Good Employment Skills: Personal Qualities Needed on the Job

Objectives of this Unit Identify expectations of employers Identify things you can do to promote good working relationships with supervisors and coworkers Identify what you may gain as an employee if you succeed in the workplace and its relationships Identify terms associated with this unit

Terms to Know Attitude Self-esteem Individual responsibility Initiative Self-management Sociability Constructive criticism Ethics Integrity

Terms to Know- Con’t. Confidential Work ethic Reprimand Termination Punctual Privilege

Employer Expectations Imagine yourself as an employer— How would you expect employees to behave with one another? How would you expect employees to behave with you? What traits would you want your employees to have? How would you expect your employees to behave with your customers and business contacts?

Employer Expectations- Con’t. What kind of employees would you reward with raises and promotions? What kind of worker would you consider invaluable? What kinds of penalties would you have for employees who broke company rules and policies? Under what circumstances would you fire an employee?

Employer Expectations- Con’t. Why is it important to be aware of employer expectations? 1. Helps you understand where your boss is coming from. 2. You may be rewarded with: - job security - raises - promotions - more responsibilities - respect

Employer Expectations- Con’t. 3. You will be a more contented employee. 4. Your employer will, more than likely, be asked to give information to future employers about you and your work ethic. 5. Gives you a sense of a job well-done. (builds self-esteem- confidence and satisfaction in yourself) 6. Helps keep you out of trouble. (At work!)

Traits Employers Look For So, what kinds of things do employers expect? The following is a list of traits that most employers desire from/in their employees: Work Ethic- A work ethic is a standard of conduct and values used on the job. OR It is how you feel about your job and how much effort you put into it. - A good work ethic will help you be successful on the job, it helps make you a valuable employee. It means you will do the job to the best of your ability and even go beyond what is expected.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. A good work ethic includes having integrity. A person with integrity is one who firmly follows moral values. Employees who disregard moral values in their personal life will probably disregard company values. Behaving ethically is often a step above behaving legally. It is what you do when no one is around. It involves such qualities as: honesty, confidentiality, and loyalty. If you have a good ethic and you act ethically, you will be a good employee.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Honesty- At work it involves doing an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. A loafer on the job is actually stealing time away from the employer. It includes not taking items from the workplace that are not yours. Honesty not only involves what you do; but what you don’t do, but should. Knowing that someone is stealing from the company, but not reporting it is dishonest. If someone is doing something against company policy, it is your obligation to report it.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Confidentiality- There will be times when you will see or hear something that should be keep private. i.e.: the boss reprimanding a co-worker, new products in process, plans for expansion, who they may be planning to hire, personal matters that a co-worker might have shared. etc. DON’T be part of the “gossip grapevine.” You wouldn’t want personal facts revealed about you to someone, so never do this about others. Gossip spreaders are not good team members!

