A good worker is hard to find.
More employers are learning that the hard way these days. Since the millennial generation is willing to hop from job to job, quit on a dime, and refrain from working at the same job for too long, businesses need to employ measures to either hire the best workers or retain the good ones.
First, you need to determine if you have great employees. How can you do this? You need to identify the traits and characteristics of a good employee.
Here are eight traits of a good employee:
1. Arrives to Work on Time
You probably know someone like this at the office: they arrive to the office 15 minutes late, then they drop off their stuff at their desk, head to the breakroom to grab a coffee, have a chit chat around the water cooler, return to their workspace, and then begin to work – only to head to the bathroom 10 minutes later. In other words, nothing gets done.
Tardiness is a problem that inflicts many workplaces across the country. It is one of the leading causes of employee termination, as well as lower productivity levels.
Despite various ways of getting to work on time, from the alarm clock on your smartphone to Uber if public transit fails or your car breaks down, we’re not abiding by the 21st century mantra: one time is the new later.
That said, you know you have an impeccable employee if he or she gets to work five to 10 minutes early all the time. In fact, the only time they were ever late was when there was that blizzard that made traveling almost impossible – they grabbed a pair of skis and got to work that way.
2. Avoids Employee Gossip
There is nothing more annoying, unproductive, and insidious than office gossip. It is a disease that infects the entire company, leading to workplace harassment, officewide bullying, and a toxic environment. While it may be intriguing to hear chatter about the manager having an affair with the newest intern, or an accountant accused of embezzling funds, it does more harm than good.
Do you have a worker who keeps to himself, does the job at hand, and refrains from talking about others? Well, you have a stupendous employee on your payroll.
3. Good at Adapting to Any Work Situation
The global economy is constantly changing, and every company needs to keep pace with this corporate evolution. This could mean changing business plans on a dime or transforming operations that includes the newest business objective.
Whatever the case, you want employees who can adapt to any situation like the flick of a light switch. More importantly, you want a worker who refrains from complaining about these companywide changes.
Simply put: you have a great employee if he or she is adaptable and charges ahead.
4. Takes Responsibility for Failures
In this day and age, it is common for professionals to pass the buck, blame others for mistakes, and to whine and moan about how it wasn’t their fault. While it may or may not be true, a good employee is someone who takes responsibilities for failures. They own up to the problem at hand and are willing to correct the error, whether it is staying late or seeking guidance.
5. Maintains a Positive Attitude
The power of positivity is absent for a lot of workers. This is understandable: you’re overworked, you’re tired, you’re not advancing, and you’re living the same day over and over again – like “Groundhog Day.”
That said, being positive and staying that way is a great attribute to have. No matter how much chaos there is, how many deadlines you need to meet, and how irksome your supervisor is, you’re upbeat, eager, and prepared. A positive attitude is infectious.
It can be easy to be miserable, which is why we’re often morose. But it takes work to be positive, and, as the saying goes, if it’s hard then it’s worth doing.
6. Balances Confidence & Humility Traits
On one hand, you want an employee who is confident and knows what he or she is doing. On the other, you want a humble employee who isn’t arrogant and conceited about their abilities. Ultimately, the best employee is someone who can strike the fine balance between confidence and humility with the best behavioural traits.
No matter how much success you enjoy, being humble is essential to maintain that success.
7. Works Autonomously
Unfortunately, the latest numbers suggest that the younger generation needs constant feedback, managing, and words of encouragement. Otherwise, they will feel disgruntled, disenfranchised, and disappointed in their employer. This is becoming a reality for many businesses today.
Is this a hallmark of a good employee? That is debatable.
What we do know, however, is that companies demand workers who can work autonomously and independently. They can do the job well, and they can do it without someone breathing over their shoulder. Of course, you don’t want someone to be so independent that they ignore any and all recommendations from managers.
8. Follows Instructions
While an independent employee is a model employee, every office aims for a worker who can follow instructions, whether by memory or by jotting down a to-do list.
Like confidence and humility, an excellent trait of a superb employee is the ability to balance autonomy and guidance. So, in other words, an employee can stick to himself and get the job done the way management wants without going rogue.
The talent pool is vast, and the jobs, according to the latest numbers, are out there. The issue that companies face is that they cannot fill those positions. Why? Two things. First, there are plenty of unqualified people applying for the job. Second, younger workers are willing to job hop if they find that the employment opportunity isn’t for them, which is admirable, but it hurts businesses.
What does this mean for hiring managers? Well, you want to retain your current crop of employees, particularly if they adhere to any of these aforementioned traits. The only way to do that is to treat them well, extend competitive pay, and ensure they are happy where they work.
If you do that, then you won’t need to be too concerned with hiring multiple employees.