Finding job applicants with the right skills can be challenging under any circumstances, let alone rapidly-shifting business environments such as those we find ourselves operating in at present. Doubly so, say a rising tide of executive directors and boards, as the talents and capabilities needed to succeed tomorrow will be vastly different from those needed today.
Happily, finding talent from inside or outside your organization capable of filling and excelling at leadership roles isn't as challenging as it seems — provided you know what traits to look for in prospective recruits.
The Corporate Executive Board has identified 10 new talents that will define top performers in coming years, which leaders should be well aware of when hiring job candidates, or recruiting volunteer staffers, including:
1. Ability to prioritize
2. Works well in teams
3. Organizational awareness
4. Effective problem solving
5. Self-awareness
6. Proactivity
7. Ability to influence
8. Effective decision-making
9. Learning agility
10. Technical savvy
Looking to find or promote more capable leaders who can help your organization continue to grow and win more frequently going forward? Here are five traits to look for in prospective job candidates to determine if they've got what it takes to succeed.
Communication skills
Top hires will exhibit superior ability to listen, write and speak. All prove essential when it comes to receiving, interpreting and giving direction. Likewise, a sense of social intelligence is also vital: Professionals need to be able to understand where peers, colleagues and customers are coming from so they can better act on this information.
Multitasking
High-performing workers will be simultaneously involved in several projects, tasks or initiatives — the ability to easily juggle myriad pursuits is crucial. Effective multitasking is achieved when work is completed both efficiently and correctly, and with a minimum of inefficiency and stress. Tomorrow's workers must be well-equipped to handle multiple tasks.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm goes hand in hand with passion and positivity, all of which can make a noticeable difference in stressed, strained and/or hectic work environments. According to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, positivity isn't just contagious, it also has an impact on overall job performance, decision-making, creativity and turnover.
Decision-making ability
Problem solving is a skill that sits somewhere at the nexus of creativity, levelheadedness and logic. Those who exhibit it demonstrate a proven ability to objectively interpret incoming signals and act both thoughtfully and with grace when a solution is needed. Top performers won't just be strategic thinkers — they'll also be able to keep a cool head when situations arise and stay on task without the need for micromanagement.
Organization
The possession of solid organizational skills can be an asset to any worker, indicating that an employee is self-disciplined enough to gather the necessary information and data to keep tasks both well-managed and on-schedule — important traits for any leader. Powerful organizational skills alone do not make great leaders, but they do help drive job candidates to be more professional, efficient and productive.
