Jobhop Jobhop's blog : What To Look For In An Employee?

Every job is different, and therefore the employee required to fill it should be unique.

However, there are some traits that are universally appealing in a potential employee, and these are attributes that every type of business can look for.

Here are a few of the top ones to start your wish list when advertising a vacancy.

An Individual

In some industries, there can be the urge to make every employee very similar. There is always the fear that someone who is a little different, an individual with a different approach, might upset the status quo and cause trouble. But if you look for the right kind of individual, this is rarely the case. Look for someone who thinks a little differently and therefore can offer a new viewpoint for the business or someone who isn’t afraid to speak his or her mind in the right way.

Personable

In jobs that deal with customers, whether it’s the general public or other businesses, personable people are always a good bet. There’s an old saying ‘people buy from people’ and therefore while the person you are interviewing might not be the most polished, with the gift of the gab they might have loads of personality and be someone that others can relate to. This can be a big benefit for your business.

Adaptable

Different businesses need different types of adaptable skills from their staff. There are the people who will work for eight hours and do whatever you need them to do within that time – a strict job title and duties just don’t bother them. Then there are the types who are adaptable about their working hours. They will work weekends, evenings or whenever needed as long as they get compensated for it. Both types can be very beneficial to businesses so work out which type will best suit yours.

Keen To Learn

Being keen to learn is something we associate with the young, but this often isn’t the case. An older employee could be more willing to learn a new computer system than a graduate just out of university who thinks they know it all. So look for the trait rather than associating a certain age group with it. People that are keen to learn are often the most likely to be promoted, take on extra duties and be adaptable in their role.

Self-motivated

Another trait to look for when interviewing people is that they are self-motivated and happy to work on their own initiative. Even if they are part of a team, look for people who don’t need constant instructions, guidance and motivation – sure, we all need some especially when we start a new job, but look for people who have a ‘just get on with it’ approach.

Honesty

It can be hard to know if someone is being honest as we all put on our best face for an interview. But look for little signs of exaggeration versus information on their CV or telling stories that just don’t sound quite right – these can be signs of dishonesty which can affect other parts of their working life and can also cause discord in the workplace.

Stuart Cooke is the Co Founder of Jobs For Architects, a specialist job board for Architects across the UK.

He’s come across his fair share of would-be employees and knows which traits separate those that land their dream job and those that don’t.

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