Personality Overtakes Skills in Hiring Decisions, Survey Finds
Event summary
- 86% of U.S. hiring managers say personality can overcome skills gaps, per an Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
- 91% of hiring managers believe personality matters as much as skills in the hiring process.
- 99% of hiring managers and 90% of job seekers agree that a positive personality can accelerate career advancement.
- Informal interactions, situational questions, and behavioral interviews are the top methods for assessing personality.
- Reliability, honesty, adaptability, flexibility, and self-motivation are the most valued traits by both hiring managers and job seekers.
The big picture
The survey highlights a significant shift in hiring priorities, with personality traits increasingly outweighing technical skills. This trend reflects broader industry movements towards cultural fit and soft skills as critical factors in employee success and retention. The findings suggest that companies are placing greater emphasis on traits that foster teamwork, adaptability, and long-term cultural alignment, potentially reshaping how talent is evaluated and developed.
What we're watching
- Hiring Criteria Shift
- How the emphasis on personality over skills will impact hiring practices and workforce composition.
- Generational Perceptions
- Whether the generational differences in self-perceived traits will affect hiring outcomes.
- Career Progression
- The pace at which personality traits influence career advancement and organizational culture.