Blog · Frog Recruitment

Employer Insights

This Thing Called Grit

The newest addition on the high-in-demand attribute list.Over the years, the highly desirable attributes that organisations have been keen to see in potential candidates have included commercial nous, hit-the-ground-running and learning agility.Today, the common catch-cry is for this thing called grit.So what exactly is Grit?Well, to start, how come some people accomplish so much more than others? We all pose ourselves this question at some point in our lives – and our responses will vary from wealth to education to just plain luck – but it turns out that external factors play less of a role in success than we may have given them credit for. In assessing the differences between those who succeed and those who don’t, it appears that this character trait known as grit plays a big part.The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘grit’ as: courage and resolve; strength of character. It’s a word most of us associate with toughness and steely determination.It was the title of a well-known move in 1969 (True Grit) and – it turns out that grit has made its way to the top of the ‘highly desirable attribute list’ for the modern workplace of today. Research even suggests that hiring employees and managers who show grit as a character trait, will greatly enhance a business’s odds of success.GRIT Dr. Paul G. Stoltz, author of GRIT: The New Science of What it takes to Persevere, Flourish, Succeed believes grit can be defined according to this acronym: Growth, Resilience, Instinct, and Tenacity.Hiring people who display these traits are in high demand across all industries. Apparently, 98% of employers would prefer to hire an employee with GRIT than one who is otherwise perfectly qualified but lacks these characteristics.To why is grit so important in the workplace, let’s zoom in on some of the character traits associated with grit.Courage – Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather acceptance of it as part of a process. A courageous employee will manage their fear of failure and understand that valuable lessons can be taken away from defeat.Achievement-oriented – An achievement-oriented employee will work tirelessly to complete tasks, but will also step out of their comfort zone occasionally to succeed in their job. It contrasts with adependable employee who shows up every day and performs their job duties, but never takes risks or shows initiative.Perseverance – Without long-term goals, very little would be achieved in this world, but setting goals is only part of the process. An employee must be able to follow through. Long-term goals provide a framework that give small everyday tasks meaning, enabling us to look at the bigger picture and work toward success on a larger scale.Resilience – Failure is an unavoidable part of life. How a person copes with their failures says a lot about their character and their potential work performance. A resilient employee will take failure in stride, learn from it, and move forward.Excellence – An employee with grit strives for excellence rather than perfection. Perfection is an ideal that is by nature, almost entirely unattainable. A perfectionist employee will be anxious and unforgiving of failure. In contrast, excellence is an attitude which prioritizes progress over perfection.Spotting GritThere’s no doubt that education and experience are important, but by focusing on grit during the hiring process, you will make sure that new hires will have the desired characteristics to succeed.Here are some questions that you could weave into your interviews. Answers to these questions will provide a good idea of what an individual could bring to the company in terms of their strength of character.Tell me about a dream you turned into a reality? This can help identify potential leaders who are willing to take calculated risks, seek out growth opportunities and follow through on achieving them.Tell me about a time you failed and how you bounced back? A potentially successful employee will discuss lessons learned rather than deflecting and assigning blame.Tell me about an idea you had to improve your workplace, and how you implemented that idea? This is to see if potential new hires have the initiative, problem-solving abilities, andcommunication skills to do something proactive.Tell me about a long-term project you worked on, and how you stayed engaged throughout? Today’s workplaces are full of distractions so staying on task can be difficult. You want employees who have tenacity and strategies for keeping themselves and others focused.For more information on how the Frog team can help you or your organisation, please call us on 09 362 0528 or email us here we’d love to hear from you!

