Grit Is Important in Hiring!

What do you need to succeed in today’s age of nonstop innovation? Intelligence, technical skills, and education might come to mind. But it turns out one of the biggest predictors of success isn’t listed on many resumes: grit.

But why is grit important — and how can those of us in the business of hiring identify candidates who will demonstrate grit at work?
Grit is closely related to many soft skills — the personal attitudes and practices that shape how we interact with others — that are already on recruiters’ radars.

For example, resilience is critical for entrepreneurs who must go through the circuit of finding investors; persistence goes hand-in-hand with creativity and innovation, as many iterations may be necessary to refine an idea; and a strong sense of purpose helps employees feel connected to their work.

The building blocks of grit may be perseverance and passion, but grit is more than the sum of its parts. People with grit are goal-oriented, purpose-driven, and willing to put in the work to realize their dreams and become the best in their fields.

Taken together, these elements make grit a key ingredient in innovation and creativity. People tend to underestimate the hard work that creativity requires, assuming it is an innate capability.

In practice, it involves sustained effort and dedication. Studies show people’s first ideas are not always their best but that they steadily improve with continual effort, study, and attention over multiple iterations.

Consider James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson vacuum, who tried over 5,000 prototypes before developing the models that would generate billions. Some of his early prototypes were probably adequate, but his final one revolutionized an entire industry.

That is the power of grit.

This demonstrates why grit is important and why it’s a fantastic asset in any new hire. Imagine two candidates for a position, both with top-notch experience and training.

The grittier candidate won’t shy away from thinking outside the box and considering multiple solutions. The less gritty one, however, is more likely to take their first idea and run with it, missing bigger and more exciting possibilities.

A candidate with grit also knows mastery of a skill does not happen overnight.

Take the example of professional athletes, who build on their natural talents with continuous practice and often suffer sidelining injuries in the process. An employee practicing grit in the workplace will work to improve their abilities, develop new skills and grow in their role, rather than just fall back on natural talent.

What’s more, people with grit remain resilient in the face of setbacks, an unavoidable feature of even the biggest success stories. Gritty high achievers aren’t discouraged by rejection or failure, but rather are encouraged to try even harder. This makes them a huge asset to any team.

They will persevere in their goals and motivate teammates who need that extra push.

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