What To Look For In a Great Employee—Revisited

What To Look For In a Great Employee—Revisited
By Eyal Gutentag

Just over a year ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we published an article listing 5 critical qualities to look for in a great new employee.

Those qualities included:

·         Creativity

·         Dependability

·         Autonomy

·         Attention to Detail

·         Character

We received positive responses from our audiences affirming that these were indeed the qualities they needed to see in an early 2020 candidate. When a client was fortunate enough to find a candidate with all of these qualities, we recommended they hire him/her immediately.

But then COVID came along and in many instances turned everything upside down.

Workplaces across the nation were in disarray: layoffs disrupted long-standing teams, remote working arrangements separated people physically (and emotionally), temporary shutdowns and even company closings hit everyone hard.

So what happened to our top 5 qualities list? Will it change in post-COVID 2021?

The good news is…the list remains the same, but in a beefed up version. If it was important to find these qualities in a candidate a year ago, it’s even more important now. You post-COVID success could depend upon it. Let’s go through the top 5 one by one:

Creativity

Last year we told you that you’d need truly creative candidates to succeed in 2020. How right we were! Creative employees helped companies adjust, change and adapt to some of the most disruptive changes business has ever endured. In the post-COVID environment just ahead, that creativity will be even more vital. Your best candidates will be flexible, outside-the-box thinkers who can handle change, maintain focus and find new solutions. How will you find that creativity in the interview process?

·         Offer different work-related scenarios to candidates and have them respond.

·         Ask for examples of times the candidates did more than they were required to do.

·         Ask their referrals for instances where the candidates demonstrated their creative abilities. 

Dependability

In the past year, you may have seen how important it is to have employees you can depend upon even in the most trying circumstances. As you hire new employees in the days ahead, look for those who can remain steady and flexible under duress. Look closely how they handled themselves during COVID. Were they devastated and unable to react, or did they scramble about for solutions and determined to succeed even with the odds against them?  If you have remote workers, find those who you can rely upon to work without the same oversight you may have were they in a cube down the hall. Hire those you believe you can trust even when you’re not looking over their shoulders.

Autonomy

After COVID, you’ll want employees to be more than just good followers; you’ll want them to be more independent, as well. Train your staff to be proactive, to make decisions on their own that align with company policies and procedures. Focus your employees on goals and strategic objectives, rather than minute details. The more autonomous they are, the less need you will have to micromanage. In other words, find candidates who you can teach to work smart. In the days ahead, you’ll need people like that more than ever.

Attention To Detail

Candidates who are detail oriented don’t just catch small mistakes or prevent error; they also uncover potential opportunities that the average employee doesn’t notice. In 2021, with the many changes sure to come as companies recover from the COVID pandemic, you need candidates who can mind the details while also finding new ideas and solutions that fit these dynamic times. 

Character

Character is still the gold standard in finding the perfect employee. A strong character makes that person a key to building team collaboration and a positive, enduring company culture. It means having an upbeat personality that other workers like being around, with quality traits like loyalty, honesty and reliability. Adding new employees with character truly is the key to establishing a successful company culture.

Lesson Learned From the Past Year: Look Beyond The Resume.

If COVID taught us anything, it was that we need to find employees who bring more to the table than just an impressive resume. They need to exhibit personal qualities that go beyond job experience and education. This year, find ways to discover these qualities in your interview process. Ask questions. Probe. Challenge. Analyze. Find what your candidates are really made of, and you’ll harvest the gold. Eyal Gutentag