In her article for Inc Magazine, Hiring? Personality Trumps Skills, Jessica Stillman reported on a survey of 500 professionals conducted by Hyper Island. The title should give you some idea of what they found .
They found that behavioral assessments are critical when looking for the right employee.
The article reports that 78 percent of respondents put “personality” over “cultural alignment” which came in at 53 percent, and “skill-set” at 39 percent when it came to the most desirable quality for a new hire. The skills that were most valued were “drive” (14 percent), “creativity” (12 percent), and an “open mind” (11 percent).
Hyper Island CEO Johanna Frelin is quoted in the article as saying:
“There is a growing desire for talent with a unique combination of skill and flexibility—people who can collaborate, adapt quickly, and are enjoyable company, but also have the drive to get things done. All those traits boil down to a personality that is essential for businesses operating in an ever-changing digital landscape. Thus, specific competence is less important.”
Hiring for skills alone does not always make it in today’s workplace.Skills do count, but what comes with those skills needs to be considered also. Even for highly technical roles, skill set match does not guarantee success. It’s important to consider what we call the Third Level of assessment, which goes beyond what a person can do and identifies what they will do.
If you want to learn more about how behavioual assessments can help you find the right employee ask us for a free demo. Or you can register for this free webinar.
What’s your number one criteria when looking for a new employee? Let us know in the comments below.