6 Ways to Thrive as a High-Impact Personality Hire

Are good vibes enough to win you a job? With the trend of “personality hires” on the rise, it seems so.

Our 2024 Hiring Trends Survey indicates that 54% of hiring managers believe soft skills are highly important. What’s even more surprising is that 48% of these hiring managers say they’ve chosen not to hire a candidate because of a lack of soft skills.

This emphasis on soft skills means that having poor social skills can significantly hurt your chances of getting hired, even if you have strong technical qualifications.

But how do you show people that you’re good at your job and fun to be around?

To help you excel, here are six strategies to become a standout coworker everyone wants by their side.

What is a personality hire?

A personality hire is a candidate who’s secured a job largely based on their personality and other soft skills.

Check out this TikTok from our Social Media Expert Yolaine explaining what makes up a “personality hire”:

@resumegenius What are your thoughts on personality hires? :sparkles: #personalityhire #worktok #corporatetiktok ♬ original sound – Resume Genius | Career Advice

A personality hire is typically someone who:

• is a great communicator with strong interpersonal skills
• is likeable and personable
• is fun to be around and full of positive energy
• always has a story or a joke to share
• ensures the office is in good spirits
• gets on well with everyone
• can make small talk with anyone

However, being a personality hire isn’t all plusses. If your coworkers think you only got hired because of your personality, they might see you as underqualified.

For example, if you’ve seen the recent wave of TikTok videos about personality hires, you’d envision someone charming but who often shows up late, lacks attention to detail, or even misses important deadlines.

Why do hiring managers like personality hires?

At first glance, a likable personality may not seem like a strong enough reason to hire someone — especially if that person’s resume lacks job-specific qualifications and relevant experience.

But for an employer, a candidate’s engaging personality could be a big draw.

They build a happier workplace

A ResearchGate report confirms that personality is increasingly becoming a priority for hiring managers. Perhaps that’s because an infectious, positive personality can serve as a real mood booster.

A coworker with a permanent smile and friendly attitude can diffuse negativity and help foster a happier, more inclusive workplace. In fact, happier employees are proven to be more productive, more engaged, and easier to retain.

They have superior communication skills

Personality hires are often natural communicators who can make small talk with anyone and get along with everyone. Their communication abilities can also lead to major wins at work.

For example, a capable communicator is a clear choice when a critical sales presentation is needed to close a deal or when people need to collaborate together on a new project.

Below, TikTok creator Vienna Alya describes a situation where the role of a personality hire can come in useful:

@viennaaylaone thing about her, she earns her keep♬ original sound – vienna :heart_on_fire:

They forge lasting relationships

A personality hire’s optimism and natural warmth is great when it comes to networking and building relationships.

These traits are key in sales and customer support roles and could even give the business a competitive edge.

3 tips to succeed if you’re job hunting

If you’re interviewing for roles and think your personality is your greatest asset, these three strategies can help you avoid being pigeonholed from the start.

1. Apply for roles that play to your strengths

Play to your strengths by targeting positions that align with your soft skills. Personality hires often thrive in roles that involve collaboration, so look for job descriptions that call for strong communication, negotiation, and people skills.

For example, if you’re good at diffusing tension and settling arguments, you could set yourself up for success by applying for customer service roles.

If you have strong negotiation skills, you could apply those in a sales environment. Choosing a role that allows your skills to take center stage is an easy way to ensure you’ll make a positive impact.

2. Demonstrate your value to the company during interviews

If you know you have strong people skills, try building a rapport with the hiring manager during the interview. Use your conversation as a way to highlight the real-world advantages of your abilities and character.

For example, in addition to saying you motivated your team in a previous role, give specific examples of how that benefited that company by providing hard numbers demonstrating your impact.

And if you were a customer success manager in a previous role, talk about how your relationship-building skills helped to land or retain an important client.

“Being a personality hire puts the pressure on you to some extent,” explains Eva Chan, Lead Career Expert at Resume Genius.

Beyond being a fun and likeable presence in the office, you need to show that you can also have a bottom-line benefit. Have examples ready to share that illustrate the positive impact you’ve had in previous roles.

Eva Chan, Lead Career Expert at Resume Genius

3. Share your long-term goals with the hiring manager

What’s your five-year plan? It’s almost inevitable you’ll be asked about where you see yourself in the future, so be ready with an answer demonstrating your ambitions.

Before you head into the interview, think about where you’d like your career to take you.

How will your skills feed into that goal? What technical skills do you hope to have developed by then?

Use your communication skills to make it clear you aren’t just relying on your personality. Be specific about how you plan to level up your potential and progress on your chosen career path.

