Top 10 Personality Traits in The Workplace

Everyone has their own perception of their character and personality traits that make us who we are. There is a myriad of ways how to measure one's personality such as 'The Big Five Personality Traits' and even more adjectives in the world to describe one's character. In this article we explore what are the traits the employers are looking for in 2020.

1. Ambitious or driven

Driven or ambitious employees are willing to go the extra mile in the pursuit of progressing their career. They will always put in 100% effort because they have high expectations for themselves. They have a go-getter attitude, they are extremely productive and innovative, which is great for the rest of the workplace.

2. Humble

Too much ego in the workplace is toxic and counterproductive. Humble employees work with integrity instead of feeding their own selfish needs or narcist. The more preferred candidate for a future employee is someone who would prove their value through their hard and commendable work rather than through words, whether they are true or exaggerated.

3. Enthusiastic

Having a positive mindset is a catalyst for productivity and creativity. It also reduces the risk of burnout. The great thing about enthusiastic employees is that their positivity is infectious - it encourages high morale, engagement and performance across the workplace. They help to build a working environment that triggers new ideas and is unique and enjoyable to their co-workers too.

4. Team-Orientated

An employee that is team-orientated is more likely to be aligned with the company objectives and have them at heart. Without the team as a whole, there would be no business. So, you need to have employees that understand that they are a small cog in a big machine, and for that reason, they need to help elevate their colleagues in the same direction.

5. Upfront

Employees that are honest and upfront won’t spend hours formulating an excuse for why this didn’t get done or why they weren’t present for that. They will have the integrity and confidence to come straight to you and tell you the truth. This saves time and gives you a perspective of what policies you may have to put in place as a result. Upfront employees are also much more likely to ask for help, which is always far better than not asking for help and allowing the problem to get worse and worse, thereby affecting the quality of output.

6. Eye for detail

The difference between a business crisis and business credibility is often due to those meticulous employees that notice errors before they become an issue. They check documents before they are sent and can step back, see the bigger picture and notice potential problems that are flying under the radar. The details matter and your reputation often hang on them, so make sure to employ people who handle their work with care and diligence.

7. Autonomous

Although management and guidance are important, it is equally important to have employees that are independent and proactive. Autonomous employees will have the initiative, when left alone without tasks, to come up with productive tasks to do without having to be given them.

8. Diligent

Diligent employees take pride in their work. They have a strong sense of accomplishment and high standards for themselves in terms of quality and performance. As much as they should have pride in your company, they need to have pride in their own work otherwise they will be content with delivering sub-par work. Therefore, diligent employees are highly sought after, mainly because, even if they are not enjoying the workplace itself, they will always submit outstanding work - it would go against their morals not to.

9. Organized

Organized employees keep their desk neat, diary legible and are generally more on top of things than disorganized employees. They tend to be more reliable, as they won’t forget important meetings or turn up to work late. A trait that many people struggle to cultivate, the employees who have a natural ability to compartmentalize, schedule, re-arrange and organise their lives easily are highly employable.

10. Empathetic

This may be a controversial one, but compassion and empathy are surprisingly important in the workplace. Especially in big companies, there will be a hugely diverse amount of people from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures. Therefore, emotional intelligence is important, to reduce conflict and facilitate engagement, for employees to be tolerant, respectful and understanding pf each other despite their differences.

These are the traits that employees like to see in their employees as they help to create effective collaborative teams, bring tangible results and help the company grow. And yes, not everybody is naturally good at all of these. Yet, luckily for you there are certain ways that will help your personal development and goals you can set in 2020 to enhance these traits in yourself!