26 Oct 3 Key Competencies Within the Perfect Grad

Accurately predicting graduate potential TODAY will lead to the greatest payoff in employee performance TOMORROW.

Only a couple of years ago, the competencies people were talking about were: complex problem solving, coordinating with others and people management. By 2020, only complex problem solving remains at the top, with critical thinking and creativity shooting up the rankings. We have classified these skills into three key competencies:

1. Learning Agility

Learning agility measures a candidate’s speed at adapting and ability to teach themselves. Displaying a willingness to learn from experiences and applying such insight to new conditions is a strong indicator for this trait. Employees with exceptional learning agility will always be good problem solvers, in addition to being critical and creative thinkers.

“Candidates scoring high on PATH Mental Power are 2x more likely to have exceptional learning agility”

Professionals are embracing self-directed learning to stay-up-to-date with today’s dynamic job requirements, and the pace of change required is only increasing. Investing in graduates with high learning agility will help reduce training costs and skill obsolescence further down the line.

2. Cognitive Complexity

The information age has turned into the age of information overload. We need to be able to focus on the important and ignore the irrelevant in this digital paradigm. Cognitive complexity measures our ability to distinguish between what information is relevant and what to ignore. This entails an emphasis on data quality over data quantity.

“Candidates scoring high on critical thinking are 5 times more likely to have exceptional cognitive complexity”

Graduates who have exceptional cognitive complexity are proficient at evaluating strengths and limitations. They tend to base their decisions on facts and figures after analysis of the situation than on pure feelings. Investing in graduates who are critical thinkers will help navigate the complex business obstacles of tomorrow and beyond.

3. GRIT

In her bestselling book, “The Power of Passion and Perseverance”, Dr Angela Duckworth defines Grit as a combination of passion and perseverance. High achievement such as in academic competitions, military training completion and sales performance is gained from the dedication to a singular goal, coupled with the determination to see it through. Grit is not about being the smartest person in the room, but rather your willingness to hang in there when the going gets tough. In fact, you could look at Grit as a deciding factor to who wins high stakes contests. Hard work alone doesn’t determine the champion; enduring setbacks and overcoming adversity gets over that final hurdle.

“Candidates scoring high on resilience are 4 times more likely to have exceptional GRIT”

Graduates with true grit can overcome obstacles to reach goals and be confident and composed in the face of challenges. Graduates who score highly on grit are real long-term assets to any organisation, because it only gets stronger as they mature.

The process of finding the right graduate can be long and arduous with the result often a hit and miss. Talegent’s predictive assessments strikes the perfect balance between accuracy and efficiency to help you discover the perfect graduate TODAY.