By Taylor Seabrook, Head of Talent & Employee Experience
Hiring the right candidate goes far beyond evaluating technical skills or years of experience. While qualifications may get someone in the door, personality traits often determine how successful a candidate will be once they’re part of the team. Today’s employers are looking for individuals who can adapt, grow, and contribute meaningfully long term.
As hiring processes become more competitive, managers are more focused than ever on qualities that signal strong potential and cultural alignment. Traits like intellectual curiosity, resilience, and humility often separate candidates who simply meet the requirements from those who will truly thrive in a role.
In this video, Taylor Seabrook, Head of Talent & Employee Experience at Landing Point, shares the three personality traits she consistently looks for when interviewing candidates—and why these characteristics are strong indicators of long-term success.
[Taylor Seabrook, Head of Talent & Employee Experience at Landing Point, discusses three key personality traits she looks for when hiring candidates.]
Key Takeaways
- Intellectual curiosity shows a candidate’s willingness to learn and grow in the role.
- Resilience signals the ability to handle challenges and push through setbacks.
- Humility reflects self-awareness and a desire for continuous improvement.
- Candidates who demonstrate all three traits are often strong long-term hires.
When evaluating candidates, intellectual curiosity is often one of the first traits that stands out. Candidates who come prepared with thoughtful questions and show they’ve researched the company and role demonstrate a willingness to learn. This curiosity suggests they’ll continue learning on the job and push the boundaries of what the role can become.
Resilience is equally important, especially in demanding or fast-paced environments. Roles—and life—come with challenges, and candidates who can speak to how they’ve navigated setbacks, adapted, and moved forward tend to perform better over time. Resilience indicates the ability to grow through adversity rather than being discouraged by it.
Humility rounds out the trio. Interview questions about weaknesses or areas for improvement are revealing, and candidates who can answer honestly show strong self-awareness. A willingness to acknowledge gaps and work on them is a powerful indicator of long-term growth.
When hiring managers find candidates who embody intellectual curiosity, resilience, and humility, they’re often looking at individuals who will contribute positively to team culture and continue to evolve as organizations grow.
Related Reading: Hiring for Potential vs Experience
Looking Ahead
Looking at personality traits rather than just skills when hiring can help teams build stronger, more adaptable organizations. If you’re looking to refine your hiring approach or build teams that thrive long-term, Landing Point partners with employers to identify candidates who align with both role requirements and company culture. Connect with our team to learn more.
Transcript
Taylor Seabrook:
The first trait is probably intellectual curiosity. I’m always impressed with candidates when they come prepared with questions, and they’ve shown that they’ve done research on the role and the company. It’s a great sign that they’re listening, that they’re active learners, and that they’re going to push the boundaries of the role.
The second trait I look for is resilience. I think it’s a great sign when a candidate can show evidence—either on their resume or in interview responses—of how they’ve picked themselves back up. Roles can be really challenging. Life is challenging. And when you find somebody who can weather the storm and push forward, it’s a great indicator for success.
The third trait I would say is humility, which gets talked about a lot. Almost every interviewer asks, “What are your weaknesses?” If someone can be honest and show they’re looking to improve, that’s a great indicator of self-awareness and a desire to grow.
If you find a candidate who has mastered those three traits, most likely they’re going to be a successful employee at your company.
About Taylor Seabrook
Taylor Seabrook is the Head of Talent & Employee Experience at Landing Point, where she oversees firmwide talent strategy, recruiting operations, and employee engagement initiatives. She partners with divisional leaders to identify and develop top talent, create performance frameworks, and foster a culture of growth and collaboration.
With more than a decade of experience in talent acquisition and higher education, Taylor brings both strategic vision and a people-first approach to Landing Point’s internal HR function. She previously led firm-wide recruiting at Viking Global Investors and served in admissions and advancement roles at Bowdoin and Brown Universities.
A graduate of Bowdoin College, where she studied Economics and served as captain of the women’s lacrosse team, Taylor is a champion of mentorship and team cohesion within Landing Point’s culture. She splits her time between New York and the Southeast, attending Clemson sporting events and spending time with her family and dog Crosby.