{"id":65168,"date":"2019-09-18T14:56:30","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T18:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=65168"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:12","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:12","slug":"the-hottest-companies-in-the-us-are-all-hiring-for-the-same-thing-grit-growth-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/management-leadership\/the-hottest-companies-in-the-us-are-all-hiring-for-the-same-thing-grit-growth-mindset","title":{"rendered":"The hottest companies in the U.S. are all hiring for the same thing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LinkedIn recently published its third annual list of 50 hottest startups to work for<\/a>, which included diverse businesses such as corporate-card company Brex<\/a>, and direct-to-consumer footwear brand Allbirds<\/a>, a member at WeWork New St<\/a> in Hong Kong. While the list-makers sensibly seek new hires with industry-specific experiences, they share similar ideas about their perfect job candidate. Plenty of hiring managers<\/a> prioritize talent with clear potential over someone with the exact right experience for the role. These insights may have you thinking differently the next time you\u2019re on the hunt for a new job.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why companies are hiring for character traits rather than hard skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growth mindset, a term coined by psychologist Carol Dweck<\/a>, is the conviction that a person\u2019s abilities and intelligence can be developed over time. Dweck found that those who believed<\/em> they could get smarter or improve at a skill were also the ones to put in more time and effort into their work, which ultimately led to higher achievement\u2014meaning that the mindset can be more valuable than the skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo me, \u2018growth mindset\u2019 means you are a deeply curious lifelong learner, and you exhibit the flexibility to adapt to new situations, types of people, and ways of working,\u201d says  says Courtney Brand, founder and CEO of thelighthouse<\/a>, a personalized career-advice platform that operates out of WeWork 450 Lexington Ave<\/a> in Manhattan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no wonder, then, that fast-growing companies are after talent that can keep up and grow quickly with them. Sarah Wagener, the chief people officer at DoorDash, the on-demand food-delivery service and member at 501 Boylston St in Boston<\/a>, highlighted the qualities she considers crucial when hiring. Wagener told LinkedIn that DoorDash looks to hire people with \u201ccourage and grit\u201d who are \u201cquick, adaptable, and resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popularity of growth mindset signals a cultural shift\u2014one that emphasizes character traits over knowledge and skills learned in the classroom\u2014one that is opening up the job market to nontraditional candidates. \u201cWe want to hire people with a forward-thinking perspective and skillset they can use to grow fast with us,\u201d Cheryl Dalrymple, CFO of Confluent<\/a>, an event-streaming platform for enterprises and member of WeWork 333 George St<\/a> in Sydney told LinkedIn. \u201cThat includes people who don’t get their experience in a college classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason for this trend is that \u201chard skills\u201d become irrelevant really quickly\u2014in 2019, proficiency in Microsoft Office no longer sets you apart from the crowd. Because no one knows what the future of work looks like, companies are placing more value on soft skills when building and growing their teams. \u201cTechnology is fundamentally changing how businesses succeed<\/a>, the way professionals grow in their careers, and the way we all work,\u201d says Brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re confident in your people skills, use them to lead your narrative in a job interview\u2014they might be just what a company is looking for.  \u201cPlease don\u2019t shy away because of your lack of experience or exposure,\u201d says Brittany Yoon, VP of operations at Ethos<\/a>, a life-insurance company and member of WeWork 600 Congress Ave<\/a> in Austin, Texas, told LinkedIn. \u201cMost of us didn\u2019t know much about life insurance before joining Ethos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to show off your grit and growth mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSoft skills\u201d\u2014like listening, dedication, and the ability to be resilient<\/a> and flexible \u2014are more difficult to translate on a r\u00e9sum\u00e9. So how can you demonstrate your stellar communication, adaptability, or empathy skills without seeming terribly egotistical? Brand suggests a number of ways: <\/p>\n\n\n\n