What do you need in order to be successful? According to a new study, it all comes down to your personality. Global learning institute, Hyper Island, this week released the results of an international survey of business leaders.

The survey, “Tomorrow’s Most Wanted“, polled over 500 top leaders (CEO’s, Managing Directors, Creative Directors), paints a surprising picture of the most desirable qualities in the leaders and workers of tomorrow.

78% of participants said that “personality” was the most important aspect of a candidate, as compared to “skill set,” which was top rated by only 39%. “Cultural alignment” was highly rated rating by just over half 53% of the professionals polled.

“What we found most compelling about this research is how clearly it highlights that personality, not competence, is the determining factor of who’s going to get the most attractive jobs among tomorrow’s recruits. Also, there is a growing desire for talent with a unique combination of skill and flexibility – people who can collaborate, adapt quickly and are enjoyable company, but also have the drive to get things done. All those traits boil down to a personality that is essential for businesses operating in an ever changing digital landscape. Thus, specific competence is less important.” said Johanna Frelin, CEO of Hyper Island.

The most sought-after personal qualities:

  • Driven
  • Creative
  • Open minded

While personality traits are the most important, business leaders also identified the skillsets that are becoming vital. These include UX/UI (User interface, user experience design for websites and apps), programming, and analytics.

The skills that will be most in-demand:

  • Idea Development
  • Problem solving
  • Creative Technology

The research also showed that the biggest challenge facing companies in the near future will be finding, keeping and developing the right talent. This was the top concern of 20% of the business leaders surveyed.

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Peter Harris
– Peter Harris on Twitter

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