Personality Carries Weight in Hiring Decisions
Personality in hiring can outweigh skills gaps, according to a 2026 Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey.
Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll report that 91% of U.S. hiring managers consider personality as important as skills. The survey found 86% believe personality can outweigh a candidate’s skills gap, while 99% say a positive or approachable personality can accelerate career advancement. Two online surveys covered 1,006 hiring decision-makers and 1,000 job seekers in 2026.
First Impressions Matter
Informal interactions were the most common way employers assessed personality, cited by 61% of hiring managers. These included small talk before or after interviews, email tone and interactions with administrative staff.
Some 87% of hiring managers said they could tell from a first conversation whether a candidate would succeed at their company. Job seekers felt that pressure too, with 61% saying they worried about how their personality came across during an interview.
Traits Employers Value
Hiring managers and job seekers largely agreed on the personality traits employers value: reliability, honesty, adaptability, flexibility and self-motivation. Reliability was cited by 66% of hiring managers and 65% of job seekers, followed by honesty at 63% and 58%, respectively.
Work ethic was considered absolutely essential by six in 10 hiring managers, up from 54% in spring 2025. Dependability and willingness to learn were considered absolutely essential by 59% and 57% of hiring managers, respectively.
Personality After Hiring
The survey found that personality remains relevant after an employee joins a company. Ninety-four percent of hiring managers and 91% of job seekers said it shapes how performance is perceived.
Bob Funk Jr., CEO, president and chairman at Express Employment International, said:
“Every employee has an effect on the workplace beyond the responsibilities listed in a job description. The right personality can build trust, make change easier to navigate and raise the standard for how a team works together. That is why employers see personality as more than a hiring advantage. It is representative of the business culture.”
Research for Employers
More research from the America Employed series is available through the ExpressPros.com Newsroom.
