01/ 16/ 2006
by Jeffrey Moses
Understanding the traits of top-quality employees benefits everyone involved with small-business activities, from owners and managers responsible for hiring to applicants seeking a position to current employees wanting to become more valuable to their company.
The personal traits most desired in an employee include:
1. Honesty. From temporary workers to long-term employees, nothing is more valuable to a company than honesty. It’s the basis for everything that an employee is expected to do. When an employee has proven to be honest, an employer will continue to find a position for him or her and even promote when possible.
2. Dedication to quality work. One attribute sets a small business apart from its competitors: the dedication of its staff. Dedicated employees tend to excel in customer care, achieving excellence in all aspects of their work and working until the job is done right (not just until their workday is over).
3. Experience and skill. It may seem odd that these traits come after the first two, but most small-business owners would agree that no matter how experienced and skilled employees are, honesty and dedication are just as and, perhaps even more, important. That being said, an employee’s level of expertise and experience determines his or her ultimate value to the company.
4. Punctuality. Small businesses usually employ as many people as required to handle the workload demanded at various periods. Habitually tardy or absent employees put a strain on other employees and can throw off the smooth functioning of the entire company.
5. Energy. All things being equal, an energetic employee is most valuable to a company. Energy goes hand in hand with enthusiasm and dedication, enabling employees to work the long hours often required by small businesses.
6. Ability to work harmoniously with others. Successful small businesses are usually like well-oiled machines. Employees work together closely day after day. In a small company, it’s a rare for an individual to work alone. While top-quality people skills are not necessarily required, especially among technicians and production staff, being able to get along with others and interact comfortably with many types of people is a definite plus.
7. Ability to take initiative. Self-starters are a great attribute to any small business because of the numerous spontaneous decisions that must be made by every staff member daily. This trait is hard to determine when hiring, but when a company encourages and rewards initiative among its staff, it gives self-starters the opportunity to develop. The more self-starters a company has, the more that problems seem to take care of themselves, and company goals are met efficiently.
8. Communications skills. Working closely with others requires communicating. Critical ideas often need to be expressed precisely and comprehensively, both in writing and verbally. The better an employee’s communication abilities, the more valuable he or she will be to the company.
Skills also valued by employers include:
- Computer skills (widely needed in most industries today)
- Management skills (companies are always looking for employees with management potential)
- Speaking skills
- Sales skills
- Other skills pertaining to the specific type of business
