Let’s begin by stating that “ideal” could mean different things to different people. An employee that is late for work every so often because he has to drive his child to daycare but is a high performer might not be ideal in absolute terms but the intangibles that he possesses sets the standard when compared to his colleagues. Ideal employees demonstrate those characteristics that will help an organisation achieve its goals.
After all of the debate, then which skills best describe an ideal employee?
• Ambition
While there are obvious benefits that come with hiring an ambitious employee such as their desire to put in extra work to get ahead, additional benefits such as openness to new ideas, and the ability to inspire others are just as important.
• Confidence
Confidence inspires confidence that the employee will get it done. A confident employee is also more willing to take calculated risks because she believes in her abilities. Great outcomes come from people who have faith in their abilities not from those who play it safe.
• Passionate
Those who do not have a passion for their life’s work will always lack the motivation necessary to achieve. And the poor manager that has to deal with an unmotivated employee will waste his most valuable resource … time that could be best spent on other tasks. Managers’ love motivated employees.
While there are countless attributes that an ideal employee possesses: positivity, strong communications skills, good cultural fit, team player etc… that recruiters may favour for different job titles; ambition, confidence and passion are those traits that recruiters assign a premium value. Successful job candidates that become successful employees bring much more to their positions than their colleagues.