Searching for a job is a very stressful task. Most people on the hunt for a new career position spend hours perfecting every minute detail on their resume and walk into an interview having spent ample time researching the company and its previous work. But, recent studies show that it might not necessarily be your years of experience or preparation that determine the final decision of whether or not you get hired.
Seventy eight percent of the five hundred business leaders surveyed by Hyper Island ranked personality as the most important priority to consider when interviewing job candidates. Johanna Frelin, CEO of Hyper Island, cited this surprising trend as being yet another side effect of the changing digital landscape, attributing personality of employees as a key component of an operating business. The chemistry of a workforce does have a huge impact on organizational culture and day to day functions. While competition for jobs are fierce, competence alone is not enough to guarantee your dream job.
Hyper Island CEO Johanna Frelin explains on the Hyper Island site:
“What we found most compelling about this research is how clearly it highlights that personality, not competence, is the determining factor of who’s going to get the most attractive jobs among tomorrow’s recruits. Also, 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.”
So, perhaps we should all be practicing our personable traits and honing our conversational skills rather than trying to sell a laundry listed set of LinkedIn worthy skills and prior experiences. Personality seems to be trumping competency in the new corporate environment.
