Hiring for any position in your organization can be stressful. Whether it’s a managerial role or entry level, adding a new employee to the team takes time, effort, and money. It’s necessary to know what type of employee you need so you can hire the right one the first time to make the hire worth that time, effort, and money.
Naturally, there are certain requirements for different roles in any organization. But there’s more to add to your “ideal candidate” list than just the requirements of the job. Arguably the most important aspect of an employee, besides their ability to perform the job correctly, is the personality they bring to work every day. The list below provides some inspiration for desirable personality traits that you should look for when you’re trying to fill that gap in your team.
- Positive attitude
- Team player
- Self-motivated
- Strong work ethic
- Dependable
- Detail-oriented
- Adaptable
- Good communicator
- Confident in their abilities
- Honest
As an employee assessment company, we know that every job is unique and requires a unique set of personality traits. This list is meant to give you an idea of what personality traits to pay attention to, but it’s crucial to recognize that certain roles may require a greater or lesser amount of said trait.
For example, being a team player is extremely beneficial to your team, but if you are hiring for a role that requires solitude and individual work rather than group work, a candidate that enjoys working with others will not fit that role. Another example would be adaptability. The workplace is ever-changing, so you need an employee that is comfortable with and can handle those changes. However, a candidate that can’t be productive in a structured routine or constantly needs change may not be effective in a role that mostly relies on routine and consistency. Detail-oriented is another trait that has a varying effectiveness depending on the role in question. Those that pay close attention to detail may be good for a quality control-type of position, but in a manager role, being that focused on the details may cause them to neglect the big picture.
All jobs require different personality traits, just as they require different skillsets. Being aware of what the role requires will help you identify the proper personality for the role—and before you know it, the proper person for the role.
