What makes a good employee?

Every employer knows that the hiring process is a significant investment. It is essential that the company ends up with good employees who will add value to their business.

But what makes a good employee? What skills should employers be looking for when designing their interview questions?

This article pulls out some of the skills and traits that all good employees share.

Reliability

Reliable employees make for productive teams because they only take time off when they're genuinely sick, always show up on time and carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. This also sets an example for other employees to follow, pushing up standards across the board.

This most important of employee skills is also one of the most difficult to assess. Employers should make sure that they contact referees and specifically ask about reliability. References are unregulated in Canada, so previous employers are free to be honest about the applicant's track record. If you can get hold of hard evidence, such as number of days off per year, that's better still. Of course, if an employee turns up late (or not at all) for an interview, that's a big red flag!?

Communication

Strong communication skills are like gold dust to employers, underpinning many of the other skills that make up a good employee. The good news is that it is quite easy to assess a candidate's written and verbal communication skills throughout the interview process.

If their role will include a lot of written reports and documentation, you will want to see a clear, concise, and error-free application form and resume. General verbal communication skills (or the lack of them) will become apparent during telephone or face-to-face interviews.

Team-working and conflict resolution

Being a 'team player' is one of those resume cliches that candidates are told to avoid. Yet, being able to work constructively with others is vital in most workplaces, even in the IT sector.

Working well in a team often involves an element of conflict resolution because team members will often have different ideas about the best way to achieve a goal. There can also be personality clashes. Those employees who can de-escalate conflict and resolve differences constructively are an asset to any business.

If team-working is essential to your advertised position, you could set up a group exercise as part of the recruitment process and assess how candidates collaborate with others.?

Creativity and adaptability

If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that change is constant and adaptability is vital for growth. Employees with innate creativity are hugely important to the modern-day IT industry, especially if they are also reliable, effective team players and great communicators.

When teams reach a roadblock, it is often the creative members who find a new path around the obstacle. Creative employees also find ways to improve existing processes and identify new opportunities.

Do natural leaders make good employees?

Natural leaders absolutely make good employees because they embody all of the skills we covered above. They are able to bring diverse personalities together, communicate the company's expectations clearly, take accountability for their work, find novel solutions, adapt to changes, and meet deadlines.

However, before hiring leaders, it's important to find out their motivations and long-term goals because you need to make sure your company can accommodate their ambitions. A loyal employee with leadership skills can repay their investment many times over. On the other hand, a strong leader needs opportunities to use their talent. If they feel frustrated by a lack of support, they can quickly move on - and might even take a few others with them.

Are you looking for a recruitment partner in the IT industry? Contact Myticas Consulting today - and please do subscribe and / or add your comments below.