15 Qualities of the Perfect Employee

In today’s global business environment, hiring (and keeping) the right employee is one of the most difficult jobs of a manager. Often leaders focus on skill sets needed to get the job done right and overlook basic skills and personality traits critical to being a valued and productive team member. The consequences of a bad hire can be steep–personality clashes, project failures, and, even, firings.

While every employee has a unique mix of skills and personality traits, there are common ones that every hiring manager should look for.

If a candidate has these 15 qualities, they should definitely make your short list.

Agile.

An employee should be flexible, nimble, and quick. They should be able to react and respond to changing needs and customer desires, and the moving parts in our global business world.

Friendly and open.

An employee needs to be approachable, kind and compassionate. They should be able to speak in a way that people feel considered and cared about. Stephen Covey writes that highly effective people are those that care about others before themselves.

Internationally aware.

An Ernst and Young report says that one of the most important qualities employers are looking for today is a global mindset. This means being aware of and sensitive to other cultures, customs, events, and perspectives.

Energetic.

Sometimes projects require an employee to work late or extra early–particularly when collaborating across time zones. Dream employees have the stamina to do this. They eat right, exercise and take care of themselves so that they can conserve and protect their energy so they have more of it.

Adaptable.

The perfect employee is able to adjust to different cultures, personalities, and ways of doing things. For example, when collaborating with an introverted employee, they have the emotional intelligence to know that this person needs quiet time to think before sharing thoughts.

Ability to make small talk.

This is especially important when working with other cultures. Dream employees know how to talk about safe topics like the weather, current events or sports when engaging with those from other parts of the world. It’s a bonus if they can have these exchanges in the other person’s language.

Assertive.

Strong employees know how to mediate conflict. They know how to take initiative, ask for what they need, and assert opinions and suggestions so that they are visible and productive. This is especially important when working on remote teams.

Curious.

They also want to know about different ways of doing things. They wonder how others are doing something; what other organizations are working on; and how teammates lives or jobs are doing–particularly when the teammates live elsewhere in the world. Being curious is an important trait for gaining knowledge and showing people that you’re interested in them.

Flexible.

When working with different cultures and across time zones, being able to flex one’s schedule, switch up systems, and abandon processes that may not be working are critical to success. Dream employees aren’t afraid of change. They’re open to learning new skills, software and technology to keep pace with the rate of change today.

Time zone aware.

Virtual, dispersed or remote teams are becoming the norm. This means people need to be accommodating of different time zones. The general rule is that meetings should be uncomfortable for everyone sometimes. So, don’t schedule a standing meeting that makes a team member always have to stay up late or wake up too early.

Direct.

Some cultures communicate in very indirect ways, so a perfect team member knows how to speak directly but without ruffling feathers. They know how to be clear in what they’re saying and what their expectations are with still maintaining harmony within the relationship.

Can-do attitude.

The best employees are ready to jump in with sleeves rolled up. They aren’t naysayers. They believe anything can be done even if it requires abandoning old ways of doing things. They see only solutions, not problems.

Diplomatic.

The right employees know how to mediate differing opinions or suggestions. They’re able to talk with people so that they do a lot of listening and have a lot of empathy and consideration of other perspectives. They ensure people are being heard.

Take care of their appearance.

Perfect employees are aware of their appearance, hygiene and the customs of different cultures. They know how to let different environments dictate their dress so that they aren’t overly- or under-dressed and everyone feels comfortable.

Competitive.

Competition can be a positive thing when employees are competitive with outside organizations. They want to outpace other businesses and are thinking about the organizations as a whole. Competition is only really negative when employees are just out for themselves. The right employees also know that men and women approach competition differently, and how to walk that line.

In addition to looking for strong skill sets, leaders should be probing for these qualities when trying to find the right fit for their organizations.