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t Loyalty- Loyalty means your faithfulness to your co-workers and employer. Loyal workers are proud of their company & its products or services it provides. Don’t criticize your supervisor to others, go to him/her. Always display a positive attitude about your work and employer. A loyal employee speaks well of their company inside and outside the workplace.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Positive Attitude- An attitude is an outlook on life, how you feel about other people and situations. - People with a positive attitude usually: - get along well with others. - are friendly. - are cheerful. - treat others with respect. - People with a positive attitude tend to be more productive.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Good attendance- When you are absent, it causes extra work for others. It reduces the effectiveness of the team and yourself. A part of good attendance is to report with as much advance warning a need to be absent. (Legitimate reason) Punctuality- Not just being there, but being there on time. -It is a good idea to get in the habit of arriving a little early, 5-10 minutes. This shows a good work ethic and makes it less stressful on you since you don’t have to worry about being late.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Being late is: - inconsiderate. - a bad habit. - a sign of an “I don’t care attitude” or that work is not important to me.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Abilities- Although most bosses know you will be learning on the job, they expect that you will have a minimum amount of ability for the job. Example: A welding shop would expect that you have a knowledge of welding and some prior training. You will be expected to have individual responsibility. (a willingness to answer for your conduct and decisions) Performance- Putting forth your best effort and working up at the rate expected for the time on the job. In other words, your output while on the job.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Initiative- Making oneself do what is necessary, another way to put it is- doing what needs to be done BEFORE being asked, told or reminded. Another term for this is self-management. Employers cannot afford employees who work only when reminded or who do only what they are told. (minimum amount) They want employees who are independent thinkers who can recognize what needs to be done next and then take steps to do it.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Cooperation- Doing what is asked, being a part of the team, getting along with supervisors and coworkers, doing your share of the job, etc. Cooperation is a sign of sociability, the interacting easily with people. Working with your supervisor is part of cooperation. At times you may be asked to do tasks that you don’t want to do. Accept the tasks with a pleasant attitude and perform them as you would any others. No matter what type of boss you have, work with him/her, not against him/her. Prepare yourself to work with all types of people.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Being a Part of a Team- Success as a team is measured in terms of the group, not the individual. Every person has strengths & weaknesses, it is your task to figure out yours and use them to the team’s advantage. A good team member is willing to negotiate and not always to be #1. It means putting the team’s goals ahead of yours. Trust is important, as is admitting mistakes or problems.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Accepting Guidance- Part of your boss’ job is to point out a weakness and offer constructive criticism. (Pointing out an area where improvement is needed and offering solutions.) The goal of constructive criticism is not to embarrass or anger an employee, but to help that person to do his/her job more effectively and efficiently. Accepting CC graciously shows an attitude of wanting to better oneself. Remember, the only way you will know how to work better is by being told where & how improvement can be made.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Courtesy- Being courteous means showing concern for other people and being mannerly with them. It’s showing respect! Remember, while on the job, you are your employer’s representative. Learning to be patient and considering others’ rights is important. Keep in mind that you are there for them, not you. Personal Appearance- In many jobs a worker’s personal appearance has a lot to with his/her success. Your appearance is a reflection of you and your employer. Wearing clean, neat clothes- appropriate for the job shows that you take pride in yourself and your job.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Good Health & Fitness- Your alertness & job performance depend on your health & fitness. To stay healthy and physically fit, you need to follow three (3) basic guidelines: 1. Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services developed the Get My Plate to help Americans understand what is needed for daily nutrients to maintain a healthy diet.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Diet- Con’t. Breakfast is the most important meal, to skip it robs your body of important fuel needed for the day. -Eat less sweets, less fatty foods, & less salt -Read labels on food items before buying. -Eat foods that are good for you and you will feel better and think more clearly. Remember the adage: “You are what you eat.” -Drink 6-8 glasses (8oz.) of water a day

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. 2. Get adequate sleep & rest. Getting enough sleep helps you concentrate & keeps your brain more alert. The National Sleep Foundation has found in its research that for teens to get adequate sleep they need to get 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep each night. Adults need 7 to 8 hours and infants need 16 hours. What does sleep do? -Gives the body the chance to maintain and repair our bodies and minds. -Helps our bodies fight infection. During sleep the body releases a sleep induced chemical that fights infections and disease.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Sleep- Con’t. - Affects from Lack of Sleep: 1. Affects the nervous system 2. Leads to poor memory retention & retrieval 3. Leads to poor physical performance 4. Can lead to mood swings 5. Can lead to hallucinations 6. Can lead to mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia) 7. Can lead to physical disorders (stroke, heart attack)

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. 3. Stay Physically Active & Exercise Regularly- -There have been hundreds of books on the benefits of exercising. You hear about them and read about them and are told about them almost everyday. The benefits are discussed on television, radio, newspaper and magazines. -For most people a minimum of 30 minutes of of physical activity 3-4 days a week will have a positive effect on one’s health.

Traits Employers Look For- Con’t. Benefits of Regular Exercise- -Relieves tension & stress -Stimulates the mind (generates endorphins) -Helps control weight & muscle tone -Controls appetite -Lowers blood pressure -Boosts self-image -Fights depression & disease -Helps build & maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints

Miscellaneous Privilege- Learn the difference between a privilege and a right. A privilege is: a special right granted to an individual or group. It can be taken away as easily as it is given. A right is something that one can claim that they are due, or owed to them because of law or justice. In the workplace, most benefits or extras are privileges. i.e.: discounts on merchandise, free food or soft drinks, parking spots, dress down days, etc. They are the employers way to say thanks to his/her workers.

Rights on the job are those things that the law requires/demands for employees. i.e.: overtime pay, safety issues, etc. Reprimand- a formal, usually written, form of discipline given to an employee as a form of discipline by a supervisor or employer. Normally, this is reserved for violations of company policy that have occurred numerous times or a serious infraction of company policy. Termination- the firing of an employee, pink slip, the axe, the boot, you’re outta here, etc. The formal ending of one’s employment. Created by Loren E. Taber- CBI Coordinator, KCCC/Clear Fork High School