Hiring managers are receptive to candidates changing careers, especially if their previous experience can be applied to the new position, according to the fifth-annual job preparedness indicator report released by DeVry University’s Career Advisory Board. However, integrity is the top trait that candidates should possess.

“During the recession and immediate post-recession years, the Job Preparedness Indicator survey pointed toward a trend of hiring managers wanting ‘the world’ of candidates, with extremely high expectations from the start,” said Alexandra Levit, business and workplace consultant and Career Advisory Board member. “Although the economy has improved since then and it’s less of a hiring manager’s market, expectations of job seekers remain fairly consistent.”

Hiring managers are increasingly willing to consider candidates changing industries and roles, with 38% stating they were very likely to consider a career changer with the right skills, according to the report. Eagerness to learn is an asset, as more than half of respondents want to hire people who show willingness to gain the right experience and further develop their skills.

The top concerns about career-changing candidates included a lack of industry experience and an inability to assimilate into the organizational culture. However, 60% of hiring managers noted that these candidates can improve their chances of serious consideration for employment by devising a concise and sensible explanation for the change.

For the fifth consecutive year, hiring managers say attitude outranks skill, especially when it comes to personal ethics. This year, they ranked integrity the most important trait for a jobseeker to possess at any level.

DeVry University conducted the online survey on behalf of the Career Advisory Board in November 2015. It included 503 US hiring managers.