🎭hired for vibes, fired for KPIs.

the inside scoop on personality hires🍦

March 24, 2025

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Happy Monday HR friends!👋

In today’s edition, we’re pondering personality hires🧠 

Some people think they’re one, others would strenuously deny it! But when is this a good idea and how prevalent is this in HR hiring?

Enjoy today’s edition and we’ll have more HR brain fuel at to kick start your week, next Monday !✨💪

In Today’s Edition

🎭 The Rise of Personality Hires: Strategic Gold or Cultural Gamble?


🛋️ The Break Room: How Do You Balance Personality and Skills Based Hiring?


📚 Human Readsources: Office return increases demand for childcare benefits, Disney shareholders reject anti-diversity proposal overwhelmingly, CEO fired over Ben & Jerry's social activism.


Hang on, am I the personality hire?

comedy central adam demamp GIF by Workaholics

Well we don’t all need to be workaholics…

When nearly half of employees consider themselves "personality hires," we're witnessing a seismic shift in how companies build their teams. 85% of these hires report stronger workplace relationships, suggesting we've tapped into something powerful, but we also need to make sure we find the right balance.


Because beneath these promising statistics lies a complex reality: while vibrant personalities can transform workplace culture, they don't automatically translate to business success. Organizations are increasingly grappling with the challenge of balancing the infectious energy of high-EQ hires against the bedrock of technical competency and measurable results.


For us in HR, how do we develop frameworks that capture both the tangible and intangible qualities of potential hires? The traditional metrics of experience and skills must now coexist with the nuanced evaluation of cultural contribution and interpersonal impact.


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🌟 The Rise of Personality Hires: Strategic Gold or Cultural Gamble?

The "personality hire" trend isn't just TikTok talk anymore. With nearly half of workers identifying as personality hires, this shift represents a fundamental change in how we're building teams.


We're seeing firsthand how the post-pandemic workplace values authenticity and connection alongside technical prowess.


The data's fascinating: As mentioned, 85% of personality hires strengthen client and coworker relationships, suggesting there's real business value behind those stellar social skills. But it also comes with a catch - while these hires often boost morale and enhance workplace culture, we're also seeing challenges around skills gaps and potential resentment from traditional hires.


Here's what's actually working: structured behavioral interviews paired with skills assessments (no more "vibe hiring"). Create clear success metrics that value both technical and soft skills, implement comprehensive training programs to address skill gaps, and use diverse hiring panels to avoid bias.


Remember, the goal isn't to choose between personality and competency - it's about finding that sweet spot where both can thrive. Because let's face it, the best teams need both the spreadsheet wizards and the culture catalysts.


🔗 Relevant links

👀 TLDR

The personality hire trend isn't just hype - it's reshaping how we build teams. While 85% of these hires boost workplace relationships, success lies in balancing those killer social skills with actual competencies. Time to ditch the "vibe hiring" and get strategic about finding unicorns who bring both personality AND performance to the table. 🦄

⚡ Takeaway and Try

  1. 📊 Implement a "Skills-Culture Matrix Assessment" where hiring managers rate both technical and interpersonal requirements on a 1-5 scale for each role. Create standardized definitions for each rating level, train managers on usage, and document the rationale for each position's requirements. Track hire success rates and team performance metrics against initial matrix scores to validate the framework.

  2. 🎯 Launch bi-monthly "Performance Pattern Analysis" sessions, examining the correlation between pre-hire personality assessments and post-hire success metrics. Document specific behaviors that drive success, incorporate findings into interview scorecards, and measure time-to-productivity for new hires against baseline data.

  3. 👥 Create a "Collaborative Success Inventory" by interviewing top performers across departments to identify common interpersonal skills driving their effectiveness. Develop behavioral interview questions targeting these specific traits, train hiring teams on assessment, and track new hire retention rates and team satisfaction scores.

  4. 📈 Establish a "Balanced Hiring Dashboard" that monitors the ratio of technical to interpersonal skills among new hires, team performance metrics, and project success rates. Set quarterly targets for skill balance, review outcomes monthly, and adjust hiring criteria based on performance data.

  5. 🤝 Develop a "Skills Integration Workshop" series where high-performing employees teach both technical and interpersonal skills to their teams. Create skill-sharing templates, measure knowledge transfer through pre/post assessments, and track team productivity improvements over 6-month periods.


📚 Human Readsources

🏢 Return-to-Office Surge Sparks Childcare Benefits Demand (HR Brew) - Working parents seek enhanced childcare benefits as offices reopen.


⚖️ Disney Shareholders Reject Anti-LGBTQ+ Diversity Proposal (HR Grapevine) - Disney shareholders overwhelmingly reject anti-diversity proposal by conservative group.


📊 Ben & Jerry's Claims Unilever Fired CEO Over Activism (HR Dive) - Ben & Jerry's claims Unilever fired CEO over social activism stance.


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Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠

We know you’re super busy and really appreciate you letting us into your inbox a few times a week. 😀

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