Candidate Skills to Look For
Self-awareness is easily one of the most important traits I look for in prospective employees. By the time
I meet candidates, they’ve gone through the screening process and validated their technical and
functional capabilities in relation to the job on offer. So by that point, I’m looking at their fit within the
company culture, their attitude and their behavioral patterns. Can they demonstrate, for example, that
they can make a decision that will benefit the business, even if it goes against their own self-interest?
Can they make a sacrifice for the greater good?
Closely behind self-awareness is the important trait of adaptability. Candidates need to show me that
they can evolve, and that they have the ability to be receptive to growth and change. If they show signs
that they will shy away from it, I take that as a red flag.
If we stop evolving as people, we start to become somewhat irrelevant. If my company stopped moving
forward, then we might as well give up. Because if we’re not continuously evolving, then we’re not moving
with the industry.
Candidate Don’ts - Red Flags and Mistakes
There are many interview pitfalls that candidates can succumb to as well. Too many job candidates focus
on the past, describing every detail of everything they ever did. I have interviewed countless people in
my role as CEO, and I can tell you that your next boss is most interested in your contribution to the
journey ahead, than the accomplishments you’ve provided.
Candidates with characteristics that are the opposite to self-awareness and adaptability - people with too
much ego - immediately give me pause about their ability to succeed in the role they are interviewing for.
These types of candidates are ones that, when you say you’ve done something, they feel that they have
always done it better. This isn’t an attribute that companies need. Instead of having a large ego,
candidates need to check their egos at the door completely, and instead demonstrate quiet confidence.
Being able to do so is not boastful but still shows that you’ll be an asset to the team. It’s overall much
more positive and much more powerful, for any organization.
Another common mistake is candidates’ tendency to brag or give off the impression they are interviewing
for the wrong reasons. Bragging gives the wrong impression, like you are out for yourself only rather than
the best interest of the company, especially when your accomplishments should speak for themselves.
Others give off poor first impressions by indicating that they’re only interested in the job because of the
salary, benefits, or geographic location. When interviewing, it’s important to avoid giving off the indication
that you intend the job to be a “stepping stone” to something else.