Top 10 Traits Hiring Managers Look For in a New Hire

Guest Post by Matt Shealy

Hiring new employees is a costly and time-consuming job for most companies. Although deciding who is a good fit for each new position can be difficult, here are the top 10 traits hiring managers tend to look for in new hires:

1. Expressing a natural curiosity

Some people are naturally curious about almost everything in the world around them. They want to know why ants build bridges with their body, why dew sits on leaves, or why sticky notes don’t stop sticking. This type of interviewee makes a hiring manager smile because it’s an easy decision to hire a curious person.

2. Fitting into company culture

Each type of company has its own culture, mood, and requirements. For an individual to fit in, there are certain parameters of both strengths, self-awareness, and individuality that can help grow the company without disrupting the existing culture. That is why you often hear a hiring manager declare the person wasn’t the right fit for the job. It was all about fitting into the existing company culture.

3. Earning advanced degrees

A person that loves to learn can enter the workforce with enthusiasm and new ways of thinking. That is why hiring managers offer special consideration for individuals with an advanced degree. As a person works through the educational atmosphere, he or she often learns how to solve problems and think in unique ways. This can be vital for some distinctive positions within a company.

4. Showing integrity

Having integrity covers a huge spectrum of values, including honesty, trust, honor, and goodness. Although many hiring managers claim it’s difficult to judge a new hire’s integrity after only a 30-minute conversation, other interviewers assert that some people have an air of goodness around them. No matter which side you believe, integrity is high on the list of most sought after traits in a new corporate hire.

5. Having a creative mindset

The creative mindset is a rare thing in a world that likes cookie-cutter solutions. The creative mind tends to look at the difficult scenarios and ask himself or herself, “What am I meant to learn from this experience?” and then creatively change the outcome. This mindset is not something easily understood, so when a potential hire comes in with a creative mindset, they are almost always employed when they leave the interview.

6. Approaching life positively

If two possible hires are interviewed and found to have the same experience and skill levels, the one with the most positive approach to life is seen as more qualified for the position. Speaking about previous bosses, team members, or positions within a company can demonstrate a pessimistic or negative attitude — and the attitude speaks volumes. Positivity can get you hired!

7. Working well in a team

Finding a person who can work well with others is often difficult in this world of self-importance and personal focus. Interpersonal skills and team building can be critical to a properly functioning workplace environment. A person who knows how to communicate within a group is a valuable asset to any department in the corporate world, and hiring managers know it.

8. Demonstrating persistence

When asked to describe themselves, few hiring candidates offer the term persistent, yet that is one of the most sought-after traits that a majority of hiring personnel look for in a potential employee. A persistent person finds a solution to the problem or situation, even if it is a difficult challenge. They are dedicated to a seemingly impossible task, which makes them invaluable.

9. Being loyal

Turnover is a huge problem no matter how large or small your business is. Training an individual only to lose him or her to another company can deal a huge blow to the flow of your business. Although job-hopping is frequent, hiring managers are quick to point out that there are some people who show brand loyalty, and just like their parents before them, they want to work with a company for the foreseeable future. These individuals are the backbone of many corporations.

10. Spreading happiness

Sometimes you run across a person who exudes happiness, no matter what they are doing. When hiring managers encounter this type of person, they want to hire them on the spot. Enthusiasm spreads, and the eagerness to participate with joy in each new adventure can help bolster a team and improve attitudes when a project gets bogged down. Thus, this type of employee spreads happiness.

The above list is only a few of the many traits hiring managers look for in a new hire. How many of them do you possess?

Matt Shealy is the President of ChamberofCommerce.com. Shealy specializes in helping small businesses grow their business on the web while facilitating the connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.