Source: forbes.com
Technical skills remain an important part of evaluating candidates, but they don’t always tell employers how someone will perform once they’re on the job. As roles, technologies and workplace expectations continue to evolve, hiring teams are considering a broader range of qualities when assessing potential hires.
What employers value can also reveal what it takes to succeed in today’s workplace and continue growing as responsibilities change. Here, members of Forbes Human Resources Council share the qualities they believe are becoming increasingly important when evaluating candidates.
1. Critical Thinking
Beyond technical skills, employers are placing greater value on critical thinking. As AI and automation reshape the workplace, organizations increasingly need people who can evaluate information, challenge assumptions, solve complex problems and apply sound judgment to make effective decisions. – Fran Maxwell, Protiviti
2. Grit
Employers value grit. Employers value an employee’s ability to handle change, stay nimble as trends shift and keep learning outside the organization, not just within it, to bring that fresh outside perspective back in. That’s what makes an effective leader: someone who champions positive change and builds a culture that supports it and leads through it regardless of role. Hard skills alone don’t sustain growth. Grit and the drive to keep positively evolving sustain it. – Genine Wilson, CHG Healthcare
3. Discernment
Employers are placing greater value on agility and discernment. In a world where (good, bad and ugly) answers and options are available, an employer needs a workforce that understands the business objectives and can weed through the noise to identify and execute the best solution. If a candidate can articulate these capabilities and willingness to evolve with technology, they have a stronger chance of getting hired. – Melissa Van Dine, Van Dine Consulting Group, LLC
4. Teamwork
Beyond technical expertise, employers value the capability to build trust, empathize and collaborate across teams. Technology cannot replicate genuine empathy, active listening or conflict resolution. People skilled in interpersonal relationships drive healthier workplace culture, psychological safety and seamless project execution. – Sherry Martin
5. Adaptability
Adaptability is both a soft skill and a strategic one. Employers are seeking candidates willing to listen, learn and adapt—as technology continues to reshape work rapidly. These qualities create a more agile workforce that’s ready to navigate change and seize new opportunities. – Nicky Hancock, AMS, A Korn Ferry Company
6. Accountability
First-time leaders get promoted for technical skills. That’s the easy part to evaluate. What’s harder to spot on a résumé—and what organizations are finally starting to prioritize—is the willingness to have difficult conversations and the discipline to hold people to standard operating procedures. Those two things separate managers who drive results from those who just report them. – James Glover, Flint Learning Solutions
7. Maturity
Employers value maturity in a manner that transcends age. General maturity—how someone presents themselves, exhibits accountability, practices focused listening and possesses emotional intelligence is essential. These characteristics, along with technical skills that include critical thinking, are ideal in candidate evaluation today. – Rebecca Edwards, Infinite HR of Charlotte
8. Organizational Problem-Solving
The ability to distinguish between problem-solving and decision-making is a highly valued skill by employers. Developing innovative alternatives, such as integrating artificial intelligence with human judgment, has become a central objective in organizational problem-solving. Each decision-making process ultimately results in a final choice that may be critical to a company’s success. – Dr. Nara Ringrose, Cyclife UK Limited
9. Learning Agility
I value learning agility. The ability to learn, unlearn and apply new information before the job description catches up. Technical skills show what a candidate can do today; learning agility shows whether they can keep creating value as the work changes. – Felicia Taylor, Quantum Health
10. Originality
Employers value the originality of thoughts. While technical skills create an efficient individual contributor, the behavioral aspects of a candidate—like empathy, relearning and unlearning ability, collaborative spirit and a sound state of mind to do the right thing at the right time without compromising on the ethical background—are what an employer is searching for. – Dr. Manish Pratap Singh Chandel, Fabtech International Ltd.
11. Effective Communication
The ability to communicate effectively has tremendous value within and between teams. Articulating ideas clearly, reiterating and rephrasing what someone said to make sure they understood, sharing information in channels that most effectively reach their colleagues and doing so in a way that is easy to understand is incredibly helpful in increasing efficiency and throughput, but also in fostering a great organizational culture. – Sanja Licina, QuestionPro