Here’s an example of how to highlight your personality alongside your technical skills and ambitions:

“I’m proud of my communication skills and my knack for working well with all types of people, but I’m always aiming to boost my technical know-how too. Right now, I’m working on my PMP certification and taking advanced training courses in Microsoft Project and Jira. My goal is to be a well-rounded project manager who can lead projects smoothly and inspire the team to hit our targets.”

3 strategies to succeed if you’re the personality hire

Is a bright and breezy personality really enough to propel you up the career ladder?

If you’re the personality hire (or suspect you are), you might find that you’re missing out on opportunities to progress.

These three strategies will help you move past the TikTok stereotypes and make a meaningful contribution to your company:

1. Direct your positive energy into learning opportunities

Being a great communicator and relationship builder can take you far. But if you’re a personality hire, you might find that you’re lacking some of the more technical abilities required to thrive in your role.

Let’s say you’re a sales associate. You have the people skills you need to make connections, network with ease, and build rapport with your prospects.

But if you struggle to manage your appointments because you aren’t comfortable with the IT system, you might not always hit your sales targets or earn as much commission as you’d like.

Likewise, if you rely on your teammates to proofread your sales presentations because grammar isn’t your forte, your overall performance is likely to suffer.

To consistently perform at your best, focus on seeking out learning opportunities. For example, spend time learning the IT systems you use every day, and take advantage of training sessions to enhance your skills.

Similarly, improving your grammar and writing abilities through courses or practice can increase your confidence and make you less reliant on others.

Being hired for your personality alone puts you at risk of facing a steep learning curve. But you can fill in those gaps and let your abilities — as well as your personality — shine by requesting additional training. If that’s not an option at your company, consider taking the initiative and enrolling in an online course. You can find low-cost options on Udemy and many community colleges also offer night classes.

Conrad Benz, Content Manager at CV Genius

2. Balance socializing with workload management

You’re full of ideas and as a natural problem solver, you have lots of suggestions to improve how things are done. But you’re also a social butterfly who always remembers an office birthday and wants to hear about everyone’s weekend plans.

While your energy lifts the mood, it’s important that you manage your workload and don’t become a burden to your teammates.

For instance, if you think that a new project management system would improve efficiency, don’t just throw the idea out there and leave others to figure it out. Research suitable options and create a shortlist of programs that would make the process easier for everyone.

“While you may have been hired for your personality, you’ll also need to do your fair share of work to avoid resentment,” says Geoffrey Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius.

Demonstrating that you take responsibility for your own tasks and aren’t afraid to work hard can help you cultivate a reputation as one to watch. It could even put you on the path to a promotion. Be proactive about managing your own workload and helping others where you can. Show that you aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves and you should find that you’re taken seriously rather than written off as just another personality hire.

Geoffrey Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius

3. Jump at mentorship opportunities

According to research from Deloitte, 6 in 10 Gen Zs (61%) and millennials (58%) believe “they have the power to drive change within their organizations.” That could be you — if you focus your attention where it can make a difference.

Soft skills don’t come naturally to everyone. While you thrive in the spotlight, that might not be the case for your coworkers.

Helping a coworker to develop a skill you know they’re struggling with is a powerful way to show you’re invested in the future success of your organization.

It also demonstrates a willingness to share your knowledge and empower others. Those traits are common to great leaders and could mark you out as a future leader for your team.

Methodology

Resume Genius conducted this survey in partnership with Pollfish. The study aimed to understand how various stages of the hiring process — resume evaluation, interviews, and skills assessments — affect hiring decisions, as well as to identify the candidate qualities most valued by U.S. hiring managers.

The survey commenced on January 29, 2024, and targeted a sample of 625 participants. To qualify, respondents were required to be actively involved in hiring within their organizations. The survey ensured a balanced representation across various demographics, including gender and age groups, to accurately reflect the diversity of the U.S. workforce.

Pollfish uses Random Device Engagement (RDE) to minimize bias and ensure a fair and organic selection process. For further details on Pollfish’s methodology, please visit their website or pr@resumegenius.com.

Sources

About Resume Genius

Since 2009, Resume Genius has combined innovative technology with leading industry expertise to simplify the job hunt for people of all backgrounds and levels of experience.

Resume Genius’s easy-to-use resume builder and wide range of free career resources, including resume templates, cover letter samples, and resume writing guides, help job seekers find fulfilling work and reach their career goals. Resume Genius is led by a team of dedicated career advisors and HR experts and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, CNBC, and Business Insider.

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