Communication and Employability Skills

Attributes valued by employers

Some attributes are specific to a given job but many apply to all jobs. Some attributes relate to you as a person, while others relate to the type of organisation that you hope to join. There are three different groups of attributes and they are:

Specific attributes

Job Related attributes

Work attitudes

General attributes

Planning Skills

Organisational skills

Time Management

Attitudes

Confidence

Self Motivation

Tolerance

Problem Solving

Skills

Time Management
An employer would look for someone with time management skills because the employer would want an employee who can manage their time well for example if an employee was given a lot of jobs to do at once, they would have to be able to manage their time to well enough to be able to do these jobs. The best ways to manage your time are to:

·         Take control of your time – using a diary

·         Protect your time space – handling interruptions

·         Toughen up on together-time – making meetings work

·         Eliminate paper shuffling – getting on top of your in-tray.

Sometimes it may seem that there isn't enough time to do everything that you need to; this can lead to a buildup of stress.

Communication Skills
Communication within a team and within an organisation is essential for the flow of information. This communication may be verbal (within a meeting or a one-to-one discussion) or written (an emailed memo or the minutes of a meeting).Effective communication relies on verbal and written communication skills. Try to give feedback immediately: on the spot if possible: it's most effective when fresh in the person's mind. The more quickly it is given the more relevance and power it will have. Be direct and honest. Get quickly to the point; don't have long and embarrassing introductions, although starting with some genuine praise based on what the person has actually done will. Give encouragement. If someone is not sure that they are able to do something, give them encouragement if you think they can do it. Describe positive behaviour and its effect in concrete terms "I really appreciate how you took the time to do this for me" and respond to praise by thanking the person.

Team working
There are some people that work in isolation but most people work as part of a team. Every team has a team leader and others in the team have specific roles to play. It is important that everyone understands exactly what roles are undertaken by each team member, and that everyone in the team works well together. Being a member of a team brings responsibilities. You need to report to others in the team about what you’re doing and to keep up to date with what they’re doing. Team spirit, once established, is a motivating force that can help everyone in the team to perform better.

Numeracy Skills
Although few jobs require a high degree of mathematical skill, all jobs require some numeric skills. If you need to do calculations, you must be able to do them accurately. You should be able to use a calculator and to check your working by estimating the answer. Numeracy is the ability to use numbers and think in quantitative terms. We use this skill when doing numerical estimating, money math, scheduling or budgeting math and analyzing measurements or data.

Organisational Skills

Along with communication and computer skills, organizational skills are one of the most important transferable job skills a worker can possess. Companies need workers who can stay organized and focus on the projects at hand. However, company managers must also organize the work of their employees. Organizational skills in the workplace can include general organizing, planning, and time management, scheduling, coordinating resources and meeting deadlines. Employees in the workplace must have general organizational skills, which allow them to determine the supplies they need, how to arrange their files and whom to contact for specific information. Managers who work with employees will often organize the work of employees to keep them busy, especially those that require a lot of direction, like file clerks or contract workers.

Attitudes

Independence

An employer might advertise for ‘someone who can think for themselves’. They will be looking for someone who is not totally dependent on being told what to do next, someone who can show some initiative. However, they will not want a new employee to act without checking first or consulting others as to what’s normally done. Instead, common sense and a degree of flexibility should prevail. Independence skills are important in the workplace because an employer wants an employee who will be able to work well on their own and get the job done without any distractions from other people.

Problem Solving
In any situation, some people will see only the problems they face and will be weighed down by them. Others may be quick, perhaps too quick, to see a solution. They may not appreciate the full extent of the problem. Having an open mind and an optimistic attitude can be helpful when problem solving. If you assume that something is impossible, nine times out of ten you will prove yourself right. Similarly, if you take the attitude that nothing is impossible and are keen to look for a solution that works, you are likely to find one. No matter what the problems are, a key part of every employee’s role is to find ways to solve them. Problems usually have a negative or unfavourable impact or effect on something. 
     ·         People’s performance

·         Business efficiency

·         Customer satisfaction

There are many more but these would be the main factors, so it would be the employee’s job to be able to solve these problems without getting stressed or worked up.

Creativity

Creativity is needed in all lines of work, not just those involving an ‘artistic’ output. Employees who can dream up ideas and think outside the box, some companies have a suggestions box – if you make a suggestion that helps to improve productivity, reduce waste or make the customers happier, you will be rewarded. Creativity involves original thought and, for this, your mind needs space to let these ideas flow. All people have the potential to be creative but those who are recognised as being creative have a certain awareness or insight that others don't. It is for this reason that employers resort to various techniques to enhance their employees' creativity. Examples of creativity are Divergent thinking: the intellectual ability to think of many original, diverse, and elaborate ideas and Convergent thinking: the intellectual ability to logically evaluate critique and choose the best idea from a selection of ideas.

                 

Tolerance

Tolerance might be considered essential in all walks of life. To accept that each person has his or her own way of doing things, and that some are more (or less) successful than others in meeting targets, shows a level of tolerance that might be summed up as ‘live and let live’. This is especially important in team working situations. Tolerance is about having the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

Confidence

If you lack confidence, your approach to problem solving may be too cautious you may not have the courage to try the best strategy. Confidence in your ability to meet the challenges you face can help you to achieve your goals. Other people’s confidence in your abilities can also make a difference to how your ideas are accepted. However, over-confidence or arrogance may mean that you do not think things through carefully enough while planning your strategy. You may miss a vital clue or skim over an important aspect, resulting in problems at some point. So, confidence is important but it must be based on genuine skill levels.