What are strengths?

People have different strengths. Some of us are highly logical, careful thinkers, others are more creative and energetic; one person might thrive in a crowd where another gets more done left to their to own devices.

Strengths aren’t simply the things you know how to do, or even the things you’re especially skilled at; they’re the positive personality traits that, when you’re putting them to use, make you feel energised, happy and effective. They’re the things that get you going – and help you get things done.

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Why we believe in working to our strengths

Working at Ernst & Young is all about working for our clients – and the better and more effective the work we do for them is, the more successful we all are. We learn and grow faster, we help our clients achieve their potential and we all achieve ours.

But doing better work isn’t just about working harder and smarter; it’s about all of us doing things that we’re interested in and truly stimulated by. This is where strengths come in.

The idea that we all have strengths, and that by working to them we thrive, comes from a field of psychology called Positive Psychology. Its practitioners have established that by tapping into the positive traits that we all have - compassion, creativity, resilience, self-awareness and curiosity, for example – we become more engaged, more productive, and crucially, happier.

It’s obvious then why a business like ours, whose success depends so much on doing exceptional work for our clients would want its people to work to their strengths. This is why working out what people’s strengths are is at the heart of our recruitment process. And why, as our people grow and progress, we help them nurture their existing strengths and develop new ones.

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People who work to their strengths

People who’ve achieved amazing things – in politics, entertainment, sports and the arts – often have their strengths to thank. It’s interesting to think about remarkable people in terms of the strengths that have helped them achieve so much.

But of course, it’s not just famous people whose strengths help them do interesting, remarkable things. Working to our strengths is the key to fulfillment and success for many different people in many different walks of life.

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Discovering your strengths

Our strengths come to the fore at different times, doing different things: maybe cooking, maybe playing football, looking after kids or even doing a crossword. It’s not about what you’re studying. It’s about the moments you’re at your best – happy, fulfilled and energetic. Which is why when we recruit people we’re more interested in your strengths, than your degree course.

Now, you might be able to put your finger on exactly what your strengths are – or some of them at least. But for a lot of us, the first step to working with our strengths is working out what our strengths are. That’s what our Strengths Test is all about – it only takes a few moments, but the results are revealing and useful and will provide you with a personalised report on your strengths.

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