Author: Malachi Thompson / Source: Lifehack
When we look at a job advertisement, it can seem as though employers want an exhaustive list of experience and technical skills from their new hire.
They list desirable qualities such as ‘initiative’, ‘team player’ and ‘strong work ethic’. Those words can mean a variety of things to different people and it can be quite hard for employers to illustrate fully the combination of technical and soft skills they want their potential employees to have.
What they often want is a mix of versatile skills that make it easy for them (and you) to adapt to the changing needs and demands which occur in businesses today.
After all, adaptability and innovation are what make businesses thrive.
In today’s ever-changing environment, versatility is a mandatory attitude every working person needs to have. With the following seventeen work skills, you will not only make your employer extremely happy and confident that hiring you was their best decision, you will experience greater personal satisfaction and results.
1. Know what you want but more so why you want it.
Employers need to sense you have a solid idea as to why you are a fit for their role and their organization. They need to sense you have your own sense of purpose.
However, it can be a double-edged sword to say you know exactly what you want to achieve and gain if you are successful in your application and interview.
Some employers can perceive this as arrogance; your needs first, theirs second. What employers are really looking for is your internal sense of knowing that potential to join their organization is a winning combination for both of you.
2. Diplomacy and conflict resolution skills save money, lost productivity and efficiency.
Can you agree to disagree? Can you evaluate without passing judgment or at least be self-aware of your own biases? Can you put these aside to find solutions for the betterment of the team?
Employers look for versatility in soft work skills that bring peace, lower stress and contribute to creating harmony. If you have ways with words to help heated arguments reduce to a simmer so there is space for compromises, negotiations and reasoning to take place your employers’ respect for you will jump at least tenfold.
Peace-making skills are invaluable in changing workplace culture, particularly toxic ones. Any good employer knows a strong in-house negotiator will save them thousands of dollars in engaging an external mediator.
3. Know how to set and reframe your own goals.
Much research has documented that when employees have a clear purpose, mission and goals, they are more likely to be highly productive. They are less likely to flounder around in many directions nor be busy and not produce results that matter.
Employers know well that employees who develop their own goals and can align these with those of the company are more self-driven, self-sufficient and take greater ownership for performing their role.
And the benefit is not only to the employers. You personally will find greater personal satisfaction from achieving targets you have chosen to set yourself. Everyone wins!
4. Great time management and organization skills make you highly productive.
Being able to exercise versatility with these work skills needs no explanation. Great time management does not mean multi-tasking. It actually uses more brain power and reduces effectiveness.
Having great skills to prioritize your activities and demands, being able to assess how long things might take you to address are planning skills which greatly aid effective and better execution.
Working in harmony with your colleagues’ timetables makes for better teamwork and workflow plus a less stressed environment.
In today’s working world, any strategies for reducing stress-invoking opportunities are like finding golden nuggets. Your employer will want to hold on to those for dear life!
5. Be a flexible team player by being able to change roles when required.
Employers will be looking to see how flexible a team player, a potential employee could be.
If you are a natural leader, being a better team player might, in fact, mean you stepping down from the helm and encouraging someone else to exercise and step into their leadership potential.
It might be more beneficial to your employer to play the role of Indian as opposed to the Chief in certain situations. Stepping into different positions on your team not only helps you grow but also the rest of your team.
Employers relish having a versatile work team which can adapt and is ready and willing to play different roles, even if uncomfortable when crises happen.
6. Initiative, self-motivated and driven.
When you have your own internal reasons for looking to undertake a role your motivation is driven by something sizzling inside of you.
There is a personal drive and desire for the satisfaction you will experience when you meet a certain target that no other person will be able to give to you.
When you can genuinely identify and demonstrate your own personal connection to the role’s objectives and the greater goals of your employer’s business, they will see you have an internal drive that they don’t need to whip and flog to keep the momentum going.
Any employer will be grateful they just need to help navigate you and support you with the right tools and network and off you go.
7. Be confident but not arrogant.
Imagine if you were conducting initial telephone interviews with shortlisted candidates and one of the questions they asked was:
“How long would it be until I’ll…
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