Characteristics to Look for When Recruiting a Candidate

January 13, 2026

Learn the key characteristics to look for when recruiting a candidate, based on real HR experience. Practical insights to hire accountable, adaptable, high-performing employees.

Recruiting looks simple on paper. Review CVs, Run interviews and Make an offer.

In practice, it is one of the highest-risk decisions a business makes.

Over the years, working closely with Australian businesses across multiple industries, we have seen the same hiring mistakes repeat. Skills are overvalued. Titles are trusted too easily. Red flags are missed because a candidate “interviews well”.

This article breaks down the characteristics to look for when recruiting a candidate based on what actually performs in real workplaces, not theory.

Characteristics to Look for When Recruiting a Candidate

Characteristic 01: Passion and Enthusiasm

In our experience, passion and enthusiasm are not about personality or hype. They are about genuine engagement with the work itself.

Passion is evident in a genuine interest in the industry, the role, and the problems the business is trying to solve. It’s internal and long-lasting. Enthusiasm is how that passion surfaces day to day, through curiosity, energy, and a willingness to lean into challenges rather than avoid them.

Over the years, we’ve seen that passionate employees don’t just complete tasks; they care about whether the outcome was right. They notice details, ask better questions, and take ownership without being pushed. This is not something that can be easily trained. It’s either there or it isn’t.

Why Does This Matters to a Business?

Consistently, businesses that perform well have employees who are internally motivated, not just compliant.

From what we’ve seen, passion directly impacts:

Retention: Employees who care about the work are less likely to leave for a small pay increase elsewhere.
Quality of output: Passionate employees raise standards without being told.
Team energy: Enthusiasm spreads. One engaged person can lift an entire team’s momentum.

Looking back, one of the most costly hiring mistakes we see is choosing “safe but disengaged” candidates. They meet the job description but bring no drive. Over time, they slow teams down, increase management load, and create cultural drag.

In most cases, skills gaps can be closed. Motivation gaps usually can’t.

Let’s take a look at Example Scenario:

Imagine you’re hiring a Customer Success Manager.

Candidate A has strong experience and answers questions correctly, but speaks about customers in a transactional way. Their focus is on processes and KPIs.
Candidate B has slightly less experience but talks openly about enjoying customer problem-solving. They reference a specific feature of your product and explain why it genuinely helps users.

Six months in, we consistently see Candidate B outperform. Customers feel heard. Issues escalated earlier. Feedback is acted on. Candidate A may still “do the job,” but without the same impact or care.

What surprised us over time is how often enthusiasm outweighs technical polish once someone is in the role.

How to Test for Passion and Enthusiasm?

You can’t test this by asking, “Are you passionate?” Everyone will say yes. Instead, we recommend practical signals:

The “Why This Role” question
Ask what attracted them to this role and this business. Passionate candidates are specific. Vague answers are a red flag.
The industry curiosity test
Ask how they stay current in their field. Look, if they are voluntarily learning through articles, podcasts, tools, or side projects.
Past work reflection
Ask which project they’re most proud of and why. Passion shows up in detail, ownership, and reflection, not just outcomes.
Energy shift observation
Watch for changes in tone and engagement when they talk about work they enjoyed. Authentic enthusiasm is hard to fake.

From what we’ve seen, when passion is real, it leaks through the conversation. When it’s missing, no interview structure can hide that for long.

Characteristic 02: Accountability

In our experience, accountability is about ownership, not blame.

An accountable employee takes responsibility for their actions, decisions, and outcomes, especially when things don’t go to plan. They don’t hide behind process gaps, other people, or external factors. They acknowledge their role, communicate early, and focus on fixing the issue.

Over the years, we’ve noticed that truly accountable people don’t need close supervision. They follow through on commitments without being chased. If they say they’ll do something, it gets done, or you hear about the problem early enough to manage it.

Why Does This Matter to a Business?

From what we’ve seen, accountability is one of the strongest predictors of trust inside a business.

When employees are accountable:

Managers spend less time micromanaging
Teams communicate earlier and more honestly
Problems are solved faster, not buried
Mistakes become learning points instead of political issues

Consistently, businesses struggle when accountability is missing. Deadlines slip. Ownership becomes unclear. Meetings turn into blame-shifting exercises. What surprised us over time is how quickly this erodes culture, even in technically strong teams.

In most cases, leaders don’t fail because of bad intent. They fail because no one clearly owns the outcome. Accountability fixes that.

