Partner Article

Mindset over skill set

James Reed, Chairman of recruitment giant REED, explains how it is mindset rather than skill set that will help you win and keep the job you love.

In these unstable times, everyone wants to stand out from the crowd and secure a rewarding job with long-term potential. But what does it actually take to get the job you want? We asked thousands of employers, including many of the world’s leading brands, about what they really look for in their employees. Here’s what they told us.

Given the choice between someone with the desired mindset who lacks the complete skill set for the job, and someone with the complete skill set who lacks the desired mindset, a total of 96% of employers picked mindset over skill set.

Similarly, when asked which is more likely, a person with the right skill set developing the right mindset or a person with the desired mindset developing the right skill set, 98% of employers confirmed the latter.

So, when it comes to getting a job, it’s clear that mindset trumps skill set.

What is mindset?

Mindset is more than just a positive attitude, it’s much deeper than this. Mindset is the internal lens through which we see and navigate life. It affects everything we see and everything that we do. It’s what will equip us to thrive where others fail and, used in the right way, it can make any one of us stand out from the crowd. Our study showed that someone who demonstrates a winning mindset can, quite literally, triple their chances of getting the job they want.

How can I use mindset?

Step 1: Identify your strengths

It is these that will distinguish you from other applicants. Our research showed that the top six mindset qualities employers look for are: honesty, trustworthiness, commitment, adaptability, accountability and flexibility. But this is by no means the entire list.

Step 2: Apply your strengths to your CV

Create statements that demonstrate how you’ve put specific mindset qualities into practice and use these on your CV.

For example, instead of saying ‘I supervised the customer service team’, you might say something like: ‘I led the customer service team to improve customer satisfaction by 29% in six months by using best practice from other industries’.

This second statement shows mindset qualities of adaptability and growth, as well as giving employers a sense of who you really are and what you have to offer. Our analysis revealed that CVs demonstrating one or more mindset strengths were three times more likely to get the job.

Step 3: Master your mindset

Mindset is not fixed. It’s something we can all work on and improve at any age and at any stage in life. Visit www.3GMindset.com to find out how.

Put Your Mindset To Work: The One Asset You Really Need to Win and Keep the Job You Love(Portfolio Penguin) by James Reed and Dr Paul G. Stoltz is out now

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Reed .