WHAT THE DATA SAY: 86% of hiring managers say personality can outweigh a candidate’s skills gap

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

A GOOD PERSONALITY LANDS THE BEST JOBS

Personality might be the new hiring advantage, according to Harris Poll research with Express Employment Professionals.

• 91% of U.S. hiring managers say personality matters as much as skills today.
• 86% say it can outweigh a candidate’s skills gap.
• 78% of hiring managers and 72% of job seekers say personality also is important to thrive at a company – including promotions and landing the best jobs.
• 87% of hiring managers say they can tell from the first conversation whether a candidate will succeed.
• The ways candidates’ personalities are assessed include informal interactions (47%), situational questions (46%), behavioral interview questions (45%), reference checks (43%) and personality assessments (37%).
• See also: Americans are struggling to adapt in today’s workplace

GEN Z MOVING BACK HOME

Driven by underemployment and housing costs, a growing number of young Americans are moving back home with mom and dad and prioritizing fiscal responsibility, according to our Harris Poll research.

• 55% of Gen Z say they will be living with their parents again at some point because of the economy.
• 70% of 25- to 34-year-olds living back at home have jobs – yet still cannot afford to live on their own.
• More adults under 35 live with their parents today (25.2 million) than at the peak of the pandemic.
• 66% of Gen Z say they don’t want to rent, yet they see no realistic path to owning.
• 64% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials say they would stay on their parents’ phone plan forever if they could.
• See also: First-time homebuyer payments rise 57% to $2,563

MORE TECH = MORE CAR SALES

Vehicle technology is increasingly driving purchase decisions and repeat buying – especially among Gen Z and Millennials, according to our Harris Poll 2026 AutoTECHCAST study.

• 79% of Gen Z and Millennial vehicle owners say the technology in their vehicle makes them more likely to buy from a brand again, up 14 percentage points since 2016.
• Tech-driven loyalty is rising across generations, with 72% of Gen X owners saying vehicle tech makes them more likely to repurchase from the brand (+15 points), compared with 61% of Boomers (+6 points).
• 78% of Gen Z and Millennials say in-car tech played a large role in selecting their current vehicle – up 20 points since 2016.
• Blind-spot alerts are the most sought-after driver-assist feature (42% of buyers), ahead of forward-collision alerts (30%) and pedestrian/cyclist alerts (27%).
• Gen Z’s fastest-growing interests are battery-electric engines (+19.2 points), vehicle-to-vehicle communication (+17.2) and EV/fuel route planning (+15.6).

AMERICANS WATCH THEIR CREDIT SCORES

Americans are actively monitoring their credit, yet widespread misconceptions and knowledge gaps remain – especially among Gen, according to Harris Poll and FICO.

• 89% of Americans took at least one action to improve their financial health in the past year, including 56% who checked their credit score – up from 49% in 2024.
• 72% check their credit score multiple times a year, up from 69% in 2024.
• 11% do not know where to find their credit score, rising to 17% among Gen Z.
• 17% lack the knowledge or tools to improve their score, including 27% of Gen Z, 19% of Millennials, 16% of Gen X and 10% of Boomers.
• 84% say maintaining or improving their credit score will be a priority in 2027, with 45% calling it a major priority.
• See also: Mounting Financial Pressures Threaten the Retirement of Middle-Class Americans

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Allison and HarrisX release Gen Alpha Household Influence Study  (Allison, HarrisX) 
• Consumers trust AI with shampoo. They don’t trust it with menstrual care (Harris Poll)
• Women are less likely to hear about, talk about and use AI (National Research Group)
• As America Turns 250, Do Americans Feel the American Dream Is Alive? (HarrisX)
• Americans aren’t divided on values. But values are layered (National Research Group)
• Your Media List for AI Is Not the Same as Your Media List for People (Allison, Marcel Goldstein)