What Are the Qualities of A Good Employee?

While you look for the most ideal employees to join your existing workforce, the more you know about the applicant the better your ability to make an informed decision. But when it comes to the basic character of an individual, things get tricky. There is no way you can judge a candidate within 2 rounds of interviews. This is exactly why employee background checks are becoming more and more crucial for hiring the right candidates. A thorough check into the employment history can reveal a lot about your potential hires and enable you to choose the best for your organization.

The most successful organizations consider personality traits in the hiring process. Here are the most common qualities of a good employee that you need to look out for:

Action Oriented

Self starters are always considered an asset to any enterprise. Hiring employees who proactively take action rather than waiting for someone to tell them what to do increases efficiency and productivity. Taking action also helps instill a sense of confidence while implementing new ideas. Stagnant employees will do more harm than any good for your company.

Ambitious

Employees who have ambitious plans for themselves are generally those who work harder to achieve their goals and in turn, contribute to the success of the organization. Ambition spawns creative ideas and generates candor among employees that ultimately contributes to the success of your organization.

Autonomous

It’s always better to hire employees who can get the job done without extensive hand-holding or with minimum supervision. You as a manager have your own tasks to complete. It is best if employees can complete their work without too many questions and too many hurdles. Hire someone who can execute without help from peers or managers.

Cultural Fit

Employees that gel together work well together. When you hire, think about your company culture and check whether the candidate ‘fits in’. Along with the skills required for the job, a good employee should also be able to work comfortably in your environment and blend in with the existing employees.

Upbeat

Employees who are energetic and enthusiastic about their work are the ones who perform well. Those who have preconceived negativity easily burn out when they encounter and sometimes even seek out defeat. Optimistic employees create an environment that is conducive for everyone to work together.

Confident

Confidence in one’s work produces good results. This further encourages employees and acts as a driving force to perform better. These employees take on responsibilities that others easily shy away from. A confident employee can make a difference in client perception of your company too.

Honest

An employee with the best skills, experience and knowledge is of no use if he/she lacks integrity. Honest and forthright employees are great assets as you are sure that they aren’t misusing their position and/or company resources for doing something illegal or detrimental to the company.

Hardworking

Nothing can be accomplished with a magic wand. You need hardworking employees if you need some work done. The foundation of a successful organization is the ability of its employees to work hard and accurately execute the given tasks in the time frames allowed.

Passionate

Employees who are passionate about their jobs do not actually ‘work’ – they enjoy each day doing something they like. Among all the motivating factors, (including money), employees who enjoy their work are generally the best fits for the job!

Disciplined and Punctual

Late to work, irregular in completing work and meeting deadlines and taking unnecessary breaks are all signs of inefficiency. It negatively impacts the performance of the company as a whole. Always look for employees who are punctual and value discipline. Those with a casual approach towards life will definitely have a casual approach towards their work too. It is hence important that you select candidates who are disciplined and punctual. Those who arrived late for the interview need to be eliminated – soon!

In summary, it should be noted that you can easily train employees with the technicalities of your product or service. But you cannot teach someone to be ambitious, passionate, punctual and honest. Those character traits need to be ingrained in the individual character – that’s what you need to look for while hiring!