Personality-based hiring remains one of the biggest “hot button” issues in employment.  To some, it sounds suspiciously like favoritism; to others, the risks of hiring the candidate that managers like most over the candidate with the strongest skills sound too steep for the company to endure.

But companies that abandon personality-based hiring entirely are missing out.  Skills and experience matter, but a candidate whose personality is not a good fit for your company won’t stick around long enough to use those skills to your benefit.

1. Teamwork maximizes the value of technical skills.
   Many professionals spend years learning and honing technical skills as engineers, attorneys, or in other fields.  Even the best skill set, however, goes only so far when an employee’s ability to work within a particular team is limited.

   Teamwork allows professionals to maximize the value of their skills by generating new ideas, combining strengths, and bringing multiple perspectives to a complex project.  Building a strong team depends upon matching compatible personalities, making a focus on personality while hiring a paramount consideration.

   When adding a member to a team, consider including the other team members in the hiring process.  You may include them in a formal interview or in an informal “getting to know you” setting.

2. Good cultural “fit” equals longevity.
   Employees who like their jobs and their coworkers want to stay where they are.  Candidates who feel like they “click” with coworkers and supervisors are more likely to take initiative, float new ideas, and seek out learning opportunities, confident that their employer supports their efforts.

   But employees who feel like a “fish out of water” lack the incentive to do anything…except look for the right “pond” for them.  Avoid the substantial hidden costs of high turnover by finding candidates who swim comfortably in your company’s cultural waters.

3. Personality can be the deciding factor.
   When the pool of applicants is a healthy one, your top candidates may all have similar credentials.  Choosing on the basis of skills and experience alone can be nearly impossible when all your choices share the same strong background.

When you’re in this position, adding personality to the mix can make a tough decision easy.  In this case, make sure you introduce each candidate to a number of people: hiring managers, supervisors, co-workers.

At ABA Search & Staffing, our experienced recruiters can help you find the people with the skills your company needs and the personality to thrive within your organizational culture.  Contact us today to learn more.