The job market can be a busy place; with the pandemic ending careers, there are a lot of potential employees waiting for the right employers. Adequate research is a must to find the best employees. Many companies worldwide provide a list of qualifications and experience a candidate must have to apply to their firm. Nonetheless, it’s essential to mention that the story changes once you reach the interview stage.
Although the essential criteria for hiring are the same across all fields and niches, a company or an experienced professional is looking for more profound things in a new employee. So today, we will be mentioning those traits that companies appreciate, encourage, and want to see in their potential employees.
Checklist for the list of traits
While looking for candidates, either a company employs the “hire direct” approach or hires a third party to do the recruiting for them. However, no matter who’s interviewing the candidate, they look for some essential traits in their potential next employee. So, make sure to go through the list before going for that huge interview to ensure the best shot at that job.
Collaboration
One of the most significant traits a company wants to see in a candidate is their teamwork skills. Collaboration is a must, especially in more giant enterprises with a plethora of groups and staff organized for one project. In your resume, highlight such experiences that can be referred to for your fantastic collaboration skills. Any experience from being a member of the sports team or a part of the staff that had great productivity in their last project can work wonders for a candidate.
Leadership skills
These may be general terms you may have written in your resume, but they have negligible to no importance if you can’t back them up with proof. Leadership skills, the ability to make decisions for the team, especially under extreme pressure, can be challenging. Still, if a candidate can showcase such skills in front of the interview board, by their prior experience or through what they say and do in the interview, it can easily give you an edge over the other candidates.
Organizational skills
Another addition to the list of required skills is organizational skills. No matter what job you aim to get, organization and discipline are a must. Your resume should highlight such endeavors too. A great way to add it to your resume is to mention hobbies that showcase your organizational skills.
Social skills
In any field, unless the post is remote, most employers seek a candidate who has outstanding social skills. A people person is always an asset to a company, and a candidate should aim to convince the interviewer of his social skills. If you deem that this isn’t your strongest point, you should find ways to improve it. Social skills could be the only asset that helps you stand out of the crowd having the same top-notch qualifications and experiences that you have.
Critical thinker
Another great trait that a lot of companies look for in their potential employees is critical thinking. This can help in taking adequate, appropriate decisions and steps at the right time, owing to the keen observation of the candidate. Furthermore, many test-based job opportunities have a separate portion for critical thinking questions; only a person who understands them, can correctly answer them. Finally, some games and exercises can help polish your necessary thinking skills, and a candidate should invest some time as it’s a skill that is a must no matter where you go.
Self-directed
Employers love professionals who are independent and self-directed. This person knows what needs to be done and does not require the initial spark to start an inferno. Instead of being a rudderless boat, he or she is like a steam engine moving ahead. Such skills can help employers rest assured that the candidate will leave no stone unturned to deliver what has been asked by the company.
Thinking outside the box
This is a skill many individuals should inculcate within themselves. Whenever a dilemma arises, there are two ways to tackle the problem, the traditional way or think of a solution outside the box. In fields such as sales, advertising, IT, and so on, they require candidates who can tackle a problem with a different solution from the typical answer everyone else will come up with. They are looking for a candidate who can think of unique and original ideas never been shown before. Hence, it is essential to take more than one approach to solve a problem.
Problem solver
This leads us to our next point, being a problem solver. We all have heard about trouble-makers in the workplace, but the ideal candidate is a problem solver. This does not necessarily mean that the candidate can solve company and international issues but rather also be able to resolve disputes within the enterprise.
Enthusiastic about learning new things
No one knows everything. The truth is we are all in the learning stage throughout our lives. Companies are not looking for someone who knows everything there is to know about the field. Instead, they are looking for a talented and enthusiastic employee who is open to learning more and more about his area. Someone who isn’t willing to learn may tip the interviewer off, and despite all their qualities may still not bag the job.
Goal-oriented and ambitious
One of the most common questions asked by interviewers is where the candidate sees themselves in the next five or ten years. This is a sort of question that judges not only the potential but also the candidate’s plans. If the candidate seems unsure, the interviewer may conclude that the candidate isn’t a visionary or goal-oriented person. This can be a negative point. Candidates should be goal-oriented and ambitious but nothing too over the top. On the other hand, too much perfectionism can put people off too. The ideal candidate will find the perfect balance between the two.
Final thoughts
A recruiter or an employer isn’t looking for the typical things in a candidate; they search for specific traits, some of which we have mentioned here. So try to polish such values to impress the interviewer, get your dream job and be a productive individual for the society. Good luck!
