Important employee qualities that businesses should look for in candidates — or teach in their personnel — should comprise a range of transferrable talents in addition to technical, role-specific skills. In a work environment that is continuously changing, these abilities enable individuals to face a variety of issues head-on.
According to recruiters in top organizations, these transferrable talents, which include leadership, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking, are just as crucial to have as technical skills.
According to them, transferable abilities are a set of soft skills that can help you move from firm A to company B. “[These skills] are crucial since the corporate environment in today’s world moves so quickly. Businesses must ensure that new hires are brought up to speed as quickly as possible after they start working there and ensure no skill gap exists between new and old employees.
Here are a few of the most important abilities that employers should look for when employing new employees.
1. People Skills
For employees to get along with their coworkers, clients, and other stakeholders, interpersonal skills like communication and stakeholder management are essential.
The recruiter suggests taking a conversational approach to interviews to gain some insight into the prior experience. This will help employers get a better idea of a candidate’s interpersonal abilities and communication or leadership style. According to him, these abilities are particularly crucial for “softer” jobs like sales or human resources that call for more interaction with people.
2. Critical Thinking and Problem-solving
According to research, the capacity for problem-solving, commonly known as critical thinking, is one of the most crucial transferable talents that employers seek. Almost any role or circumstance can benefit from the ability to think, judge, provide answers, and make wise judgments, making this skill priceless.
The recruiter declares, “Critical thinking will help you at any level.” “The job market and economy are shifting so quickly — if you don’t adapt and grow, you may be obsolete in months, in some circumstances. So, regardless of the [management] level, you’re at, it’s crucial to think on your feet and be able to come up with your own answers.”
3. International and Multicultural Exposure
Global exposure has gained popularity, according to Recruiters, as economies become more interconnected. This could include having worked abroad, knowing many other languages, and having a sensitive and nuanced awareness of other cultures.
They note that because Singapore serves as a center for companies doing business in the area, there is a focus on having a global presence.
4. Networking Skills
A manager’s main strengths should include networking abilities because they are valuable to have. Regardless of your role, developing the correct relationships is a vital asset for career and business success, according to Recruiter.
He notes that top management, in particular, needs this network because they frequently bounce ideas off one another. In order to establish beneficial commercial alliances and collaborations, leaders may also be able to take advantage of their connections.
5. Tolerance to ambiguity
The majority of jobs come with a list of the activities and responsibilities you’ll be performing as well as a job title that will probably last for many months (or years). You can disregard all of that while starting a business. I frequently tell individuals that their duties and job title are determined by the needs of the company. There is a very strong possibility that this will alter on a daily basis.
Early-stage teams frequently go through all-hands-on-deck situations, so you can expect to wear many different hats and take on responsibilities that are outside of your expertise or comfort zone. As a firm grows and finds its footing, employees that join at the beginning will have their roles changed numerous times.
6. Imagination
A startup frequently starts out with a big idea, but as things progress, your creativity becomes increasingly important. There will always be difficulties and obstacles. You’ll need creativity and the capacity to come up with fresh ideas and novel solutions to get through these challenging times. You’ll need to be ready to throw out your initial theories and possibly even your initial product. For a startup employee, maintaining this balance between believing in the concept and offering and being prepared to give it up in order to survive is challenging.
7. Adaptability to Change
Finally, staff members need to be prepared to assist businesses in overcoming the various business issues they currently confront.
Recruiter says, “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be hungry, willing to try new things and be adaptable and willing to learn, whether it’s because of technological advancement or the danger from the competition. Constant learning and pushing yourself are qualities that will make [a candidate] valuable to employers in a time when job markets and business environments are changing quickly.
