Survey: Personality Matters as Much as Skills in the Hiring Process

New research finds that a candidate’s personality matters as much as skills in the hiring process, if not more.

In a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey of 1,006 hiring decision makers, 91% of respondents said that an applicant’s personality should carry as much weight as their skills and expertise, with 86% saying that a candidate’s personality can even outweigh their skills gap.

Personality can help a candidate excel once they’re on the job as well, according to the poll, which saw 78% of hiring managers saying that personality is at least “very important” to thriving within an organization. In addition, 29% said they consider it “absolutely essential” to an employee’s long-term success.

How are hiring managers assessing a potential hire’s personality? According to a statement highlighting the findings, employers often rely on moments outside prepared interview questions to assess whether a candidate’s personality is a fit for their organization’s culture.

Informal interactions—small talk before or after an interview, how candidates interact with administrative staff, for instance—were the methods most commonly cited by hiring managers (61%).

Such exchanges can prove crucial. For example, 87% of hiring managers said they can tell from the first conversation whether an applicant will succeed if hired.

“Every employee has an effect on the workplace beyond the responsibilities listed in a job description,” said Bob Funk Jr., CEO, president and chairman of Express Employment International, in a statement.

“The right personality can build trust, make change easier to navigate and raise the standard for how a team works together. That is why employers see personality as more than a hiring advantage. It is representative of the [organizational] culture.”