Our research, scientifically backed studies, and decades of experience have led us to 10 key traits you should be looking for when hiring your next 'A-Player.'
Effective Communication.
Clear articulation of thoughts and ideas, understanding the importance of listening, and adapting communication-based on the audience.
A study by ZenHR found that effective team communication and collaboration increase employee retention by 4.5 times and that more informed employees have 77% higher work productivity than less informed workers.
Cultural Fit.
Aligning with the company's core values, mission, and workplace culture, ensuring a harmonious integration into the team.
There’s a 48.4% chance of job turnover where company culture is low (Columbia University), while a highly engaged organization can see 18% higher revenue per employee (Gallup) and are 12% more productive when they're happy (University of Warwick).
In a study by Robert Half, a majority of workers across North America said their ideal corporate culture is supportive or team-oriented, though most described their company as traditional.
Adaptability.
The ability to adjust to new situations and changes in the work environment, especially in rapidly evolving industries.
Survival of the Fittest: Charles Darwin's studies are incredibly applicable in the workplace as well as in evolution..."It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
That is why a 2020 Harvard Business School survey showed that 71% of 1,500 executives from more than 90 countries said adaptability was the most important quality they looked for in a leader.
Team Player Attitude
Demonstrates the ability to work cohesively with colleagues, valuing collaboration over individual recognition.
Just one "bad apple" fit on the team can lead to turnover as Atlassian found that 26% of individuals surveyed said that a current bad team player on their team is making them more likely to leave the company they work for.
Employees want "deep fun" not "shallow fun" (aka - a ping-pong table in the breakroom). In a study by Asana Labs, their research found that employees see fun as intimately linked with working on difficult problems. Employees said that, for them, fun looked like:
Diverse discussions with hard-to-swallow topics
Work-related brainstorming sessions with colleagues
Time for creative thinking with a colleague or as a group
Continuous Learning
An innate curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning, always seeking to expand their knowledge and skills.
In a survey IBM conducted with more than 5,250 executives in 37 countries, they found that today the half-life of a learned skill, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, is just 5 years, meaning half of the knowledge associated with those skills would become irrelevant within that time. It's even shorter for technical skills and used to be 10-15 years not that long ago.
Emotional Intelligence
Understanding, managing, and responding to emotions, both individually and in interpersonal situations.
About 58% of job success is attributed to emotional intelligence according to TalentSmart while Multi Health Systems found that managers with high emotional intelligence ratings bring in 20% more annual revenue.
Proactive Initiative
Not just waiting for instructions but actively seeking ways to improve processes, take on new tasks, or solve impending challenges.
In a finding by Gallup, highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability, a 41% reduction in absenteeism, and 59% less turnover.
Every study we've found shows that proactive initiatives among team members create higher engagement, deeper workplace purposes, and achievement of common goals.
Plus, proactive employees rate higher in empowerment, leadership, prevention and solution finding, stress levels, organization, and more.
Client / Customer Focused
Recognizing the importance of customer satisfaction and striving to meet or exceed their needs and expectations in all interactions.
Hiring customer service-centric people is vital, no matter the role. Studies find that organizations with customer service-centric people
drive more revenue (companies focusing on customer experience increase their revenue by 80% - Zippia)
create more brand loyalty (96% of customers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand - Microsoft)
cultivate healthier and more engaged teams (companies with initiatives to improve their customer experience see employee engagement increase by 20% on average - McKinsey)
Plus, according to HubSpot, investing in customer service opens up new revenue streams.
Reliability
Consistency in performance, punctuality, and meeting deadlines, ensuring trustworthiness in their role.
While plenty of studies show the cost associated with unreliable employees - like loss of production, pay for hours not worked, and more, the biggest cost is how it conflicts with every other trait we've just reviewed. If you are unreliable, you are less likely to truly possess any of these other 9 traits.
The Importance of Evaluating for Soft Skills!
These traits often differentiate outstanding employees from average ones. Recognizing these traits in potential candidates can be instrumental in securing top talent for your organization. This is why we spend so much time and research on our candidates discovering their soft skills, in addition to their hard skills. Learn more about how we dig in deep through our Combine evaluation program here.
What are the top things you look for when interviewing a candidate?