I have recruited hundreds of people throughout my career. And if I am honest, those who impressed most on paper have not always delivered in practice.
It took me a while to understand why.
Angela Duckworth calls it GRIT. A combination of passion and perseverance over time. Not talent. Not intelligence. Not even experience. But the ability to keep going – when things are tough, when results are slow, when no one is applauding.
It sounds simple. It is not.
We live in a world that rewards speed. Fast decisions, fast results, fast careers. And there is nothing wrong with that. But there is a trap – we confuse pace with perseverance. And they are not the same thing.
The most brilliant person in the room will quit the moment it stops feeling meaningful. The most resilient will push through precisely when it is hardest – because they know why they are there.
That is the person you want in your organization.
The question is how you find them.
In a recruitment process, GRIT is difficult to measure directly. It does not show up on a CV. It does not always come through in an interview. But there are signals – if you know what to look for.
Ask about setbacks. Not the rehearsed versions that candidates prepare for interviews. The real ones. What happened? How long did they hold on? What kept them going? What did they learn – and what did they change?
Those answers tell you more about a person than ten questions about strengths and weaknesses ever will.
I have learned to take these conversations seriously. Because in the end, it is not the smartest who wins. It is the one who stays the course.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through – feel free to get in touch.
Magdalena Hagström Ståhl
By M Consulting
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.