Published: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 / Updated: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 09:32 AM

Bizz Buzz: Smile! Good personality might earn job offer

Go ahead and chit-chat with your prospective boss during an interview, because the witty banter might be the deciding factor in whether you get the job.

This is according to a recent survey by Accountemps, a worldwide staffing service for temporary finance and accounting jobs, that found 31 percent of chief financial officers surveyed said a good personality can be more important than technical knowledge when choosing between two equally qualified job candidates.

That might seem like common sense, but as recently as 2004, just 1 percent of CFOs said interpersonal skills were an important deciding factor for new hires. There's more: The 2009 survey found a good personality trumped not only technical knowledge (27 percent) but industry-specific experience (20 percent) and having an advanced degree (11 percent).

Five years ago, experience was by far the most desired trait, cited by 41 percent of respondents, with personality/people skills dead last.

So why the shift?

One key reason, said Andrea Seymour, an Accountemps regional manager in Charlotte, is that the roles financial workers play have become more visible in recent years because of the various scandals that have hit the industry.

“People have their eye on accounting more,” Seymour said. “People want to know that companies' financial records are what they say they are.”

But an equally important reason for the shift is that workers are expected to do more these days as positions are eliminated and companies look to be more efficient. This might include communicating complicated financial information to a non-financial audience.

“They can't just hire people who are going to sit in the corner and crunch numbers anymore,” Seymour said.

That creates a need for good communication skills over multiple methods, including face-to-face conversation, e-mail and phone communication. And given that employees everywhere are doing more because of reduced staffing — and likely not so happy about it — these professional communication skills are even more important.

Cue that good personality.

“If people are grumpier or stretched thin, you do want people who are going to be able to communicate effectively,” Seymour said.

Though the Accountemps survey was geared toward the accounting and finance sectors, the premise is holding true in other areas.

Russ Knight, president of the York County chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, said a greater emphasis on people skills is a growing trend.

Companies aren't necessarily giving personality tests but going with “the gut instinct for fitting into the culture,” Knight said.

This means using someone's personality to gauge loyalty and work ethic. Red flags might include negative comments about a previous employer or comments that would indicate that off-time is more important than work time.

“Employers right now can be a lot more picky,” Knight said. “In 2004, we didn't have the unemployment rate we have now.”

Hiring managers are looking for traits such as a positive outlook, being excited about work and other “untestable things,” Knight said.

It also seems workers have realized the value of a good personality, he said. Jobs are more valuable these days, and the prospect of a layoff is enough to be an attitude changer.

“Employers are telling me that people who used to moan and groan are now whistling a positive tune,” Knight said. “Employees may be saying, ‘I don't want to be here, but I'm sure not going to let that out.'”