Good morning and happy Thursday blog-land!
Today I want to focus in on some things that employers are looking for in new employees and how you can make those qualities shine.
First, let's touch on just a few things employers look for right off the bat. These are obvious things, but I just want to review them quickly.
*Reading, writing and communication skills - employers want to know that you will be able to effectively communicate with them and others on the team. No employer wants to have to sit over your shoulder to make sure you are able to follow written instruction or double check everything you write. If they had time to do that, they wouldn't have hired you.
*Punctuality - When an employer gives you a start time, make sure you are there and ready to start! Showing up late constantly, not finishing tasks on time, and not using your time management skills properly will force an employer to take measures to correct the behavior and can lead to loss of a job if the problem is not corrected. There are start times and deadlines for a reason, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to meet these requirements,
*Good hygiene - This should be a "no-brainer", but make sure you are presentable and have good hygiene when showing up to work. That is a discussion no one wants to have, especially a boss that has other things to focus on.
Now here some other things that are not quite as obvious, but that an employer is looking closely at and most likely taking mental notes.
*Interpersonal Abilities - Are you able to get along with everyone in the office? Can you work easily with others in your department? Or, do you have a hard time helping others out when they need it? Bosses want to know that everyone on his/her team can work well together and get along while doing it. You don't have to form friendships, but you do have to be able to set your differences aside to get the job done. If your boss is constantly playing referee in order for a task to be completed then there is a problem and someone might have to go, if you are the one causing the problems it will probably be you!
*Adaptability - Does change cause you stress? Sometimes in the workplace things can change at a moments notice, you have to be prepared for that. If you get "flustered" and lose your concentration and confidence when a curve ball is thrown, your employer will not be able to trust that you can handle stressful situations or last minute changes. And if you can't handle that, you are less likely to be promoted to a higher position (which almost always includes a new set of stressors all it's own) and may even be eliminated from your position so they can find someone else who is adaptable and can easily handle changing directions when needed.
*Competency - An employer wants to know that when they give you an assignment or task to take care of, that you are going to be able to do it. If your boss lacks the confidence that he/she needs in your competency, they will be less likely to trust that you can do the job they need you to do. Being competent is a biggie, you must show that you know how to do your job and that you can be trusted to do it well.
*Honesty - Now this is a big one. I have touched on honesty in writing your resume and during your interview. However, it is an even bigger deal once you actually get hired. Your employer needs to know that they can trust the things that you are telling them without question. If you are not honest about even the smallest situation, then how can your boss trust that you are being honest about the big stuff? Complete honesty is the key to a good working relationship. If you make a mistake, be honest about it and work with your boss to find a way to fix it and a solution that will insure it does not happen again. Sure, this may get you into some hot water for making the mistake. But if your integrity and honesty comes into question because you were not forthcoming with the mistake, that will cause even bigger problems for you down the road. Even "stretching the truth" or a "little white lie" will come back to bite you. Once your boss knows that you will exaggerate the facts or just flat out lie to make yourself look better or protect you from getting into trouble for a mistake, it is very very difficult to recover their trust. It is much easier to start out with trust and be honest no matter the circumstances than it is to try and regain that regain that trust when it is lost. Be honest, at all costs. If it costs you your job, at least you have the piece of mind that you were completely honest and can take that quality with you to your next employer.
*Attendance - This is another biggie. Sure we all have to miss work sometimes. Emergencies happen, we get sick, our kids get sick, something comes up that just prevents us from being able to go into work or preform our duties. However, if this is a regular occurrence, you need to look at why you are missing so much work and how to fix the problem. Most employers will tell you that if you are sick, stay home. They don't want to risk getting sick themselves or you passing your germs to other employees. However, if you are calling in once or twice a week, this just becomes more of a burden on the rest of the team. When you are not at work, other people have to pick up your slack. Sure you might not be getting paid to be off of work, but that isn't the only thing that your employer is concerned with. It is the strain that your absence puts on the other employers and that fact that your work is suffering. Once again, if others are doing your work for you, or your boss is picking up the slack on a regular basis, why does he need you? Aside from honesty, attendance is one of the most important qualities that employers are looking at.
Now, I did read in several articles that employers look for people who can multi-task. However, I would like to disagree with this. Sure your boss wants to know that you can handle a variety of projects with different due dates and different requirements. But multi-tasking is not all that it's cracked up to be. If you are multi-tasking, or focusing your energies on more than one task at a time, no one task gets your full attention. This is when mistakes start happening. You should set aside times to focus on each task separately so that you can be 100% focused on what needs done, not thinking about several different things all at once. Any assignment that you are given should get all of your attention and concentration while you are completing that assignment. Anything less will result in mistakes or less than desirable outcomes. You employer has to have the confidence that you are going to focus in and complete the job at hand quickly and efficiently. You can't be efficient if you are doing several things at once, at least one of those things is going to suffer.
Those are the top skills and qualities that I have found employers to look for in their employees. Whether you are a new hire or a "lifer", it never hurts to brush up on what is expected of you. The most important thing is to stay focused and work tirelessly on improving yourself and your work habits. Bosses will take notice of your hard work and will be pleased that you are consistently growing and evolving into a better employee. Push forward and strive to make each day better than the last.
As always, I encourage any and all comments, questions and feedback.
Have a great Thursday!!
Casey
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