6 Traits Recruiters Find Most Desirable in Face-to-Face Job Interviews

In today’s job market, you need to show more than your qualifications to capture a recruiter’s attention to ultimately get hired. So, what are recruiters looking for in candidates? How should you present yourself in an interview, to make a quick and lasting impact?

Questions recruiters will ask themselves are, “Can she do the job?” “Does he want the job?” and “Is she likely to enjoy it and stay?” No matter the job you are interviewing for, there are common universal traits that recruiters look for in evaluating candidates.

Let’s discuss the top five traits below:

Confidence

Confidence is the first thing a recruiter will look for in an interview. They will notice your body language, whether you are making eye contact and assess your overall demeanor.

They will note whether you are at ease or seem nervous and if you are anxious and speaking fast or at a comfortable pace. Of course, confidence alone will not get you the job, but your presence in an interview will make an immediate impression on recruiters and set the tone for the conversation.

Passion

Recruiters want to hire people who are passionate about their work, the company, and the product or service they represent. Passion is the trait that makes the most significant difference in an employee’s output and commitment to their company. Conversely, employees who lack passion for their work are missing the key ingredient for sustained, long-term performance.

So, what makes up passion?

• A long-term, goal-oriented commitment that is unaffected by short-term disturbance
• Always pursuing the knowledge and skills that come from new challenges
• A predisposition to form strong, trust-based, long-term relationships

A passionate employee has more potential to attract customers and do that job well. So, remember, if you are passionate about the job you are applying for, the recruiter will sense it.

Commitment

Every recruiter wants to hire a candidate dedicated to the job because committed employees tend to deliver better results. But remember, a company does not want to keep looking for new people, investing time in training them to align with the company culture and work environment. Instead, they want committed employees with long-term tenure in mind, who will easily fit into the company culture and work environment.

There are various reasons why commitment is essential in the workplace.

• It allows a business to meet its goals and stick to its vision and mission. Without motivated employees, a company may lose everything they have gained over the years, be it respect or its brand value and market position.
• Commitment at work produces better productivity and, therefore, better profits. Unfortunately, employees who are not committed to what they do in business tend to surf the internet for personal pleasure or even look for other job opportunities, resulting in wasted time and resources.

Communication

Communication is extremely important in the workplace, and candidates with good communication skills are more likely to be hired by recruiters.
Successful candidates should be savvy and know their way around all types of verbal and nonverbal communication media such as email, social media, phone communication, face-to-face conversations, etc. This vital quality helps employees build good business relationships and deal with other organizational processes.

Even if you are rejected in the interview as a candidate for a particular role, good communication can help you remain connected with the recruiter for future opportunities.

Track Record

Some candidates believe their years of experience is the only thing that matters in attaining a new role. Having 30-plus years of experience in a particular discipline may be great for aerospace engineering but may be inconsequential for a role in eCommerce or digital marketing. Still, having a good track record with long tenure is essential.

An excellent track record where a candidate has positive references from previous employers invariably increases the chances of the best candidates being hired for the best jobs.

Additionally, it would help to highlight relevant work you did in your previous jobs, the obstacles you overcame and the decisions you made to achieve your results. This will show the recruiter your capabilities and credibility.

Teamwork

No business is run by a single person. Teamwork is essential, whether you are starting a new business or working for a multinational corporation. All recruiters and employers like hiring candidates who work well in a team environment as they are more efficient and get faster results. A non-team player is not a desirable employee to most organizations.

Why is teamwork such a critical quality in any candidate?

• When an individual works in a group rather than alone, they learn more. The constant flow of creative ideas shapes the recruiter’s out-of-the-box creative thinking.
• Teamwork makes you more accountable because you are responsible for the team while delivering your own work.
• Being a team player increases a new employee’s work ethic and enhances their knowledge of the company’s culture. In addition, this will help the employee settle in better within the organization.
• Collaboration most often results in success.
• Teamwork increases transparency, ensuring less miscommunication among employees and growing trust.

The Bottom Line

All the traits mentioned above will help you make an impression and score more points in an interview. Remember, recruiters want to hire the best candidates in the market for their company. At ALIGN, we have an experienced team who can guide and support you through the interviewing process. So, give us a call to discuss how we can help.