Skills & Experience V/S Your Personality? What HR Managers Look For In Hiring

By Dorcas Karuana,
The hiring decision is the most important part of the recruitment process in any company. It determines the right force to take a company to a new level of achieving its goals. But most companies struggle with acquiring the right talent leave alone retaining them.

Majority of the CEOs and key executives will attest that, they have ever hired someone with an excellent CV, that had all the right skills and experience that the interviewing team really liked and once that person came on board the person fell flat on their face within a period of less than 6 months. How could this happen if skills and experience are so relevant?

What exactly should HR Managers look for when hiring? Is it experience or the person as a whole?  Most hiring managers would tell you that a candidate’s experience is the most important criterion in the decision-making process.

Speaking to David Muriithi, HR Manager Transport and Lifting, he agrees that, “while the concept of organizational fit has gotten more attention in recent years, many employers would rather take a chance on a skilled candidate who may need time to adjust on a personal level than an unskilled candidate who seems to be a great match for the staff culture.

However, he says that this may vary with the kind of industry. “In a context of hospitality or service industry, this equation does not always hold true. The intangible qualities that make a particular property uniquely attractive to guests are often seen as equally important to core service competencies, and factors like personality and team fit are a big part of maintaining that charm.”

So, how should decision makers balance the concerns of personality, fit, skills and experience in the recruitment process?

Personality: It Matters More than You Think
While there’s a lot to be said for technical competence, personality is one of the most vital components of success in service industry. For instance, a restaurant with excellent food but dull personnel is unlikely to be as successful as a competing facility with an average menu and a dynamic staff.  Most clients seem to be motivated by much more than a utilitarian need for food.

Even when unforeseen circumstances can impede the quality of the core service or product, but it is staffed by amiable, outgoing workers, it is likely that the impression that clients take away from the experience will be largely positive.

Skills: Show What You Know
Skills and experience are simply tools every candidate brings to the job. Though some employers tend to prioritize potential candidates’ skills as the top criteria when making a hiring decision, the ability to use them effectively is what matters.

Mr. Muriithi advises employers that “when hiring, instead of focusing on the person’s background, focus on how they would apply those skills and experience to achieve the results you are seeking.”

Experience: A Strong Foundation for Success
Much like skill, experience functions as one of the most significant variables in the recruitment decision-making process. Mr. Muriithi explains that, in mission-critical roles that require a threshold level of skill and experience to ascertain a candidate’s suitability, accumulated experience may serve as the most important factor. For example, it would be ill-advised to rely on factors like fit and personality rather than verifiable experience when filling managerial positions, or when staffing technical roles.

Mr. Muriithi concludes that personality, fit, skills, and experience are all factors that should play a role in the recruitment decision-making process. Employers continue to look for assurances that you can in some way either make money for them or save money for them. Skills useful in saving money are universally desired, including by the nonprofit organizations.