​The process of hiring can be strenuous and expensive for both employer and employee. While there has yet to be any foolproof way to make hiring effortless, recruiters and managers strive to establish a desired candidate experience. At the same time, job seekers need to stand out from the crowd to land their dream job.

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More than ever, employers not only want to know your work experience and skill level, but they also want to see that you will fit in with the company culture. They are interested in the parts of your behavior or soft skills that can contribute to their business. These key skills can help you distinguish yourself from other applicants showcasing similar experience or hard skills.

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With increasing competition in the market, as a job seeker, you must focus on making yourself more marketable. And how do you do it? Take a step forward by understanding valuable employee traits that attract employers and how to highlight yours.

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Check out the top traits that will get you hired.

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1. Problem-Solving

As a human, you encounter numerous instances that demand a solution. So how can an employee be spared from such situations? But to be an employee, you must first be a job seeker looking for opportunities. And if you are right in front of the interviewers’ panel, you ought to know that you must present yourself as a problem-solver.

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Some examples of being a problem-solving employee include:

• Handling & resolving a conflict with a coworker or the team

• Troubleshooting technical issues in electronic gadgets like laptops or software

• Taking charge of a situation when a coworker missed something big

• Bringing ideas to handle particular situations

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Problem-solving is a standard and vital indicator of how you will perform at your job. Therefore, prepare to be tested based on this trait in your next interview.

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2. Integrity

Ask ten people to define integrity in the workplace; no wonder you will get ten unique answers. While one may relate it to honesty, others may use terms like sound judgment, reliability, and loyalty. Integrity covers everything— preventing yourself from lying on the resume to being loyal to the organisation.

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Oxford defines it as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

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Recruiters look for candidates with integrity. Because job seekers who try deceiving interviewers during the interview will continue doing so even after being hired. Integrity, at its core, is beyond personal gains and is based on values.

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RELATED READ:Top 9 Candidate Screening Questions Recruiters Ask

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3. Flexibility

A Japanese proverb says, “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists,” which is still valid. In today’s competitive world, you need to be flexible while facing situations that require your adaptability. Therefore, employers prefer hiring candidates who can acclimatise themselves to the changing conditions at work.

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“Blessed are the flexible, for they will not allow themselves to become bent out of shape.”- Robert Ludlum.

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Notably, things change over time, and you can only find a place in a company if you can adapt to the changing environment. You won’t ever be left behind if you are bent on being flexible.

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4. Persistence

One aspect worth noting is that modern recruiters do not hire to fill the white spaces. If truth be told, they employ to keep the organisation moving by hiring candidates who can persistently tackle challenges. As a persistent employee, you would be expected to keep making efforts, even in difficult situations.

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When others seem to give up, a persistent employee will continue working. Additionally, the skill to look at the problem, as a persistent member, from different angles will set you apart from others.

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5. Positive Attitude

Dan Miller quotes, “With a positive attitude, it is possible to turn situations of failure into success.”

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Give your mind to what you are doing, and you will be in a situation to overpower your circumstances. The most crucial aspect of building a positive attitude is to develop self-confidence. And the rest will follow. On top of that, you can strengthen your positive attitude at work by:

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• Being open to criticism

• Learning everyday

• Surrounding yourself with optimists and happy faces

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Work on building a positive attitude, lest we forget, a bad attitude is like a flat tire, and it won’t take you anywhere.

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6. Enthusiasm

What would you do if you weren’t enthusiastic about your work? Moreover, recruiters will fail to notice you if you don’t count enthusiasm among the most valuable employee traits. So, managers keep an eye out for enthusiastic candidates.

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Putting it in simple terms, recruiters look for employees who are excited about their potential role within the company. Furthermore, headhunters have also seriously started considering job seekers with a never-ending career drive and an eager attitude.

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7. Loyalty

Current hiring trends show that hiring managers are interested in hiring people who exhibit loyalty and commitment to stick to the organisation. Employers have identified that job-hopping has become more of a norm than a necessity.

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When talking about new hires, loyalty is on the list of top qualities employers look for and consider. Why? Because organisations know people who have been around for a while are invaluable.

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Conclusion

Are you currently looking for new job opportunities? Were you aware of the above-mentioned personality traits for a job?

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Now is the time for you to blend skills and personality traits and become the ideal hire. Then, who knows, your following interview will place you where you deserve to be recognised?

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Look for your next move with Cornerstone Recruitment Japan, one of the fast-growing recruitment firms in Japan. Our team of consultants can introduce you to highly awaited job opportunities.

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FAQs

1. What are the top traits employers desire?

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Modern-day employers look for not only skills but also personality traits. A few top traits employers desire are confidence, enthusiasm, problem-solving skills, a positive attitude, loyalty, determination, and a strong work ethic.

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2. What makes an employee stand out?

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A skilled professional rarely faces difficulties getting placed, and recruiters also get to identify them quickly. However, possessing only technical skills and knowledge is not enough nowadays. If you want to stand out, you should be a combination of tech skills and personality traits. As a job seeker, you should own traits like integrity, loyalty, resourcefulness, originality, determination, communication skills, and persistence.

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3. What are three things that make you stand out?

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Three things that can make you stand out as a job seeker are:

• Self-confidence: If you are confident about your actions, no one can overpower your will to succeed.

• Positive attitude: Life brings various situations that require humans to take the right actions. And to take the right actions, you must develop a positive attitude towards work and life.

• Persistence: You must strive to achieve your goals, look for solutions to problems, and have a smooth work journey.

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This article is originally published by CGP Singapore and edited by Cornerstone Recruitment Japan.

Original article