In today’s modern world every corporate looks across for people who are smart and have the ability of multi-tasking. They expect that one single individual should be able to do more than one task – hence this calls for varied skills in a person.
In the past when a new staff was hired, the major focus of the company was on the educational qualification of the person – but nowadays even though education is important the management tries to understand whether the person will be able to bear the pressure of the workplace.
Lets try to understand about some basic employee skills every candidate should have when they join the company and if any of them are lagging these job skills then, how they can improve their skill levels.
Important Job Skills Every Employer Wants:
Hiring has become a daunting task as it is very difficult to find tailor made persons. Today there is so much of competition that everyone wants to be first in the race. Most of them are looking for white collar jobs which are not easily available.
Hence when a management is hiring a new staff, one needs to look at the education but at the same time you need to check whether they will be able to cope up with the corporate pressure of work and whether they possess few important skills for employment.
1. Verbal and written communication:
Communication plays an important role in the company. When an employee joins the organization, the first and foremost skill which is expected from them is communication. It is very important to have excellent verbal communication. There are very few counted jobs which actually does not call for interaction with your colleagues.
In most of the jobs it is important to interact with each other. You need to interact with your fellow employees, vendors or customers. You need to express yourself clearly and confidently.
The verbal and written communication is not just about talking and writing – but the most important aspect is that people understand what you wish to convey.
Even though this skill is the most desired for each and every organization – but according to certain surveys there are only 33% of companies which have been working in this line to improve communication.
2. Working as a team:
Organization basically means a team of workers or employees. These employees are from different departments and professions. Today every department has to work in sync with another – hence it is important for the employee to have the skill of working in a team.
Most of the companies nowadays ask the employees to work in a group or team. You would have noticed that even during the interview or while checking the references they put emphasis on teamwork.
In order to succeed in their projects it is vital for the employees to cooperate with each other – they should share the responsibility and also put forward their ideas where they feel change is needed. These ideas should be put forward in an aggressive manner for the betterment of the company and also for the progress of the individuals themselves.
3. Awareness about the industry:
When you decide to join a new job or if you are shifting from a particular industry to another – it is important that you understand the trends of a particular industry. Before you join the company; make sure that you have gone through all the details about the industry in general first and then be company specific.
You should develop the skill of going through various materials and also online sites where you can collect the information about the company or industry you would be joining. This will bring in better job satisfaction while you join – but various studies have shown that more than one third of the employees who newly join a company are dissatisfied – this is because they have not done their homework correctly.
Today if you are aware about the industry or the trends / policies it will make your life easy and you can continue for longer period of time successfully in your job.
4. Logical handling of problems / issues:
In the present modern world there is a stiff competition between the employees. Every person wants to be number one which is not at all possible. But you can always be the best. There shall be problems and you can prove your mettle by solving these problems.
The organization should choose such employees who have the important skill of problem solving. The problems have to be dealt in a analytical manner; moreover the solutions should be very logical and practical.
Always remember that you should never get away from the problems or ignore them rather you should focus to get a solution to the same. The employees who have such skills and qualities are most welcome in most of the organization.
5. Be self-motivated:
When you join a company it is expected from you to perform all your given tasks on a daily basis. It is not possible for the managers to spend all the time behind you and check whether you are working or not.
They expect you to be self-motivated and also expect that you shall use all your knowledge and skills required in order to prioritize the tasks. You also need to find better ways and means to complete the projects.
The best way to be self-motivated is to take up tasks on your own and complete the assigned work on time.
6. Need to have drive to get things done:
Working in a corporate is a very challenging job. In corporates you need to be self-driven in order to get things done. You have to come forward and take initiative and get things completed rather than waiting for your bosses to tell you to do the same.
The companies need employees who are able to get their things done by taking initiative and follow up. They should be highly motivated and should understand their responsibilities in the right manner. The studies have shown that there are very few people who do not possess such skills.
7. Written communication:
Communication is the most important skill which is required by the employees when they join any organization irrespective of their size. There are employees who do not have basic literacy skills – such employees cannot survive in the companies for long. But those employees who possess the skills for a job i.e to write and communicate to their colleagues can easily win their seats in the company for a long period of time.
