Characteristics of a Good Employee

When hiring for a job, employers are looking for more than someone with just an education or a degree, they’re looking for personality. The personality of job candidates are what set them apart from someone else and can be the major driving force in the decision-making process. I believe in two very specific characteristics that employers are looking for when hiring potential employees and they are, first, someone who is action-oriented and second, someone who is competent.

What does it mean to be action-oriented? A person who is action-oriented is not afraid to “grab the bull by the horns” and take chances (Sundheim, 2013). People who are action-oriented are ready to make mistakes; they embrace risk and uncertainty and make the best of it. One of the best features of employees who are action-oriented is that their goals are often aligned with the goals of the company. Action-oriented employees strive to achieve and meet goals and will fight for what they want. Action-oriented employees have the confidence to do what is necessary to make companies more successful, while stagnant employees do not.

The second characteristic of a professional employee is someone who is competent. Competent employees know their job inside and out, while also understanding the “big picture” (Ingram, n.d.). Going hand-in-hand with being action-oriented, competent employees think about not only their own future but also the future of the company as well. Being competent means that they are reliable, honest, and hard working. Building a workforce that is full of competent employees will, undoubtedly, lead to the success and stability of a company’s future.

Having an education is not always good enough in today’s economy. Building and creating strong, marketable traits, like being action-oriented and competent, are crucial to ensuring one’s success in the future. By creating or perfecting professional characteristics, such as these, a person’s ability to stand out will increase substantially.

References

 

Ingram, D. (n.d.). The Qualities of a Good & Professional Employee. Retrieved from Chron: Small Business.
 

Sundheim, K. (2013, April 02). 15 Traits of the Ideal Employee. Retrieved from Forbes.