Top recruiter: Why good manners and attitude are as important as skills to land your next job

Your skills and experience form only part of the hiring equation. Showcasing the ‘authentic you’ is a standout guarantee. See why.

For the past few years, jobseeking has been a topsy-turvy ride.

In 2020, Australia’s unemployment rate surged to 7.5 per cent before falling to 3.4 per cent in July last year. Hailed as full employment and the lowest level since 1974, it turned jobseeking on its head.

So how can you boost your employability when you might not be the perfect candidate?

The standout guarantee is manners and a good attitude. As an experienced recruiter, I know they pave the way to job success. And I am not alone.

A study by Career Builder reported 95 per cent of executives and managers said good manners matter when it comes to advancing your career.

MANNERS

Manners are more than a please and thank you. At a deeper, more symbolic level, manners reflect outwardly, conveying concern and bringing the promise of empathy and compassion for others.

At its core, manners show respect. More formal manners, such as etiquette, form part of our critical social skills necessary to follow societal norms and rules. They demonstrate how you will function with the team, customers, and stakeholders.

Roxanne Calder says good manners before, during and post interview can help you land a job even if you don't have the full skillset required.

WHY THEY MATTER

Manners matter and have entered the skillset fray. Our amplified focus on self and not just because of the pandemic; social media and the likes have played their role, contributing to the gradual decline and erosion of interpersonal, social skills and manners.

Working from home or remotely, while loaded with benefits, is fraught with disadvantages. Increased isolation decreased human interaction, and we find ourselves second-guessing and forgetting the niceties and appropriate decorum.

YIN AND YANG

Your resume, skills and experience only form part of the employment equation. Hiring managers want more.

Your manners and good attitude showcase the other side, the authentic you. The window to your values and upbringing, magnifying how you might be to work with.

Your manners and positive outlook allow you to be discovered. What can you offer in a skills short market to counter balance the gap in skills or experience? Equally, in a talent-abundant market, what distinguishes you from your counterpart? Your manners and attitude.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

Authentic manners are instinctive and showcase in a split second who you are. Forget the well-known adage of taking 60 seconds to form an opinion of someone. New research reveals it takes a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger.

There are some simple ways to show manners:

• Responding straight away to any communication such as email, texts, or phone calls signals respect for their time and enthusiasm, otherwise translated as a nice attitude. Address all communication formally, with salutations of ‘Good morning, Hi or Dear’ and an appropriate sign-off, such as ‘Regards’. Worse is no salutation or not writing a person’s name.

Responding immediately to emails shows respect. Picture: iStock

• After the interview, always thank the person for their time with eye contact and, if appropriate, with an email. Appreciation and gratitude are the brainchildren of manners. Without them, manners are superficial token appeasements.

• When accepting the role, respond straight away, returning the contract and don’t be afraid to express your excitement. Its hows your politeness and attitude are not superficial but will continue throughout your employment.

APPLIES TO US ALL

Being well-mannered and possessing a great attitude is not just for those establishing their career. It applies to us all, no matter the seniority and perhaps even more so as we progress. Research shows 70 per cent believe people become less courteous as they climb the corporate ladder.

Astute hiring managers use every avenue in evaluating jobseekers, from the first application, phone call, and all through onboarding and induction etc. Whether in a tight labour market or one of high unemployment levels, you need that something to set you apart. Manners and your stellar attitude do that.

Everyone loves the child who says please and thank you and gives up their seat. Even to the point of recalling the story at work or home. The purity and simplicity of manners — it captures every adult and child.

* Roxanne Calder is the author of Employable – 7 Attributes to Assuring Your Working Future and the founder and managing director of recruitment agency EST10. Visit www.est10.com.au

Originally published as Top recruiter: Why good manners and attitude are as important as skills to land your next job