Archive for the ‘Small Business Management’ Category
5 Attributes of a Good Employee
Many of us as business owners are faced with the decision at some point in time of whom best to take on as an employee. We may set them in-house tests and get them to carry out team tasks as part of our assessments. There will also be one or a series of interviews which prospective employees may have to go through. Therefore, before we begin these processes, it is vital to know exactly what we are looking for from a future employee. In this article I will just be looking at five common attributes that you should look for in an employee, however, you final choice will be based on specific job description attributes as well.
Firstly, they should be willing to contribute ideas. If they have a ‘wall flower mentality’ and do not respond to team tasks or interview questions with some well thought out ideas, then they will probably not be a good addition to your business. No matter what level an employee works at, they should be willing to contribute ideas on how to improve their role and also take part in discussions with their peers to make their department run more smoothly. There is no room for the ‘silent minority’ when hiring is concerned.
Secondly, in my experience, all the best employees are generally good listeners. Indeed, you will only have to explain things once to them if they have listened properly. Also, their good listening skills are crucial when dealing with suppliers, their co-workers and most importantly your customers. For instance, for a customer compliant to be dealt with properly it is crucial that an employee fully understands what the ‘substance’ of that complaint is. Listening to the customer carefully will help them do this, whereas talking over the customer or taking a defensive stance, will not.
You will also need to make sure that you future employee can show some initiative. It is important that if they are given a task, that you do not end up spending all your time telling them what to do at every little stage. I am not saying give them a blank canvas and expect them to get on with it. But if you map out what you want them to do, assuming it is part of their skill set, then they should be able to work on it in a confident manner, without bothering you with questions every two minutes.
Good employees also tend to see the bigger picture. For example, they may work in a particular department but they are fully aware of how their actions can affect the rest of the business. Employees who have a good overall business grounding and education usually demonstrate this attribute. Also, this attribute tends to go arm in arm with common sense; in other words an employee who sees the bigger picture usually has a good degree of common sense as well.
Lastly, a good employee will usually ask for more responsibility and sometimes as a consequence assume a leadership role with his peers. They will not ‘crumble’ when assignments are demanding or have a tight deadline. However, not all employees need to be good leaders, but they must all be able to rise to a challenge from time to time and not just give up. Another way to describe this attribute in general could be ‘strength of character’.
These five common attributes which good employees should demonstrate should be tested thoroughly in the interview and tests that you set them. Remember, they will be representing your business so you need to make sure that they make you look good and get the job done.
