The Top Skills of a Good Employee

Information technology'south a given that businesses desire to hire and retain the best employees in their field, only what does it really mean to be a 'practiced employee' and why is information technology important to seek them out? Most recruitment or man resource (HR) managers know how difficult it is to find adept employees; candidates either lack sure skills or they won't fit in with the company culture.1 Business concern owners often focus on technical skills lone and don't assess the qualities and characteristics that make upwards the ideal employee. This could end up adversely affecting culture, productivity, and may fifty-fifty protract training efforts.

Regardless of the industry or nature of the task, there are certain key qualities that every hiring manager should look out for if they want their employees to succeed in the business globe.

Skills and characteristics of a skillful employee

Both soft skills and technical skills, or hard skills, are equally important in an employee. Soft skills include the social expertise, personality and graphic symbol makeup, advice skills, emotional intelligence, influence, and approach to work that an employee shows.2

These serve to complement the hard skills – those abilities that have been learned and can be measured and quantified – and tin can make an employee more than of an asset to a company.three

Here are some of the top skills and characteristics of a good employee:

  • Knowing the why, besides as the what.4 Good employees know the reason why their job exists, to a higher place just knowing how to practice their task. This allows them to come with new suggestions and ideas to improve their tasks
  • Professionalism.5 Being polite, well-spoken, at-home, and presentable is all part of being professional at work
  • Honesty and integrity.vi Telling the truth nearly tricky subjects, such as workload, work/life rest, difficult customers or colleagues, and ineffective procedures makes for a expert employee
  • Innovative ideas.7 Employees who bring innovative ideas and suggestions forrad that will affect positively are an asset to a visitor. Stagnation and self-approbation are the enemy of growth
  • Trouble-solving abilities.8 Employees who work on something until it's solved, or complete, and who bring their all-time efforts to solve issues are considered good employees
  • Ambitious.ix When employees have a clear, personal career plan or goal in mind, they're not under the assumption that their employer will drive their career for them, so they strive for advancement
  • Dependability, reliability, and responsibility.ten Employees who take responsibility for their actions, are dependable, arrive on time, do what they say, and don't let the others in their squad down, are highly valued employees
  • Conflict resolution.11 Good employees accost and resolve conflict maturely, rather than trying to avoid it, past maintaining respect for those involved, not placing blame, and not acquiescing just to keep the peace
  • Positive attitude.12 Employees who bring a positive attitude to work take a positive bear on on those around them and improve the energy in the team
  • Emotional intelligence.13 Emotional intelligence (EQ) is most beingness mindful of one'south ain land of emotions, also as those in the team. Knowing how to manage these well is an important key to being a good employee
  • Teamwork.14 The ability to work with other people in a team, by fostering relationships in a professional manner, in order to achieve a common goal, is an asset to whatever company
  • Willingness to learn.xv Difficult skills attained through education are non enough for good employees – they're open up minded to new ideas, and they share their thoughts and personal insights with the team.
  • Creativity.16 Not all people are born artistic, but creativity is a skill that tin can exist learned through experimentation, imagination, questions, collaboration, and data processing
  • Generosity.17 Good employees coach and mentor those around them. They generously share their experiences and expertise. They empathize that knowledge is only ability when information technology'south shared with others

Recruiting vs preparation

Knowing what skills and characteristics to look out for, in existing employees as well as when recruiting new employees, will ensure that these desired qualities are nurtured and developed throughout the business, regardless of the job championship or function.

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All over the world, businesses are seeing skills gaps emerging. In the United Kingdom alone, 23 per cent of employees lack basic digital skills in spite of the fact that they're needed for shut to 90 per cent of all new jobs.18 One possible solution is training existing employees to get proficient in new skills – both hard and soft – and in turn creating 'good employees'.xix This too means that a new approach is needed when recruiting. Hiring employees who show potential to be further skilled and who brandish some of the qualities listed above may be an effective tactic. Given that top talent is likely to become more and more scarce and in demand, training might well be the best and most practical solution.

Knowing what skills and characteristics to await out for, in existing employees also as when recruiting new employees, will ensure that these desired qualities are nurtured and developed throughout the business concern, regardless of the chore championship or role. The skills of a practiced employee reach beyond technical acumen and business organisation feel. While these are important to become the job washed, how these tasks are carried out, and the interactions with other team members, are indicative of the attitude, approach, mindset, and adaptability of a expert employee.

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  • 2 Doyle, A. (Aug, 2019). 'Top soft skills employers value with examples'. Retrieved from The Residual Careers.
  • 3 Autenrieth, N. (Nd). 'Why soft and hard skills are so important to your resume'. Retrieved from Top Resume. Accessed 25 June 2020.
  • iv Duncan, R. (Sep, 2018). 'The why of work: Purpose and meaning really practice matter'. Retrieved from Forbes.
  • v Belyh, A. (Jun, 2018). 'Acme skills and values employers seek from job seekers' Retrieved from Cleverism.
  • half-dozen Zambas, J. (Aug, 2018). 'twenty key qualities that make a good employee'. Retrieved from Career Aficionado.
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  • 9 (Nd). 'Why passionate employees are the most valuable employees.' Retrieved from Soprana. Accessed 23 June 2020.
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  • 12 Zambas, J. (Aug, 2018). '20 key qualities that brand a practiced employee'. Retrieved from Career Addict.
  • thirteen Gassam, J. (Jul, 2018). 'How to develop more emotionally intelligent employees'. Retrieved from Forbes.
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  • 15 Bean-Mellinger, B. (Mar, 2019). 'Virtually important employee skills in the workplace'. Retrieved from Chron.
  • 16 Bhandare, S. (Jan, 2020). 'Top 9 qualities of great employees in the digital age'. Retrieved from Recruitment.com.
  • 17 Oesch, T. (May, 2018). 'How kindness and generosity can touch learning and the bottom line'. Retrieved from Preparation Industry.
  • xviii Bughin, J. et al. (May, 2018). 'Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce'. Retrieved from McKinsey.
  • 19 (Nd). 'Skilling, reskilling, and upskilling'. Retrieved from Randstad. Accessed 23 June 2020.