What Your Employer Expects! Mrs. Westbrook Work Based Learning Coordinator Douglas County High School

Workplace Foundation Elements Personal qualities – Employers look for self-esteem, individual responsibility, self-management, sociability, and integrity. Personal qualities – Employers look for self-esteem, individual responsibility, self-management, sociability, and integrity. Basic skills - Employers look for good math and reading skills. Basic skills - Employers look for good math and reading skills. Thinking Skills – Employers look for good reasoning and decision making. Thinking Skills – Employers look for good reasoning and decision making.

Personal Qualities Positive Attitude Good Attendance Punctuality Communication Initiative Coping with Change Accepting Criticism Courtesy Personal Appearance Team Work Ethics In the Workplace

Positive Attitude What is an attitude? An attitude is a person’s outlook on life. What can an attitude reflect? An attitude can reflect how a person feels, thinks, or acts toward an object or idea. What is self-esteem? A feeling of confidence and satisfaction with yourself. What is a positive attitude? An attitude that shows that a person can get along with almost everyone including themselves.

Good Attendance Most employers have an attendance policy that you should read carefully. If a person is absent then there is more work for those who are left working. If ample time is given, then your employer can find another employee to take your shift. Always schedule your personal errands around your work schedule so you don’t have to ask for time off. By being dependable a person shows that they are reliable and don’t need to be watched.

Punctuality Never make it a habit to be late to work because the employer will see this as an “I don’t care” type attitude and will think that you are not interested in your job. Leaving home early will allow you to be early to your job and if there is a delay you won’t have to worry about being late. If there is a habit of being late to work check what you do every day that you go to work and see if there might be something in the schedule that makes you late, then fix it so you are no longer late.

Communication Think about what you say BEFORE you say it. Think about what you say BEFORE you say it. Speak as clearly and as specifically as possible. Speak as clearly and as specifically as possible. Don’t make assumptions of your listeners. Don’t make assumptions of your listeners. **Paper Folding Project**

Communication Did everyone come up with the same result? Why? Did everyone come up with the same result? Why? How did you feel as I was giving the instructions? How did you feel as I was giving the instructions? How could my instructions have been improved? How could my instructions have been improved? What implications does this have for us on the job? What implications does this have for us on the job?

Initiative What is initiative? The quality of doing another job after you are done and not having to be told to do it. Initiative is also known as self-management. After learning new skills to take an initiative is to look for jobs that require your specific skills and assure yourself that you are qualified for the task. Always use common sense when taking an initiative!

Change Change can be bad or good. Goals should be made to find creative ways to overcome adversity and be successful EVEN when changes seem to create problems. **Index Towers**

Change How did you decide on the structure to build each time? How did you decide on the structure to build each time? How did you feel when I removed the tape? How did you feel when I removed the tape? What ways did you find to be successful in the second round? What ways did you find to be successful in the second round? What implications does this activity have for us on the job? What implications does this activity have for us on the job?

Accepting Criticism What is constructive criticism? Constructive criticism is criticism with a positive motive that is used to help a person to better in their performance. Who uses it? Your employer or supervisor uses it and usually happens when receiving job evaluations. What is a job evaluation? A job evaluation is where your performance is measured and criticism is used to help performance.

Courtesy Being courteous is showing of good manners. Being respectful, polite, and considerate is being courteous to people you serve and people who work with you. Being courteous also means that your job will be much more pleasant.

Personal Appearance Always look your best when working. Clean and neatly combed hair. Clean Hands with trimmed and clean fingernails. Brush teeth. Neat clean clothes. Holes in clothing; dirt, paint, etc.; piercings; big earrings (only girls); flashy jewelry; and too much make-up is not advisable to use or is not permitted.

Working with Others An employer expects workers to work well in teams. In 2006 Employers ranked TEAM WORK: THE Most Valued Characteristic in an Employee Sometimes an activity that looks simple gets VERY complex when coordinating others. **TIED ACTIVITY**

Working with others How easy did this seem at first? How easy did this seem at first? How easy was it? How easy was it? When have we thought something at work or school was easy at first and then discovered it was harder to coordinate (especially when it involved the efforts of others) When have we thought something at work or school was easy at first and then discovered it was harder to coordinate (especially when it involved the efforts of others)

Ethics in the Workplace Ethics are guiding sets of moral values. Ethics is doing what is right and fair. Integrity is a manner of following values strictly. Honesty is being truthful of how you act and speak. Being confidential means keeping what needs to be kept private, private. Loyalty means standing by a company and being proud of it. Work ethic is how you feel about your job and effort you put in.

THE END!THE END! Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. --Helen Keller Behind every able man, there are always other able men. --Chinese Proverb