Let’s take a look at an Example Scenario:

Consider a marketing team preparing for a campaign launch.

The launch date is missed.

An accountable lead flags the delay immediately, explains where the bottleneck occurred, and stays late to fix the issue. They don’t deflect responsibility to the design team or the client.
A non-accountable lead focuses on why others caused the delay and waits to be questioned before addressing it.

Over time, the first person earns trust and autonomy. The second attracts oversight and frustration. We see this play out repeatedly across industries.

How to Test for Accountability?

Accountability can be assessed reliably if you listen carefully.

Failure-based questions
Ask: “Tell me about a time you made a mistake or missed a target. What happened?”
Listen for ownership. Strong candidates use “I” statements and focus on actions they took.
Follow-through examples
Ask how they handled a commitment that became difficult. Accountable people explain how they adjusted, not how they avoided responsibility.

From what we’ve seen, accountability is not about perfection. It’s about how someone responds when perfection isn’t possible.

Characteristic 03: Adaptability

In our experience, adaptability is not about liking change; it’s about staying effective when change happens anyway.

Adaptable employees can let go of old ways of working and quickly adjust to new tools, priorities, or expectations. They don’t cling to “how we’ve always done it.” Instead, they reassess, re-learn, and move forward without losing momentum.

Over the years, we’ve noticed that adaptability often involves unlearning. The strongest performers are willing to question habits that once worked but no longer fit the situation.

Why Does This Matter to a Business?

The reality is that most businesses are in a constant state of transition.

From what we’ve seen across industries:

Systems change
Structures evolve
Markets shift
Leadership direction adjusts

When adaptability is missing, change slows everything down. Teams get stuck. Productivity drops. Energy goes into resistance instead of progress.

Consistently, adaptable employees become stabilisers during uncertainty. They help teams move forward rather than becoming blockers. Looking back, businesses that fail to value adaptability tend to build teams that work well only when nothing changes, which is rarely sustainable.

Let’s Take a Look at an Example Scenario:

A salesperson is told mid-quarter that the target market has shifted from small businesses to enterprise clients.

An adaptable seller immediately researches enterprise buying behaviours, adjusts their pitch, and seeks feedback to close knowledge gaps.
A non-adaptable seller focuses on how unfair the change is and waits for further direction.

Over time, the adaptable seller remains productive. The other falls behind and disengages. We see this scenario play out repeatedly.

How to Test for Adaptability?

Adaptability is best tested through real change scenarios.

Change reaction questions
Ask: “Tell me about a project that changed direction or was cancelled. How did you respond?”
Look for acceptance, learning, and forward action.
Learning speed indicators
Ask how they’ve picked up new systems or tools in the past 12 months. Adaptable candidates describe process, not frustration.
Language cues
Over time, we’ve seen that adaptable people speak in terms of adjustment and problem-solving, not blame or loss.

Characteristic 04: Strong Communication Skills

Strong communication is the ability to transfer understanding, not just information.

In our experience, it means expressing ideas clearly, listening actively, and adjusting the message based on the audience. It applies equally to spoken conversations, written communication, and everyday interactions.

Over the years, we’ve learned that good communicators don’t overwhelm others with detail. They prioritise clarity. They confirm understanding. They listen just as much as they speak.

Why Does This Matter to a Business?

Poor communication is one of the most consistent causes of operational friction.

From what we’ve seen, weak communication leads to:

Rework and avoidable errors
Missed deadlines
Misaligned expectations
Unnecessary conflict

Strong communicators reduce noise. They align teams faster and prevent small issues from becoming larger problems. In most cases, they also reduce management overhead because less clarification is needed.

What surprised us was how often performance issues trace back to communication gaps rather than capability gaps.

Let’s take a look at an example Scenario:

An IT specialist needs to explain a server migration to a CEO.

A strong communicator avoids technical jargon and explains the change in terms of business impact, uptime, and cost savings.
A weak communicator focuses on technical detail, leaving the decision-maker confused or disengaged.

How to Test for Communication Skills?

Communication is visible during the interview itself.

Clarity under pressure
Ask: “Explain a complex part of your last role as if I have no background in it.”
Strong communicators simplify without losing meaning.
Listening checks
Notice whether they answer the question asked or drift into rehearsed responses.
Written communication
Where relevant, a short written task reveals structure, tone, and clarity quickly.

