Five important Employee attributes you may not have thought of
Triggered by technological advances and generational differences, the working world has undergone considerable transformation in the last decade. In turn, so too have the skills required of professionals to thrive, be they in a fast-paced sales role, a strategic marketing position or as a hands-on assistant. But exactly what has changed, and what should recruiters be looking for as we head into 2020? While attributes such as motivation, passion and the ability to collaborate within a team will never fall out of favour, Employers should be on the lookout for talent equipped with the tools to truly succeed in the modern business landscape. Below are the top five key skills that you may not yet have considered in your search:
1. Imagination and curiosity
In an age characterised by rapid development in sophisticated technology, an active imagination is what separates human from machine. Innovation may have become a business buzzword as of late, but any competitive organisation recognises the route towards a market-leading product or service demands curiosity. Professionals who are capable of learning on their own and taking initiative to ask the right questions will be those who devise the creative solutions that can take your business forward.
2. The ability to maintain focus
It may seem like an obvious attribute, but in reality, attention spans have been hampered by digital technology and the distractions that come with it. Imagination is an incredibly valuable quality, but it’s useless if it cannot be focused into solving a particular challenge. Measuring a Candidate’s ability to keep a focus on a particular task may be difficult in an interview setting, but it’s certainly an attribute you shouldn’t overlook from Candidate references.
3. The ability to think holistically
Ticking off items on a to-do list is certainly effective, but how often does an Employee step back and consider whether their work is truly adding value in the long-term? When teams get entangled in the objects in the foreground, they can easily lose track of the bigger picture. Incidentally, this is often why digital transformation projects fail. A Candidate who is able to think analytically about the granular aspects of a project while keeping an eye on the large-scale impact and direction of the business can prove an incredibly valuable asset to any ambitious organisation.
4. Integrity and honesty
In 2019, workplace culture is critical to productivity, Employee engagement and in turn, staff retention. In order to lay the foundations for such an environment, recruiters should hire talented Candidates that are consistently honest and firm in their moral principles – after all, what is an intelligent Candidate if they are not trustworthy, transparent and do not behave in a way that reflects the positive values defined by the organisation?
5. Emotional intelligence
Increased collaboration has been a key change to the working world as offices have become open-plan and digital transformation has encouraged teamwork regardless of location. However, where collaboration fails, a lack of emotional intelligence is often to blame. Defined as the capacity to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions and handle interpersonal relationships empathetically, emotional intelligence should score high on your list for Candidate attributes due to the role it plays in team cooperation and, in turn, productivity.
Over the last 20 years, we have grown as a business to become one of the leading independent Recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, and in 2018 we opened our first London office, to service Clients and Candidates in the capital.
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