Heide is Adjunct Professor of Management, Boston College. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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These days HR leaders talk about prioritizing digital-age traits like agility, growth mindset and adaptivity when evaluating candidates for hire. While these and other traits are critical for employee success in the modern workplace, all other things being equal, one trait that has withstood the test of time still stands out: conscientiousness. It should be at the top of your list when evaluating job candidates.
There are decades of research to support my claim. Studies have shown that conscientiousness is strongly correlated with both extrinsic (income and occupational status) and intrinsic (job satisfaction) career success. Not only is the correlation between conscientiousness and job performance strong, but the association can also be generalized across occupations. So, whether one is a surgeon, a programmer, a plumber or a business executive, the level of conscientiousness an individual possesses really matters when it comes to job performance. A 2021 study found that conscientiousness has an even more positive impact on work performance when workers operate remotely. As more individuals work remotely for part or all of the workweek, conscientiousness is poised to play an increasingly important role in organizational productivity.
So now that we know that the level of conscientiousness an employee possesses really matters, what does it mean to be conscientious?
Those who have studied psychology may remember that conscientiousness is one of the "Big Five" personality characteristics. Conscientiousness consists of three sub-traits: achievement, order and dependability. Achievement is the tendency to strive for success and competence in one's work, including high-performance standards and working hard to accomplish one's goals. Conscientious workers also thoughtfully consider risks before settling on a course of action. In a nutshell, conscientious people are achievement-oriented, thorough, well-organized, persevering, methodical, self-disciplined and accountable. I bet we all know a few who fit the bill—and wish we were more like them.
Now that we’ve defined what it is, how can you hire for conscientiousness? Here are a few suggestions.
If you use formal candidate assessment tools or personality inventories in your hiring process, make sure that these tools and inventories include an evaluation of the conscientiousness sub-traits. Prioritize favorable scores on items measuring conscientiousness sub-traits in the candidate evaluation process. Ask the candidate questions throughout the interview process that get at conscientiousness traits, such as “Tell me about a time when you were really persistent” or “Tell me what strategies you use to organize your work.” Ask similar probing questions of the candidate’s references. Look on their résumé for demonstration of conscientiousness traits.
Also, assessing conscientiousness in future leaders is essential since certain markers of effective executive functioning, such as planning for the future and impulse control, correlate to conscientiousness.
But what about helping the employees you already have become more conscientious? Is it worthwhile for an individual to know they lack conscientiousness when this deficiency may hinder their career? If we know our tendencies, we are better prepared to counteract their effects through training and development.
For example, an individual low in conscientiousness may have had career setbacks or failures because they are not dependable or are disorganized or careless in their work. Conscientiousness and its sub-traits should factor into the formal evaluation process for employees so that these individuals have the opportunity to address weaknesses and improve their professional outcomes. Once gaps are identified, training can help individuals who struggle with aspects of conscientiousness. For example, if an employee receives negative feedback for being consistently disorganized, training them in effective methods for organizing work should be a priority.
While it may be challenging to make every employee a model of conscientiousness, incremental improvement is possible. Are you hiring and training for conscientiousness? If you aren’t, you should be.
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