Adaptability = Career Success?

A 2017 survey suggests that, all other factors remaining constant, hiring  will place a much greatter emphasis on your adaptive ability as a means of determing whether you get hired. The report by talent experts Right Management, highlighted that by 2018, 91% of HR managers thought that one of the primary considerations in hiring individuals would be based on  their ability to change. Meanwhile, 53% of employees believed that their ability to deal with change, or their adaptability, would be key for for future success. What might explain this discrepancy?

‘It is not the strongest or the most intellient who will survive but those who can best manage change.’ Charles Darwin

Alessandra and O’Connor in their book ‘The Platinum Rule,’ suggest that adaptability consists of two aspects, ‘flexibility’ or our willingness to change and ‘versatility,’ our ability to change. Perhaps the latter points more to experience and intelligence?

Flexibility, refers more to your willingness to pivot or, to focus your energy/ability to embrace rather than resist change. It is this ‘ability’ of acceptance, the degree to which you are more a ‘cup half full’/optimistic type, which may well explain who actually adapts best. If this is true then expect to be tested for your optimism quotient or ‘OC’, at a job interview in the near future.

What do you think?

Articles and commentary that might be of interest…

• Adaptability is
• Is it possible to hire for adaptability?
• Why learning adaptability will matter in the future workplace
• Adaptability – The new competitive advantage
• Success – The biggest benefit to being adaptable
• 14 Signs of an adaptable person
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• The Seven Skilsets Employers Want