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How well would you mesh with the company culture and how easy are you to get along with? Are you someone with whom he would feel comfortable spending eight hours (or more)? It’s pretty simple—with so many job candidates vying for one position, hiring managers can usually afford to be choosy and hire someone they like.
“Let’s face it, if I have a choice to hire or promote and there are two candidates who are both qualified, I am going to choose the one I like more since so much of business is about relationships and I will actively pick the person who is easier to work with on a daily basis,” says Jodi R. R. Smith, founder of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting.
Don’t worry—we’re not talking about a complete personality overhaul. It’s all about the simple niceties, like asking about someone’s day, smiling from time to time, and friendly small talk with your colleagues.
Likeability also plays into the job promotions too.
If you ever thought you have to be conniving and cut-throat to get ahead, you thought wrong! Joseph Grenny, author of Change Anything and cofounder and cochairman of VitalSmarts, did some research on likeability and promotions. After analyzing 1,650 promotions, he found that 92 percent of employers think “strong contributors who lack interpersonal skills are less likely to get promoted than those who are polite, candid and respectful,” Grenny says.
But exactly how far will likeability get you in the long run?
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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