Hiring for Mindset: the secret to finding Top Performers

Finding truly great talent isn’t always about ticking off boxes on a resume or counting up years of experience. These days, the secret ingredient that makes someone stand out as a top performer often comes down to their mindset—specifically, their “growth mindset.” If you’re not already thinking about mindset when spotting high achievers, you might be missing out on people who can truly make a difference in your organization.

So, What’s This Growth Mindset Thing?

The term “growth mindset” comes from psychologist Carol Dweck, and it’s basically the belief that people can develop their skills and talents through effort, persistence, and learning from their mistakes. Instead of thinking abilities are set in stone, people with a growth mindset see challenges as exciting opportunities to improve, mistakes as valuable lessons, and feedback as a tool to get better.

Why Should You Care About a Growth Mindset?

When your team is filled with people who have a growth mindset, some amazing things can happen:

• They Bounce Back Quickly: growth-minded employees don’t give up easily. They tackle setbacks head-on, seeing them as part of the learning journey
• They’re Always Improving: instead of resting on past successes, these folks actively seek feedback to become better at what they do
• They’re Creative Problem-Solvers: a person with a growth mindset loves exploring new ideas and isn’t afraid to innovate or challenge the status quo
• They’re in It for the Long Haul: identifying someone with this mindset means investing in their long-term potential, not just their current skillset

Spotting Growth Mindset Candidates Early On

So, how do you know if someone truly has a growth mindset when you’re screening applications or interviewing?

During screening, keep an eye out for resumes and cover letters that highlight continuous learning, self-driven training, or stories of overcoming setbacks. In the interview, ask candidates about times they’ve failed or faced tough challenges. Pay close attention to their attitude about feedback and their openness to discussing areas where they’re still growing. The key here is genuine enthusiasm for learning and improvement, rather than simply listing achievements.

Putting Growth Mindset into Action

Here are a few ways your organization can nurture and identify a growth mindset among employees:

• Interactive Interviews: ask real-life scenario questions that reveal how candidates handle setbacks or unexpected challenges
• Encourage Experimentation: reward not just results, but also creative efforts and experiments—even if they don’t always succeed
• Make Feedback Normal: create an environment where feedback is constant, constructive, and welcomed by everyone

How Accentonpeople.com does it

Accentonpeople.com takes the idea of a growth mindset seriously. They’ve built their talent assessment around recognizing candidates who genuinely embrace challenges, seek out opportunities to learn, and respond positively to feedback. Through thoughtful assessments and insightful interviewing techniques, Accentonpeople.com ensures that the talent they help businesses find are not just skilled today, but have the mindset and adaptability to excel long-term.

By making the growth mindset a core part of their talent strategy, Accentonpeople.com helps companies build teams ready to thrive in a constantly changing world.