Balancing Personality and Experience in Candidate Screening

Posted on February 15, 2024

At the beginning of every search, we conduct an extensive kick-off call to dive into the exact need and person we are searching for to fill that need. One of the big questions we always ask is, “Are you looking for the right person or the right experience?”. This helps us determine if they value years of experience or are more focused on finding someone who fits in well with their team. It’s a real dilemma for hiring managers and HR folks, and now it’s even trickier with remote work, changing employee expectations, and evolving business needs. Finding the right balance between a candidate’s personality and work history is important because it directly affects your team’s vibe and potential. But how can you do this in a way that boosts performance and keeps your company culture unique? Let’s talk about this crucial part of the hiring process that can seriously impact your organization’s success.

Personality Over Experience

In a recent survey we posted on LinkedIn, 70% of the respondents said they’d prefer a job candidate with a strong personality who fits the company culture, even over a more qualified but less engaging candidate with the right experience. Lots of factors influence this shift in what employers are looking for. While extensive experience is still valued, organizations have realized the importance of a positive attitude and the ability to gel with the company’s culture. After all, skills can be taught, but getting along well with the team can make the difference between a new hire who shines and one who quickly leaves.

The Pitfalls of Personality-Driven Hiring

Emphasizing personality fit isn’t without its risks. Some companies fall into the trap of hiring candidates solely based on how well they seem to fit the culture, which can lead to everyone thinking the same way and lack of diversity. It’s also important for hiring managers to tell the difference between a genuinely good fit and their own biases affecting their judgment. Moreover, personality assessments are becoming more common in the hiring process. While these assessments can offer valuable insights into a candidate’s disposition, they can unintentionally exclude qualified candidates if not properly used. It’s important to remember that you’re not hiring for friends but for a team that brings different perspectives and skills to the table. So, when assessing candidates, the key is to consider each person as a whole, giving due weight to their experience and personality dynamics without favoring one over the other.

Cultivating a Balanced Interview Process

How do you achieve this balance in practice? The interview stage is your best chance to gauge a candidate’s technical skills and their fit within the team. Start by clearly understanding what the role requires and what personality traits would complement the existing team dynamics. Use a mix of structured and unstructured interview questions to delve into a candidate’s skills and their behavioral tendencies. Include methods like situational judgment tests or job simulations to see how a candidate would approach tasks and problems in a real-world scenario. Get input from multiple team members to ensure objectivity and reduce the influence of personal biases. The goal isn’t to find someone you’d like to grab a beer with but rather someone who can bring a different viewpoint to the team, challenge ideas, and contribute to a dynamic, healthy company culture.

Don’t Overlook Experience

It’s crucial to emphasize that while personality and fit are vital, experience should not be overlooked. Different roles have different levels of experience and skill requirements. Experienced candidates bring knowledge, insights, and potential mentorship to the table. A strong resume with a track record of success is still a dependable indicator of a candidate’s potential contributions to your organization’s goals. One way to prioritize experience alongside personality is to set a minimum level of qualifications and then use the interview process to explore beyond the resume. Ask about the candidate’s most significant challenges, past work achievements, and specific contributions to understanding the depth of their experience.

Finding the Synergy of Who vs. What

Prioritizing personality over experience isn’t a new debate. Still, it continues to evolve as the nature of work and the expectations of employees shift. Ultimately, the best hires are those who bring a combination of skills and attitudes that align with the company’s objectives and culture. By focusing on a balanced approach where experience is paired with personality fit, hiring managers can set their organizations up for success. When each team member embodies the values and work ethic necessary for your company to thrive, you can achieve individual success and collective excellence. As you navigate the complex waters of the candidate interview process, aim to create a selection methodology that values the unique contributions of each candidate. Upholding this principle will ensure that you build a cohesive and effective team—one that reflects the diverse, multifaceted nature of the modern workplace. If you want to find out more about how we can help your company in the hiring process, contact us and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.