You may be aware of the global recession, a high unemployment rate in many countries or the difficulty to find a new job or embrace another career opportunity. Tough times, what can we say? But, if you are lucky to have a place to work or just got your dream job with a new company, remember the ten essential attributes of a successful employee to perform and, maybe, be promoted for another position.
According to an annual Talent Shortage Survey organized by the multinational firm Manpower, results indicated that employers from US and worldwide equally continue to have difficulties in identifying the best employees on the market with the right skills suitable for their openings. Moreover, they are struggling to fill various vacancies available in their organization, so being the right candidate with essential attributes of a successful employee is highly important.
10 Essential Attributes of a Successful Employee
1. Have excellent communication skills
If we think of the presence of social media in our lives and its impact, we do realize that communication has practically been transformed. The ability to be an efficient communicator in different mediums such as emails, on the phone with a client, phone messages or face to face is essential for any successful employee. Communication also refers to the attribute of listening, giving an adequate feedback or offer information.
2. Know how to manage his/her work
Which employer doesn’t want a capable employee who knows to work without being constantly supervised? Besides accomplishing its regular roles and responsibilities, a manager will always appreciate and observe someone who goes beyond its usual tasks, bringing new and creative ideas to the company. We are talking about employees with entrepreneurial skills with an essential ability to find solutions to different problems.
3. Be an honest employee
Have you failed to an important project? Don’t worry, nobody’s perfect, so admit you have made a mistake or two that can be repaired. I love a quote about success saying that it comes from a failure to another failure. The most important thing is not to lose your enthusiasm. Every employer appreciates honesty and the ability to admit small (human) errors, so don’t try to cover it and tell the truth. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get fired for it.
4. Be flexible
Employers need persons who are open minded and flexible to the company’s changes under any circumstance. Technology progresses with an amazing speed, so everyone has to keep up with ongoing changes, as well as know to adapt as required. Every job description includes this ability, because it’s a must-have for any employee, so try not to exaggerate with your rigidity. Show you openness to new projects that can help the company grow and develop, because it’s for the best for both parties.
5. Have a “can do”attitude
I don’t know about you, but I generally don’t like working with persons who think negatively and pessimistically and find lots of reasons to complain about something. Therefore, no employer will want in his team such an employee, so have a “can do”attitude in any situation. Be positive and have the courage to say “yes” to challenging responsibilities. Who knows what successful project may end up being?
6. Be a determined and tenacious person
To be honest, one of my best key strengths is the ability to be persevering about everything. It’s an attitude that has brought me lots of advantages in life. Moreover, I enjoy receiving challenging yet achievable goals, which is also a must-have attribute required by many employers. Success in both job and life requires a lot of patience and perseverance, so it’s also an essential requirement in the workplace.
7. Have a problem-solving thinking
Another essential attribute of a successful employee is the ability to have a problem-solving thinking at work, find ingenious solutions and be determined by their own forces. Most of small or large companies are looking for people motivated to solve problems, as well as accepting lots of challenges. Employers look for those talented persons who have the initiative to resolve many tasks and react fast in any situation. This category of employees may have an analytic or critical thinking to analyse, evaluate and make a decision based on real facts.
8. Love your work
How can you enjoy your work, if there’s no passion or enthusiasm? I, personally, have always admired those persons driven by an interior force to do something they love. However, there’s a big difference between a job and a passion, because successful persons usually don’t have a job, but a career. A career is something you dedicate an entire day, a significant part of your life, an activity that you love doing. Thus, many management specialists said that a person who love their work perform better than the others.
9. Loyalty
Probably a rare attribute these days, loyalty is an important quality for a successful employee, as he/she can build long-term relationships based on trust and respect. Who doesn’t want to hire loyal candidates? Any employer need to be able to trust their employees to work professionally and meet the company’s goals and best interests. As long as you’ll show your genuine interest, the manager will surely notice and encourage you to advance for a better position within the organization. Bring your sincere contribution, be loyal for better and worse and you will be rewarded. Remarkable and successful employees know how to show their loyalty for an employer they care about.
10. Always look for excellence
A successful employee is a person with a positive thinking, ambitious, communicative, enjoy his/her work and strive for excellence. You may want to put it in other word and say performance, because it’s a key indicator required by any employer from his people. Eager and willing to deliver the best results is a clear sign that you love your work and want to bring your unique contribution to the organization. Therefore, it is recommended to take initiatives, give suggestions, come up with new ideas and focus on high performance. As business changes constantly, these actions are highly encouraged by employers, as they can have a positive impact on the company.
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