You should be able to write letters, emails, prepare reports, minutes of meeting and also frame policies if required. All the written communication should be done in such a manner that you do not hurt sentiments of any of your colleagues. You need to have a clear style and structure of writing.
Besides this, framing content is also an exclusive skill – do proper research before you write anything especially to a larger group of employees. One small error can affect the entire working atmosphere of the company.
8. Be organized:
In order to get the best of your efficiency and productivity, all your activities should be planned and organized in the right manner. It is always feasible that you plan your work well in advance.
You need to sit with your managers and work out the plan so that you do not find dearth of any resources both in terms of management support and monetary terms.
In case you organize your tasks on a daily basis, you will be able to meet the deadlines on time and you can achieve your target at the right time. This will enhance your performance and also give you chances of better appraisals.
9. Be flexible:
Every company or workplace keeps on changing along with time. This is essential in order to withstand the competition. When a company is changing, the most affected are the employees – one should be mentally prepared to accept the changes.
You should keep in mind that all changes are for good and there are all chances that you shall be able to perform better in the present circumstances as compared to the earlier one. The good and skilled employees will be able to easily adapt themselves to the changing atmosphere.
The skilled employees are the ones who are able to take up challenges and changes within a short period of time and also adapt to the priorities and changing work loads.
10. Managing time:
Time management is among the most vital skill for any employee. Time management is very important in any corporate. When you are assigned a task it comes with a deadline.
In the present day modern corporates, the performance of an employee also depends on the time management skills of the employee.
While you enhance your time management skills you will also improve the negotiation and leadership skills. You will also improve your stress tolerance and creativity skills.
The above mentioned employment skills or traits are the potential skills for the employees. Once you have hired the employees by checking these traits, you can be rest assured that you shall get the best results. The company will also progress and along with that the performance of the employee also improves. This is a win – win situation for both employee and company.
How to Improve Employee Skills: 6 Steps
The employees are supposed to be jack of all trades and master for none. This is the trend that is prevalent across all organizations. In order to make sure that your employees are able to work on all fronts, proper skill training is required.
1. Training:
Training is the best way to increase the level of employee skills. The company needs to have a well-designed employee development program which focuses on the latest management techniques. The training should be such that it leaves a positive impact on the employee.
The training sessions should include on the job training, online training and one to one classroom sessions. The internet based learning is supposed to be the best since the employees can learn at their own time and comfort.
2. Self – learning:
This is a good concept developed by the employers. In such situations the employer leaves the individuals to learn on their own. Employers looking for employees always expect this kind of skills in them. They encourage them to take ownership of the learning processes.
This increases the confidence of the individual and over a period of time the individuals are more competent. Those companies who use this approach generally get a contract signed by the employees wherein the goals to be achieved are outlined very clearly.
3. Being a mentor and coach:
The management should ensure that the individuals who are joining new in the company should have proper mentor. This is required so that the employees can understand the culture of the organization and also to frame guidelines to achieve the goals of the company.
If the coaching and mentoring are effective the employees will excel in their tasks – they shall be able to achieve the goals within the mentioned timelines.
4. Promotion of employees:
Promotion plays a very important role in the grooming the employees. Today if an individual is working to his best possible extent they expect that they would be compensated accordingly.
The management should understand and review their work on a thorough basis and provide them promotion and compensation to their expectations. This will motivate the employees for better performance.
5. Enrichment of jobs:
Initially when a person joins the organization they are given limited tasks but with the increase in their ability – they should be given more responsibilities.
For e.g. you can provide the employees with special assignments and besides this you can ask them to work in cross functional teams. This will make them multi-faceted.
6. Lateral moves:
This is the latest trend in the industry – the employees are given the same level of status, responsibilities and pay but the position may differ. This is a unique opportunity for the individual to prove themselves even in any other arena of management.
The lateral moves essentially increase the communication between two departments and also help in retaining employees and boost their morale.
