Employers want to know: How can you tell the difference between top performers and Average Joes? Star performers don’t grow on trees and with the current influx of talent flooding today’s market, it has become more difficult to identify them.
Although there is no one formula that makes up a top performer, we have been able to identify some common traits.
1. Self-Management: No one wants (nor has the time) to micromanage. Having an employee on board who can effectively regulate their own work agenda and work independently does wonders for company productivity. Don’t get me wrong, all employees need basic direction and tasks, but managing an employee who can take direction and run with it is something even the best employers and organizations can’t train on. A star employee should have the ability to leverage from what they know and manage themselves effectively.
2. Accountability: It is plain to see that in any productive company, employees should be expected to take the task at hand and create results. A star employee, however, takes this concept to the next level. In order to keep your business running smoothly and effectively, your employees must have a sense of responsibility for the outcome of their tasks, whether it is positive or negative. Without accountability, employees are in the dark- having no concern or liability for the outcome of their efforts.
3. Initiative: During times like these, employees cannot afford to fall by the wayside. A star employee will naturally rise above the rest through his or her own initiative. Whether assuming leadership responsibilities or pitching ideas, an action-oriented employee steps up and thrives on taking risks.
4. Humility: Nobody enjoys working with an arrogant know-it-all. The ability to recognize one’s faults and weaknesses is not easy. Star employees own the fact that they don’t know what they don’t know. They either reach out for training at their company or externally or partner/delegate to a colleague who is strong in their weak area.
5. Vision: Visionary employees see beyond the basic job description. While they certainly may have personal ambitions to succeed, their main interests lie with growing and improving their company. A star employee looks at the bigger picture instead of fulfilling the expected requirements for his or her position.
6. Values: It’s in every employer’s best interest to seek individuals that value integrity, honesty, and respect. Unfortunately, not every employee is perfect. But a star employee upholds basic principles, which creates a standard for a comfortable, ethical work environment.
Some stars are born, but others are also developed through training. You may not be able to distinguish star employees until they start working. Recruiters in Boston can assist with temp-to-hire placements. Behavioral interviewing is another tool to identify top performers’ traits. Deriving from the belief that past behavior indicates future job performance, behavioral interviewing is one way that companies can begin to sort through the overwhelming abundance of candidates. Behavioral interviewing focuses heavily on the softer skills of candidates; the ones that don’t necessarily come through on paper and prove to hold the most weight when a bad hiring decision is made. Follow our next blog post for more information on behavioral interviewing.
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