Top 10 Qualities and Skills Employers Look For

When it comes to searching for the right job, there are several traits that you must possess to achieve the workplace success that you desire. While hard skills are important during a job hunt, most employers value the soft skills more hence they are more likely to consider an employee with more emotional intelligence than IQ. Your qualities and skills determine the kind of relationship you are going to have with your colleagues, manager, employer or clients at the workplace. Besides the basic professional job skills and qualities that you need to succeed in your career, such as decision-making, organization, teamwork and good communication skills , you also need to possess some specific personal attributes that every employer wants in an employee. Here are the top 10 personal qualities and skills employers are looking for.

1. Integrity

Every employer wants to hire a reliable, accountable and honest employee which means that you must be able to do the right thing even when no one is watching and you are accountable for your own actions. This quality is specifically essential at the workplace since it allows you to be self-confident such that you can do the right thing without questioning yourself. It also helps you to gain the respect and trust of others and become a good leader as well.

2. Independence

Every work environment requires some degree of independence since no one likes to be told what to do all the time. Being independent does not necessarily mean doing whatever you want but the ability to make decisions on your own and taking responsibility for your actions while considering your environment and the people around you.

3. Ability to tolerate stress

This is your ability to effectively manage stress which is critical for your success at the workplace. Employers are looking for employees who can handle pressure and work related stress while keeping their emotions such as anger, disappointment, unhappiness, nervousness, frustration and irritation under control. This is necessary in order to avoid conflict at the workplace. Frustration and stress can be contagious thus negatively affecting the rest of the team.

4. Self-confidence

For others to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself and this applies everywhere including the job interview , presentations, meetings and projects that you participate in. Confidence allows you to identify your talents and also helps you recognize your value at the workplace. A self-confident employee is able to cope with work related stress and also inspires loyalty and trust.

5. Good persuasion skills

Persuasion is more than just trying to impress your employer, it is a necessary skill that allows you to influence other people and making them believe in your own ideas while encouraging them to feel and see things your way. Persuasion involves possessing excellent negotiation and communication skills and being able to believe in your own abilities. It is however important to note that persuading other people does not mean manipulating them.

6. A creative and innovative person

Creative people are able to innovate things which requires someone with the courage to take risks, break the rules and embrace change while having fun at it. Every workplace environment requires some degree of creativity since its gives everyone an opportunity to experiment with new ideas and approaches and also invokes curiosity and the ability to question various assumptions or how things work. Employers have no place for employees who do not have any original ideas to offer. You can find
online certificate courses to enhance your innovative skills and be more productive. This will land you easily to your dream job.

7. Ability to take initiative

This means being able to come up with creative solutions and making decisions on your own without always waiting to be told what to do. Employers and managers have busy people too hence they can only teach you the basics and some unwritten rules. You should be able to trust your own instinct and never be afraid to make mistakes.

8. Self-awareness

This helps you identify your purpose in life and is the reason why most career experts recommend a psychometric or personality test to help people identify their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing yourself enables you to recognize your talents and ambitions and how they can help shape your career.

9. Self-motivation and drive

This basically means that you possess the power that drives you to keep moving forward despite the challenges you encounter. These qualities will facilitate your progress while helping you realize your goals. Employers want passionate employees who enjoy their work.

10. Respect for diversity

Most companies are multicultural work environments where you will find people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is therefore important to be sensitive to all these cultures by treating everyone equally irrespective of their age, gender, race, ethnic group or personality.