Adaptability in the Workplace: What to Look for During the Candidate Search

With technology advancements and market fluctuations, today’s business landscape is rapidly evolving. Having employees that are able to adapt is critical to success. Companies need a workforce that is resilient, innovative, and embraces change. By focusing on adaptability during the candidate search process, businesses can find team members that will thrive under adversity, keeping the company relevant and competitive.

What to look for during your candidate search

Soft skills, like adaptability, are those skills that are developed primarily through experiences, not education. Candidates that have a variety of experiences and diverse backgrounds often readily embrace change successfully. Employees that are adaptable have demonstrated problem solving, flexibility, teamwork, creativity, and leadership in past roles.

During the application process

Resumes showcase an applicant’s skills, experiences, and education. Look for examples where the candidate was able to respond positively to a challenging situation. Action verbs on a resume that can indicate a candidate’s adaptability include:

• Motivated
• Transformed
• Prioritized
• Update
• Resolved
• Restructured

Learning agility is another critical component of adaptability. Being able to respond to change requires the ability to synthesize existing knowledge in new ways and process new information quickly. During the candidate search, look for evidence of a candidate’s ability to quickly acquire new skills and knowledge. This can be demonstrated through certifications, additional training, or participation in industry events.

During the interview

Interview questions offer an opportunity to assess for adaptability in depth during the candidate search process. Ask about how the candidate handled challenging situations in the past to evaluate their problem-solving skills, resilience, and willingness to learn.

Here are examples of interview questions that highlight a candidate’s adaptability (from the Fast Company article “Adaptability should be your new hire’s top soft skill. Here’s how to test for it”):

• Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was either difficult or had a different work style than yours.
• Have you ever had a project suddenly change after putting in a considerable amount of time? How did you handle this change?
• Describe a time when you were given a task out of your usual scope of work and how you handled it.
• Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new software or work process.
• When starting a new job, what are the biggest challenges?

HR consulting experts can help
When TriStarr is evaluating prospects during the candidate search process, we conduct comprehensive assessments, which include skills tests and personality assessments. The results of these tests, along with our candidates’ skills and experience, education, and background checks, help us match employers with the right individual for the job and company culture.

If you are looking for experienced employees that are adaptable, our HR experts can help. We provide HR solutions such as behavioral assessments and team building programs, in addition to our candidate search for temporary, temp-to-hire, and permanent placements.

Since 1989, TriStarr has been connecting good people with top employers in southcentral Pennsylvania from our full-service staffing and recruitment agency based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Learn more by contacting our team of hiring experts online or by calling us at 717-560-2111.