We’ve all been there before: You interview for the seemingly perfect job opportunity, and you make all the right moves, but somehow you’re passed up in the final round. To secure that dream job, you have to think like the person making the final decision. What is going through the manager’s head when they select candidates? And what makes the difference between many equally competent candidates? "What’s the number one trait employers look for when hiring for their company?” Bayt.com asked this question to a number of prominent employers in the region, and these were their answers: Lina Shehadeh, Chief Marketing Officer at Aramex “At Aramex, we look for self-starters; candidates who take initiative, question the status quo, and not only look for problems but are able to find and develop solutions. An Aramexian, then, is a person who notices challenges at the frontline, and translates those observations into the solutions that our customers need. An Aramexian also takes initiatives outside of work; he or she finds challenges in their communities, and feels empowered to make a positive change. These are the people that fit in our corporate culture.” Zeid Shubailat, Marketing & Operations Manager at Microsoft “There’s really no number one trait as to what makes a person the perfect candidate. For example, smart but lazy would cancel out the smart part which people may list as a key trait. It also all depends on the job the person is seeking. Microsoft defined company values that really sum up the character of what I believe people should look for. These values are integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. I personally look at these and add an equally important one of ‘a person who cares and does something about it.’” Mohammed Razem, CEO at Vardot “The two main characteristics I look for in new hires are: critical thinking and an eye for detail. At Vardot we build superior web experiences for multiple high-profile clients, which has positioned us to aspire for a very high degree of detail and quality standards in our work. This requires us to stay ahead of the competition to help our clients succeed and provide a worry-free solution that overcomes all obstacles. Without analytical thinking and a detail-oriented mentality this wouldn’t be possible.” Usama Fayyad, Executive Chairman at Oasis500 “The most important thing we look for is technical depth and mastery of the topic of expertise at a deep level. This applies to engineers, marketers, business people, accountants, etc.: a candidate who shows depth, hands-on experience, and mastery of the details of their topic of expertise is what makes the ideal candidate for us. This includes a clear willingness to get their hands dirty and do the work first-hand which demonstrates their passion for it, in addition to their mastery of it.” Sarah Abu Alia, Founder of ArtMedium “I guess if I had to sum it up in one most important thing: someone who takes initiative and follows through. I don’t think employees should be robots; the most talented people are the ones who have really great problem solving skills.” Omar Biltaji, Regional Infrastructure Services Manager at Migrate “You would be surprised, but what I look for when hiring a new team member is plain ‘common sense’. Nowadays, competition both on a local and international level is very high. This is why focused staff members are required to ensure we reach our goals and achieve excellence, above all.” Haitham Masoud, CEO and Founder of Mjalati “Definitely a positive attitude. A person with a positive attitude and enthusiasm is willing to learn. This person can also gain experience in a short period of time and cheer the team when something goes wrong.” Mohamad Khawaja, Executive Director at N2V “I think leadership is needed across the organization from janitor to CEO. Being a leader at work will make you proactive and intuitive; you raise concerns/problems/issues and introduce solutions. You don’t wait for someone to delegate a task to you to start working on it. You always go the extra mile and get things done by utilizing other available resources and influencing other team members positively. This is what I look for: Leaders.” Lara Abdulhadi, Director of Social Media Strategy at Digital Front “The number one trait we look for when hiring would be a candidate who fits our organizational culture. Our field of work is very demanding, and needs a great deal of attention, patience, transparency, and friendliness. Someone who fits this cultural aspect of our organization and loves working with like-minded people is a great asset. They make the work environment more fun, and are usually the ones that end up growing with the company rather than away from it.” Omar Taweel, Senior Partner at Taweel & Co. Law Firm “Since I am managing a law firm and only hire lawyers, my top priority goes for honesty and integrity along with a strong, outgoing personality. I believe that these are the main traits of a respectable attorney who can deal with crises and deal clients and other people in our profession in the most efficient way.” Ahmad Humeid, Owner at Syntax “The number one trait we look for is honesty. This is not just a moral judgment. When people talk about themselves in an interview it often become quickly clear if they are overselling themselves, exaggerating, trying to project a ‘favorable’ image, or simply lying. Honesty is critical in a team. Otherwise we can’t trust each other.” Rajaie Haddad, Digital Marketing Manager at Sheraton Amman Al-Nabil Hotel “Key traits would be a professional attitude, a good presentation, and efforts put into action to showcase the experience mentioned in a CV. The Sheraton philosophy is that ‘we hire for attitude, and train for skill’.” Hazem Zureiqat, Co-Founder & CEO at Sowt “Since we’re a startup, the number one trait I look for when hiring for Sowt is versatility. Aside from software development (which requires specialized technical expertise), I would like my staff to have a versatile set of skills and breadth in their knowledge and experience. Our industry –social media– is rapidly changing and evolving. It, therefore, requires people who can quickly adapt to these changes and be innovative as we work on marketing and developing our product.” Fadi Ghandour, Founder & Vice Chairman at Aramex Finally, we can conclude this article with Fadi Ghandour’s summary of the two main traits that make a professional truly successful in today’s workplace: passion and character. So, what do YOU think makes a successful professional? Have your say in the comment section below!