Posted by Jane Kennelly | min read

Career Advice

Be an Eco Warrior in the Workplace

“It’s time not to save our planet but to save us”, says Sir David Attenborough in his 2020 Netflix documentary ‘A Life on our Planet’. If like me, those words gave you a heart palpitation or two, I wouldn’t recommend watching this before you sleep, unless you have time to squeeze an episode of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ in beforehand. Historically, Sir David’s documentaries have showcased tantalising tales of the globe’s wondrous wildlife, and whilst ‘A Life on our Planet’ offers similar aesthetics, it tells a darker story of how humans’ habits have caused our planet’s severe decline over the last eighty years and a road map guiding the only way out alive.The endless amounts of coffee cups, always forgetting a carrier bag when going to the supermarket, throwing leftovers out, eating meat in every meal, ordering solo Uber rides...the list goes on. I have since made a conscious effort to change my daily habits, not only in my personal life but also whilst in the office. Which leads me to providing some action points on how you too can become an eco warrior in your workplace. Recycle and use recycled paperGet a couple of small bins for recycling. Have a separate bin/bag for soft plastics which you can take to the supermarket once full and deposit in their soft plastic bin. Soft plastics include cling film, chip packets and bubble wrap.If you have an office/household cleaner, communicate with them that you are making a conscious effort to recycle and would like them to empty the bins accordingly. Default printer settings to print out on both sides. Use keep cups or/and use a real coffee maker. Buy a keep cup and then use it! Have one for home and one for work. Using a reusable drinks bottle that is refillable, rather than buying plastic bottles. You’re also likely to drink more water if you have it constantly with you. Encourage car-pooling or/ and catching public transport To and from work and for any external meetings. There will be many more meetings now taking place online which is efficient, cost saving and sustainable. Move towards using digital storage instead of paper Using post it notes and pads of paper need to be limited and eradicated if possible. There are post it notes on your desktop you can use. Similarly, I use a saved Word document every day for all my random note taking and I delete as I go. Air-conditioning and heatingGrab a jumper or hot water bottle before cranking the heating. The sneakiest part of working from home is you can have a blanket draped over you and your slippers on and no one would be any the wiser!Also, on the not so outrageously hot days, lay off the air conditioning. As much as it’s invaluable in the moment, it’s part of the problem in adding to global warming. Keep ink and toner out of the environmentInk and toner shouldn’t be put in the general waste. Here are some ways you can recycle them:Take them to a local big-box retailer Drop them off locally at an office supply store Look online for a recycling program which accepts themPurchase energy efficient lightingIf no one is in the room, why do you need lights? Look into lighting which automatically turns off when no one is present and moving in the room. Yes, I may have to stand up and wave occasionally, but it’s not such a bad thing to be ushered off your chair a few times an hour. Ensure electronics and appliances are energy efficientFor those at the back, turn the switch at the plug socket off if you’re not using it. Look for the bright yellow EnergyGuide label (or similar) on an appliance to compare energy efficient refrigerators and how much energy they use. An energy efficient appliance with a higher price tag is a more cost effective option overall.Use eco friendly technologyExamples include -Meeting virtually using video conference platforms Using LED light bulbs Replace your old computers and devices with Energy Star rated products that work a lot faster in an energy-efficient wayUse the cloud otherwise, your in-house device will be required to consume high amounts of energyShut down your computer in the evening and put it in sleep mode when you’re not using it.It was such a bad habit of mine to keep my computer on overnight as I didn’t want to close unsaved documents down and lose my notes. I now have a miscellaneous document on Google Docs that I open every morning which has my scribbled notes, and it is autosaved every day in the cloud.Product check – choose companies that endorse energy efficiency and green alternativesDo an annual audit of the products that are being used in the office space. Also, make a conscious effort when you are purchasing in the first instance. Buy plants for the office to promote better air quality and reduce the amount of Green House Gas emissionsPlants in any space add to the aesthetics, so this is a no brainer for me, the more plants the better. It’s also fun and cheap to propagate plants such as devil's ivy and monstera as they grow. Put in place some eco friendly activities and encourage people to participate. Some ideas could include:Everyone creates an outfit or garment using recyclables onlyEveryone brings unwanted clothes or/and items, then swaps them. Those that don’t get taken can be:Dropped off at an opportunity shop or clothes bank The social media content of these activities, plus employees using their Keep Cups and being active in the recycling programsThese are some of the ideas I’ve decided to put into practice Do you have some ideas on being an ultimate eco warrior in your workplace I’ve not shared? Please comment below, I’d love to hear from you.