First Impressions Are Important
The name gives the game away. Personal characteristics and attributes cannot be properly described in writing. They must be evaluated in person. When it comes to recruitment, that assessment begins the moment you meet the recruiter or hiring manager.
You've probably heard every cliché about first impressions. "You never have a second chance to make a first impression," "a handshake may reveal a lot about someone," and so on. These sayings, however, contain a powerful core of truth. People form opinions based on those crucial initial seconds of meeting.
According to some research, it just takes a tenth of a second to begin judging important personality attributes like trustworthiness. And our own data supports the significance of first impressions. With only 1% actively disagreeing, an overwhelming majority of 85% of our respondents felt that it is a significant aspect in the hiring choice.
Is The First Impression A Candidate Creates Significant In Selecting Whether Or Not To Hire Them?
So it's critical to make the most of that brief window of opportunity, which can range from the first 30 seconds of a meeting depending on the study. And what should you concentrate on in those vital opening seconds? We think it's the "niceness factor." To get off to a good start, project confidence and trustworthiness.
It's also supported by science.
We also inquired how our respondents validated their first impressions. Because this was an open-ended topic, we received a wide range of responses, but body language and personal appearance were recurring themes.
Again, this directly relates to the critical need of trustworthiness and confidence. Nonverbal communication, which can account for up to 50% of what we communicate to others, is influenced by body language and personal appearance. And it is a fundamental and primal aspect of how we perceive people.
“You can tell whether you like someone and whether others will like them fairly soon.”
To summarise, people are judging you, but you can make a good first impression by exuding confidence and trust from the time you walk in the door. The big one is finally here. What precise attributes do employers look for in a candidate once the first impression is made?
Top 10 Most Important Characteristics
- Qualities of a candidate as determined by Recruiters and Hiring Managers
1. Loyalty
2. Integrity
3. Sincerity
4. Adaptability
5. Kindness
6. Patience
7. Persistence
8. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
9. Tolerance
10. Open-Mindedness
We asked our respondents what qualities they look for in a potential employee. They could choose up to five attributes, and these were their top ten.
They were very much what you'd anticipate, with loyalty and integrity topping the list. Dedication to your employer, as well as honesty and strong moral beliefs, are required for success in the great majority of workplaces, thus this comes as no surprise.
‘What's most noticeable is that the "niceness factor," which we've already discussed, feeds through to the most desired personality attributes. Sincerity, kindness, patience, emotional intelligence, tolerance, and open-mindedness are all excellent candidate characteristics.’
It is not enough to demonstrate that you will be good at your profession; you must also demonstrate that you are a decent person. It's not only us that believe this. A study published in Perspectives in Psychological Science examined massive data sets of HR information to determine which personality qualities companies respect the most.
They also used data from the Department of Labor's O*NET database, which is a comprehensive aggregator of occupational characteristics and labour requirements from across the United States.
In both situations, they discovered that the most valued attributes fell into two major categories. Consciousness and agreeability. So it's evident that commitment, work ethic, and the all-important "niceness factor" are essential. We'd even go so far as to suggest that agreeableness is the one "X factor" that everyone requires in order to succeed.
We also wanted to see if desired attributes in a candidate were universal or varied based on the seniority of the post being interviewed for. Here's what we found out.
- Employers Look for Different Qualities Depending on Seniority Level
1. Detail Oriented
2. Quick Learner
3. Self-Starter
4. Team Player
5. Go-Getter
6. Dependable
7. With a Proven Track Record
8. Working Hard
9. Results Driven
As a result, it appears that some characteristics are valued equally regardless of role seniority. Being a team player, dependability, a demonstrated track record, and hard effort were valued at all levels. After all, these are characteristics that every good employee should have.
However, there were a few notable changes. Notably, being detail-oriented was valued by twice as many respondents for entry-level employment as it was for senior posts. This makes complete sense. Entry-level personnel are more likely to be involved in detailed, everyday tasks that need attention to minor details, which is a defining trait of leadership and management.
Another intriguing conclusion is that the emphasis placed on being a quick learner rises from entry-level to junior levels, but then falls from junior to senior. At first glance, this appears contradictory, but it corresponds exactly with the idealised form of a learning curve, the S-Curve or Sigmoid function.
‘In plain English, learning should ideally begin with little steps (entry-level), progress to larger steps (junior), and then return to smaller stages as the learning activity hits its limits (senior). So, for junior/mid-level employment, the capacity to adapt rapidly is critical.’
Finally, we discovered a significant difference in the need to be results-driven from entry-level to senior roles. Again, it may seem contradictory at first, but senior and leadership positions must place a higher emphasis on results. The buck stops with them, and they are ultimately responsible for the outcomes of their teams.
But we wanted to delve a little deeper. Knowing what companies want is one thing, but how do they go about determining if you have what it takes?
Putting Personality To The Test
Recruiters know exactly what they want from a recruit. But do they go beyond that gut instinct to create a formal assessment of a potential employee's personality traits?
Our findings show that a sizable majority of them do. Approximately 55% of our respondents employ personality tests or psychological profiling approaches to detect desired personality qualities in candidates.
Personality Traits Identification
Do you employ personality testing or psychological profiling procedures to discover applicants who possess the desired personality traits?
Surprisingly, we identified a gender divide in the application of these strategies. Male recruiters were more inclined to use personality tests, with 55% of respondents using them compared to 44% of women. There was also a significant age disparity. Only 14% of hiring managers aged 57 and more would employ profiling approaches, compared to 51% of those aged 24-39.
Conclusion
The recruitment process is still very human, and you will be rated based on your first impression. But, happily, making a good first impression and demonstrating the most critical traits required for the job all boil down to one thing. The niceness quotient.
Conscientiousness and agreeableness are the crucial "X factors" that companies want in a candidate. It really is that easy.