Staffing Firm Finds That Work Ethic, Soft Skills Help Define Hiring Success
About the role
Snelling, a leading U.S. staffing firm within the HireQuest network of staffing and recruiting brands, is marking 75 years of connecting Americans with meaningful work – placing it among the longest-running staffing firms and in the rare 1 percent of U.S. businesses to reach this milestone.
As employers navigate a rapidly evolving labor market shaped by technology, talent shortages and shifting worker expectations, new nationwide data from Snelling points to a clear trend: work ethic, human judgment and soft skills increasingly define hiring success.
To mark the anniversary, Snelling surveyed its offices across more than 100 local markets, capturing real-time insight from recruiters working directly with employers and jobseekers. The findings highlight how hiring priorities are shifting in 2026 and what decades of workforce cycles reveal about what truly endures.
Across markets, Snelling offices report that adaptability, reliability, work ethic and emotional intelligence are stronger predictors of long-term performance than technical qualifications alone.
Many offices estimate that 50 to 75 percent of recent successful placements were based primarily on attitude, coachability, and growth trajectory rather than an exact skills match.
Despite rapid advances in recruiting technology, Snelling offices overwhelmingly point to trusted relationships, local expertise and advocacy as the firm's most durable differentiators.
"Every generation believes today's labor market is unprecedented, yet over seven decades we've seen the same cycles of disruption and renewal," said Rick Hermanns, CEO of HireQuest, which acquired Snelling in 2021. "What consistently drives success isn't just technology, it's trusted relationships, local insight and a deep understanding of what fulfills people at work."
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Staffing Firm Finds That Work Ethic, Soft Skills Help Define Hiring Success
About the role
Snelling, a leading U.S. staffing firm within the HireQuest network of staffing and recruiting brands, is marking 75 years of connecting Americans with meaningful work – placing it among the longest-running staffing firms and in the rare 1 percent of U.S. businesses to reach this milestone.
As employers navigate a rapidly evolving labor market shaped by technology, talent shortages and shifting worker expectations, new nationwide data from Snelling points to a clear trend: work ethic, human judgment and soft skills increasingly define hiring success.
To mark the anniversary, Snelling surveyed its offices across more than 100 local markets, capturing real-time insight from recruiters working directly with employers and jobseekers. The findings highlight how hiring priorities are shifting in 2026 and what decades of workforce cycles reveal about what truly endures.
Across markets, Snelling offices report that adaptability, reliability, work ethic and emotional intelligence are stronger predictors of long-term performance than technical qualifications alone.
Many offices estimate that 50 to 75 percent of recent successful placements were based primarily on attitude, coachability, and growth trajectory rather than an exact skills match.
Despite rapid advances in recruiting technology, Snelling offices overwhelmingly point to trusted relationships, local expertise and advocacy as the firm's most durable differentiators.
"Every generation believes today's labor market is unprecedented, yet over seven decades we've seen the same cycles of disruption and renewal," said Rick Hermanns, CEO of HireQuest, which acquired Snelling in 2021. "What consistently drives success isn't just technology, it's trusted relationships, local insight and a deep understanding of what fulfills people at work."