Gift 1: Why truly "exceptional" talent is so rare?

The first study we want to gift you as a key insight for your organization comes from Gilles E. Gignac’s 2025 research, “The Number of Exceptional People: Fewer than 85 per 1 Million Across Key Traits.” The big takeaway? “Unicorn” candidates almost don’t exist. Let’s take a closer look at what the study means by that—and why it’s so relevant for hiring today.

Organizations often say they want people who are:

• very smart (intelligence)
• highly reliable and hardworking (conscientiousness)
• emotionally calm and resilient (emotional stability)

This study asked a simple but important question: how many people actually have all three of these qualities at very high levels at the same time?

To answer this, the researcher simulated 20 million people to estimate how often high levels of all three traits occur together.

People were grouped into four levels:

• Notable: at least average on all three
• Remarkable: clearly above average on all three
• Exceptional: extremely high on all three
• Profoundly exceptional: extraordinarily high on all three

What did they find?

• Only 16% of people are even average or better on all three traits at once.
• Less than 1% are clearly above average on all three.
• Only about 85 people per 1 million are truly exceptional (very high on all three).
• Someone who is profoundly exceptional across all three traits is so rare that the simulation found only one person in 20 million.

What are our main takeaways?

1. “Unicorn” candidates almost don’t exist

Wanting someone who is extremely smart, extremely hardworking and extremely emotionally stable is statistically similar to looking for a unicorn.

If your job ads or hiring criteria expect perfection across many dimensions, you are likely setting yourself up for disappointment.

2. Above-average is actually rare — and valuable

Many organizations overlook candidates who are solidly smart, reliably conscientious and reasonably emotionally stable because they don’t seem “exceptional enough.”

This study shows that people who are even moderately above average across these traits are already scarce and should be highly valued.

3. Over-filtering shrinks your talent pool dramatically

Every additional “must-have” trait reduces the number of suitable candidates exponentially.

So, tighter filters don’t just improve quality — they can eliminate nearly everyone.

4. Talent strategy should be about trade-offs, not perfection

Since extreme multi-trait excellence is so rare:

• No single hire will be perfect at everything.
• Teams should be designed so strengths are distributed across people.

Therefore, hire for strong overall fit, then build complementary teams instead of chasing one ideal individual.

5. Hiring expectations need a reality check

Managers often feel frustrated that they “can’t find great people.”

This research suggests the problem is often not the labor market — it’s unrealistic expectations about how common greatness actually is.

Your Personality Guides

Reference

Gignac, G. E. (2025). The number of exceptional people: Fewer than 85 per 1 million across key traits. Personality and Individual Differences, 234, 112955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112955