From what we’ve seen, strong communication isn’t about sounding impressive. It’s about making things understandable and actionable.

Characteristic 05: Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

In our experience, emotional intelligence is about awareness and control, not being “nice” or overly agreeable.

EQ is the ability to recognise what you’re feeling, understand how that affects your behaviour, and adjust your response accordingly. Over the years, we’ve seen that people with strong EQ are not emotionless. They don’t let emotion drive poor decisions.

Why Does This Matter to a Business?

From what we’ve seen consistently, EQ is one of the strongest predictors of leadership effectiveness.

Employees with high EQ:

Handle conflict without escalating it
Navigate office dynamics without politics taking over
Build trust across teams
Manage pressure without burning bridges

In most workplaces, problems are rarely technical alone. They’re emotional. Low EQ turns small issues into major disruptions. High EQ contains them early.

Looking back, some of the most expensive performance failures we’ve seen were caused by people who were technically brilliant but emotionally unaware.

Let’s take a look at an Example Scenario:

A team member is visibly stressed and snaps at a colleague in a meeting.

A high-EQ response is to avoid reacting emotionally, recognise the stress, and follow up privately later.
A low-EQ response is to snap back publicly and escalate tension.

Over time, the first approach maintains trust and stability. The second damages relationships and team safety. We see this pattern repeatedly.

How to Test for Emotional Intelligence?

EQ shows up clearly in hypothetical and reflective questions.

Conflict-based scenarios
Ask: “If a colleague took credit for your work, how would you handle that conversation?”
High-EQ candidates talk about timing, tone, and intent, not confrontation.
Self-awareness checks
Ask what situations trigger stress for them and how they manage it. Honest reflection is a strong signal.

From what we’ve seen, people with real EQ think before they speak, and explain why.

Characteristic 06: Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that skills can be developed through effort, feedback, and learning.

In our experience, people with a growth mindset don’t pretend to know everything. They acknowledge gaps and close them. They treat challenges as part of progress, not threats to their identity.

Why Does This Matter to a Business?

Roles change. Tools evolve. Expectations shift.

From what we’ve seen, employees with a growth mindset:

Learn faster
Accept feedback without defensiveness
Stay relevant as roles evolve
Take responsibility for their own development

Looking back, fixed-mindset hires tend to plateau quickly. They resist feedback, avoid risk, and struggle when their comfort zone is disrupted.

In most cases, growth mindset matters more than current capability.

Let’s take a look at an Example Scenario:

A software developer is asked to work in a language they’ve never used.

A growth-minded response is: “I haven’t used that yet, but I can be productive within two weeks.”
A fixed response is: “That’s not my skillset.”

Over time, the first becomes adaptable and promotable. The second becomes limited. We see this consistently.

How to Test for Growth Mindset?

Growth mindset is easy to surface if you ask the right questions.

Recent learning questions
Ask: “What new skill have you taught yourself in the last six months?”
Feedback response questions
Ask: “What’s a piece of critical feedback you received, and what did you do with it?”
Growth-minded candidates describe action, not justification.

From what we’ve seen, people who grow talk openly about what they have to improve.

Why Characteristics Matter More Than Experience?

Looking back, one of the most costly hiring mistakes we see is putting too much weight on what someone has done rather than how they actually operate at work.

Experience tells you where a candidate has been.Characteristics tell you how they will behave when the situation changes, pressure increases, or things do not go to plan.

In practice, this distinction matters more than many leaders expect.

Over the years, we have seen highly experienced hires struggle because they relied on past systems, strong support structures, or favourable environments that no longer existed. Once those were removed, performance dropped. What was missing was not knowledge, it was judgement, adaptability, and ownership.

By contrast, we have seen less experienced candidates succeed quickly because they brought strong fundamentals:

They took responsibility without being chased
They asked the right questions early
They adjusted their approach when something was not working

Experience may help someone start faster, but characteristics determine whether they can sustain performance.

That is why the characteristics to look for when recruiting a candidate should sit at the centre of every hiring decision. When you hire for characteristics first, experience becomes a multiplier, not a risk.

HR That Works Like a Strategic Advantage

At VeiraMal, we support Australian businesses with practical, senior-led HR services designed to reduce risk, improve clarity, and strengthen performance.

Since 2018, we’ve worked directly with hundreds of organisations across industries, helping them streamline Payroll, improve HR analytics and reporting, manage Labour Market Testing, and navigate complex people challenges with confidence.