Even though some statistics are showing that the recession has bottomed out, unemployment numbers are still creeping upwards. One way for job candidates to level the playing field is to display the types of qualities that hiring managers and human resource personnel are looking for.
What are the qualities that interviews look for in job candidates?
A well-written resume can help a candidate get their foot in the door for an interview. It is during an interview
that a candidate can display the qualities that interviewers are looking for. It’s not easy to pinpoint what
interviewers want. A candidate may be confronted with as many different approaches as there are interviewers.
However, here are qualities for across the board:
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People with a lot of energy,
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People who channel that energy into work,
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Evidence of role awareness,
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Inner motivation,
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Emotional maturity,
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Ability to finish tasks,
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Desire to do a quality job
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Compability with other team members,
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Loyalty to the cause.
An example would b e a candidates’s energy level, and how that level translates into work. Job candidates
can exude vigo, enthusiasm, and drive during the interview. The next step would be tying that energy to
something the candidate did in their last job, something that shows how their drive translated into success.
For those with no work experience, a part-time job or a hobby that is work-oriented would show a hiring
manager that the candidate has a high drive level.
Candidates who present themselves for interviews should be aware that they are onstage. If the candidate is
at all sensitive to the expectations of corporate life, he or she will have dressed with care and got the rest of
their act together too. If a candidate arrives in attire more suitable for a golf outing than a corporate setting,
then it will immediately infer that they lack role awareness.
People mature physically, intellectually, and emotionally. But spotting maturity can be difficult. According to
hiring managers, the best index of maturity is consideration and concern for the well-being of other people.
Three excellent clues to a candidates’s maturity are work judgment, personal finances, and the number of past
employers over a given span of time.
Self-starter skills was another qualit that also received high marks from interviewers. Managers want
employees that take the initiative and want to do a good job. Being proactive is an excellent trait,
especially when it is consistent with the company’s mission.
Solid communication skills get a high rating regardless of the job being applied for. Having the ability to
communicate effectively across different levels is no longer desireable, it is a necessity. A “super worker” is
limited if they can’t communicate well with a customer to develop a new concept.
This includes strong verbal and written communication skills.
Honesty and integrity became popluar qualities with the recent scandals regarding business ethics, such as
Enron. Interviewers, cognizant of new legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, assess potential
employees’ honesty along with their ability to make sound business decisions.
Many of the employers resonding to the survey stated that these qualities were more than just tie-breakers.
A little more than 26 percent of employers stated that they would hire a candidate with weaker technical
skills in their particular field if they displayed very strong skills in the qualities listed.
Displaying these qualities is important for current employees as well as job candidates. The Source of Hire
study noted that 30 percent of jobs would be filled by internal transfers and promotions. What that means is
that the same skill set that gets a candidates foot in the door is the same set that will get the next step up the
company ladder.
Online Sources–Source of Hire Study at www.workforce.com
Traits IT managers look for at articles.techrepublic.com.
