In the modern business environment marked by constant change and continuous technological advancement, the role of high-quality leaders remains important. Managing the recruitment and selection process based on scientific insights is not only a necessity but also a strategic advantage. Despite numerous studies in the field of organizational psychology exploring the relationship between personal characteristics and job performance, relatively little attention is paid to decision-making in selection processes. With the increasing number of women in leadership positions, gender becomes increasingly relevant in this process. The aim of our research was to investigate how candidates' gender can influence the perception of their personality traits in the context of hiring for leadership positions. The sample consisted of 181 participants who competed for leadership positions in various organizations. These candidates went through selection processes conducted by a consulting firm specializing in recruitment and selection in Croatia. All participants completed the HEXACO-PI-R questionnaire as a part of this process. Our results indicate a positive correlation between candidate agreeableness and the likelihood of their employment in leadership positions, reflecting trends in the labor market and changes in leadership perception. However, other traits were not significant predictors. Although we expected gender to moderate the relationship between personality traits and employment in leadership positions, our research did not confirm this hypothesis. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the relationship between personality traits and gender stereotypes in the hiring process for leadership positions and provide insight into the dynamics of this process in the modern business context.