“These findings highlight the striking gap between what skills hiring managers value in a candidate and how job seekers describe themselves. But some of the disconnect between hiring managers and job seekers is due to misconceptions about what is most important to the other party,” notes Dan Kasun, senior director of developer and platform evangelism at Microsoft Corporation and Career Advisory Board member. “Job seekers should utilize these findings to better calibrate the way they present themselves to employers.”
According to the study, hiring managers place the highest value on the following skills across all job levels (entry, middle and managerial):
1. Strategic perspective
2. High integrity
3. Global outlook
4. Strong base work ethic/dependable
5. Accountability
For those looking to enhance their marketability to employers, Career Advisory Board members offer the following actionable advice:
