When it comes to hiring entry-level employees, most hiring managers will place their focus more on the attributes an individual possess, over skills. Training can be given to those who they chose to hire, so skills can be learnt on the job, however personal traits that make up what someone is like as a person may influence how they behave and perform as an employee.
This infographic by Bridge, outlines the finding of a recent study by Instructure, that investigated which factors managers take into consideration when hiring, which attributes are most important, and how they perceive employee competence.
Takeaways:
- The top attributes that a manager looks for in a new entry-level employee are a good work ethic, the ability to work well in a team and professionalism. Though the characteristics that the least new hires actually possess are the ability to manage time, critical thinking and problem solving and the capability to communicate well with people.
- When asked about the most and least important traits an employee must have, 85% of managers surveyed said that work ethic is crucial, whereas 79% said that prestigious schooling wasn’t particularly relevant.
- 85% of managers think that they provide effective training for new employees; however only 8% of managers believe that entry-level employees are prepared to immediately contribute to their organisation.
- 29% of managers think that team work can be trained and 27% think that technical/trade skills can. On the other hand, only 13% think that interpersonal skills and time management can be taught.
- Overall, most companies hire talent based on their soft skills, such as their attitude towards their work and personality traits, rather than technical skills and industry knowledge that they can be taught on the job.
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