In short, to score points in a job interview, you will have to show yourself in your best light. Here are the 15 qualities particularly appreciated by recruiters in job interviews.
Depending on the recruiter’s culture, he will ask you about your essential qualities, your best assets, your strong points…
The question about professional qualities and defects is one of the essential questions in a job interview. It is also advisable to prepare three qualities and three defects to develop in a job interview.
Quality #1: Optimism
In these troubled times, say that you see the bright side of things, that if there are problems, they are always marginal, or that there is always a solution. “Invoking this quality in a job interview allows the candidate to suggest that he is capable of having a constructive leverage effect on things, that he is capable of self-motivation,” emphasizes Catherine de Verdière, administrator of Syntec recruitment consultancy and director of Bonnel Conseils Associés.
Quality #2: Adaptability
Flexibility or adaptability to changing situations is a quality highly valued by recruiters in job interviews. “In companies, changes in strategy and organization are permanent. So a candidate’s ability to seize a change as an intellectually interesting opportunity is a major asset,” she argues. There is nothing worse than an employee who remains fixated on their experience.
Flexibility of mind is recommended without losing one’s soul. How does a recruiter assess this adaptability? “We ask them to talk about a recent change in their company. Depending on whether they talk about it in an interested or desperate way, we assess their resistance to change,” adds this recruitment expert.
Quality #3: Curiosity
This quality shows that you know how to broaden your horizons and that you are capable of learning. A boon for employers looking for employees who are likely to evolve with reorganizations. Be careful, however, not to let this quality drift into default, especially when the job interview concerns a position that requires the greatest confidentiality on the part of the employee.
Quality #4: Good interpersonal skills
Without saying that you are the entertainer of the place (that would be a fault), specify that you know how to create links with others, and that you are comfortable during gatherings. “This is an ideal quality for working in project mode, for uniting a team around you, for fishing for information”, observes Catherine de Verdière.
To test this asset, the recruiter will first appreciate your friendliness during a stressful situation, a job interview. And then, he can also ask you: “in your opinion, how are you perceived by others?”. “If he is well perceived, he will immediately say that he is found easy to approach. When they talk about their recent projects, comfortable candidates spontaneously mention the rest of the team, colleagues, and managers”, she observes.
Also read >>3 Qualities and 3 Faults: What should you answer during the job interview?
Quality #5: Conviction
A convinced person is convincing: “To highlight this quality, the candidate must show that he likes what he does but especially what he will do in the company. Recruiting is taking a risk, so the employer needs to be reassured”, repeats Coralie Costa, consultant at the ConvictionsRH firm. Be careful, only someone who remains natural and true is convincing. We do not overplay his appeal for the position. Because that would be just showing off. Not a quality!
Quality #6: Perfectionism
If you want to make a recruiter’s eyes sparkle, you can share with them one of the qualities that is highly prized in business: perfectionism. Why? The perfectionist manager will always be keen to provide finished, quality work. Guaranteed success in the projects implemented!
Quality #7: Dynamism
In times of health and economic crisis, weakness is not on the agenda. Employers are looking for dynamic executives, capable of bouncing back and proposing projects. Testing, always testing and never resting on your laurels could be the winning triptych in a job interview. Do you want to give yourself every chance of being hired? So, don’t hesitate to highlight this quality.
Quality #8: Seriousness
Seriousness is a timeless quality in a job interview. Beyond the fact that the employer knows, by recruiting you, that he will not have any behavioral problems, your thoughtful nature allows you to avoid making mistakes.
Quality #9: Motivation
Every employer seeks to “make profitable” each recruitment. That is to say, the time, money, and energy spent must be amortized in the long term. A motivated candidate is more likely to invest several years in the company. Motivation is a quality that you must highlight if it is part of your temperament. Knowing how to explain in an interview what your motivations are is therefore essential.
Quality #10: Patience
Patience is the mother of all virtues. Patience is a quality that has always been considered an essential virtue to achieve wisdom, glory, or success. And especially in business. The executive, who wants to do everything and launch everything right away, without taking a minimum of perspective and reflection can make mistakes that are detrimental to the company.
Quality #11: Energy
Are you full of energy? Are you always up for it? The energy that drives you is a real plus in your professional profile. Talk to the recruiter about it, and give him some examples. Be careful not to fall into the opposite extreme. Your energy must be channeled. Otherwise, your future employer might be afraid that you will tire out the entire open space.
Quality #12: Empathy
Empathy is a soft skill that is particularly sought after in management positions. If you state this quality in front of a recruiter, the latter will detect in you your ability to put yourself in the shoes of others and to listen. You will gain in productivity in your team.
Quality #13: Autonomy
In times of crisis, managers have less time to train recruits. The candidate who highlights this quality of autonomy will score points every time. In recruiter language, they will see a future employee who takes initiative and is capable of leading a project alone. Are you autonomous by nature? So, go ahead and say so in a job interview!
Quality #14: Organization
If you are applying for jobs as a project manager, manager ( a quality to be a good manager ) or any other position that requires method, organization is a quality that is highly sought after in job interviews. To illustrate this quality, do not hesitate to highlight some effective tools.
Quality #15: Ambition
Ambition is a bit of a double-edged quality. It can be a hiring accelerator, because you want to succeed, or a hindrance if the recruiter senses that you have no limits. Nobody wants to recruit a candidate who risks causing discord in the company. So if you are going for this quality, stay measured.