Hard Work and Talent Have More In Common Than You Think (Infographic) – Small Business Trends

If you are in the process of hiring someone, which is more important to you, natural talent or hard work? A new infographic from Davitt Corporate Partners looks at the science and justification for hiring one over the other. It also defines what talent is and recommends encouraging both traits.

The infographic is titled, “Natural Talent Vs. Hard Work: Which Wins?” and it asks a question many business owners must ask themselves when vetting a new potential employee. The document starts by stating the bias people seem to have for talent over hard work, but is there any truth in the idea that one is more important than the other?

Small businesses in need of new recruits don’t have the same luxury as a large enterprise when it comes to scrutinizing the many different traits a potential hire may or may not have. And depending on the industry the company is in, hard work will win out almost every time. But cultivating talent is critical too.

Davitt Corporate Partners is a firm in Ireland specializing in business coaching and occupational psychology. They serve clients in North America, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia across different industries with executive business coaching, learning and development, organizational design, and management processes.

Talent or Hard Work: The Data

The first study cited in the infographic reveals 60 percent of hiring managers choose natural talent over hard work, even if hiring the natural will cost more. Another study conducted by the University College of London revealed participants were willing to give up even more to get the natural talent, including four years of leadership experience, 8 percent in management skills, 30 points on IQ, and over $30,000 in accrued capital.

So how do you justify one over the other? The report says natural talent is an inborn gift for a particular activity and is essential to reach the top, but it tends to be wasted. On the other hand, it says hard work can grow talent, allows for more success, and is even a form of natural talent itself.

In defining talent, the infographic says it must be nurtured at critical times throughout a person’s life. Missed opportunities can delay talent from fully developing. But hard work is also an important component.

If you have both types of people in your organization, you should encourage them both with talent focused praise and effort focused praise.

You can take a look at the rest of the information on the infographic below.

Images: Davitt Corporate Partners