According to an international survey conducted by Hyper Island, employers are becoming far more interested in personality than skills when it comes to making new hires. This, according to the survey, is even important when it comes to high-skill roles. 78 percent of respondents said that personality was the most desirable quality in a new employee, beating out skill sets and cultural alignment by a wide margin. After all, skills can always be learned and improved upon. It is impossible, however to train people in personality. That’s why it’s so important to select candidates with personalities that complement those of your existing team members.
The Influence of Personality on Work
Personality traits have an influence on the way in which an employee approaches work. Personality can have an impact on the type of work they are good at, and the work environments in which they will excel. Most personality traits can be grouped into six categories:
- Working With Others: Is the individual outgoing, introverted, independent, consultative, etc.
- Energy and Drive: How does the individual set goals and work towards achieving those goals? Are they persistent and ambitious, or are they more comfortable with the status quo?
- Work Style: Does the individual prefer structured or relaxed environments? Are they detail oriented? How dependable are they?
- Problem Solving: How does the individual analyze information and develop solutions?
- Stress and Pressure Management: Is the individual reactionary, or do they cope well under pressure?
- Change Management Capabilities: Does change throw the individual off, or are they able to regroup quickly in new situations?
In order to hire a person with the “right” personality, it will be essential for hiring managers to know the traits that complement the existing team, as well as the traits required for the specific job.
How To Hire On Personality
Hiring on personality is far easier said than done. Personality isn’t always easy to gauge in an interview, as interviews put candidates under a great deal of stress. Even the most easy-going people can become nervous balls of energy in an interview. In order to get an accurate read on someone’s personality, many hiring managers make use of tools like the Myers-Briggs personality indicator test. It can also be useful to pay attention to a candidate’s personality throughout the course of the interview process. It is likely that as they move through each stage of interviewing, they loosen up, giving a better indication of their true nature.
Nontraditional interviewing can also be a good tool to help gauge personality. Many companies are moving towards these “out-of-the-box” methods to help them determine how well a new employee will fit in with the team. Interviewers may take the candidate out for lunch, or may invite the candidate to a happy hour with the team to see how that person meshes with other members of the group.
If your enterprise software organization needs help matching up the right personalities to the right jobs, particularly in sales, Strategic Search Solutions can help. We are a niche recruiting agency that focuses our efforts on the enterprise software vertical. We can help you locate, attract, hire, and retain the right candidates with the rights skills and personalities to help drive sales. If you are looking to develop an outside team or inside team with the right type of industry experience to be successful, contact us today to learn more about our process.