As a kid, you would have heard your parents reinforce the idea of studying hard, getting into a good school, and landing a good job. The list goes on and on. But don’t be fooled. As much as good results and a wealth of working experience are things that you should aim for, having the right working values is equally important. In these ever-changing times, the concept of good employee has changed as well. Technology and informatization have remodeled the workforce. While employers used to rank expertise and experience as the top things to look for in an employee, nowadays they want people who can unite the team and help the company advance. Here’s how:

1. Willingness To Work Smart

Employers look for people who are willing to put in the time instead of slack around at their desks. But working hard isn’t good enough; employees have to be efficient and creative about handling their tasks. Managers appreciate people who work smart because they are flexible and possess a can-do mindset. Working smart may result in finishing your tasks ahead of time, which shows time management abilities and a skillfully handling stress. However, it’s important that the tasks are quality, not just timely. Companies that downsize want to keep efficient and productive employees on board and working smart ensures your place in the company in case of layoffs.

2. Sense Of Accountability

Responsible employees are always valued, and that starts with showing up at work on time. If you have personal issues that affect your work schedule, let your supervisor know. Make sure to come up with a plan on how you will keep up with your tasks. Managers want employees they can count on, which means people with consistent behavior who take responsibility for their actions. Dependability is a top value because it shows how much you care for your job.

3. Positive Mindset

Having a positive mindset doesn’t mean ignoring the problems aka the negatives, it means finding the motivation despite telling them to focus on your task. Even if unpredictable, stressful situations occur, find the motivation to work on your project. This enthusiastic is catching and can help the whole team. Positive thinking helps you focus on your objective difficulties, instead of guilty parties, which is a healthy approach for the group.

4. Flexibility

Flexibility is an important value in the modern world because workplaces are always changing. Employees always need to learn new skills or acquire new knowledge and take on different responsibilities. Adaptable people have more work opportunities. Apart from finishing their tasks more efficiently, they put to good use a whole series of strategies and work habits, which can lead to their advancement. Being flexible is not just about the job. It’s about co-workers too, their habits and their personality. An adaptable employee is a good communicator who can see the strengths in others and work well in a team.

5. Integrity

Work relationships are guided by more written norms and guidelines than personal relationships, but they’re still based on trust. Even if an employer has a variety of legal actions for controlling, rewarding and disciplining the behavior of their employees, they still want to work with people they can trust. People with a strong internal compass can be relied on. They have a good work ethic and moral behavior. They will not steal from the company, nor hinder its progress, but rather will do everything in their power to help the company advance.

6. Internal Motivation

As opposed to external motivation, internal motivation is stronger and doesn’t depend on rewards and supervision. Self-motivated people don’t need to be badgered to get their work done and generally need a little direction to complete their tasks. However, employers need to create a supportive environment to help grow the internal motivation of their employees. If people are valued and given opportunities to progress, they will take the initiative more because they will have a sense of accomplishment.

7. Interest In Personal Development

Managers look for people who want to grow and who love learning new things. Instead of sitting back complacently, valuable employees always want to acquire new knowledge about their field and to improve their abilities so they can develop their careers. People with a strong sense for personal development are interested in discovering new techniques, theories and know-how to make their work more exciting and effective. In turn, this mindset helps the company progress.

8. Confident

Confident employees have more chances of succeeding and advancing their careers because they are more assertive and take more risks. Besides, confident people, as long as they keep a healthy dose of humility, can inspire their co-workers and create a pleasant, positive work environment. Confidence serves people well when it comes to asking tough questions or asking the right question at the right time. That way, these employees can understand topics discussed in meetings better and consequently have better input. Confident people are earnest, self-reliant and cool-headed, so they don’t feel the need to brag, to impress other people or to show off qualities they don’t have. This is what makes them very good team players; they can put their strengths to good use without undermining other people’s ideas. Confident people tend to also admit when they’re wrong, genuinely want to improve their weaknesses and correct their mistakes.

9. Professional Behaviour

Managers look for people who look and act professional, even in informal circumstances. Professional behavior doesn’t exclude being friendly with one’s co-workers. Instead, this concept is related to learning everything about the job and the workplace, and then behaving accordingly. Professional behavior, therefore, starts with finishing projects in a timely fashion, according to their urgency and importance. It also relates to respecting a professional dress code and language that respect the company’s vision. That’s why professionals are born and thrive in a company with a strong organizational culture that values all its employees and instills strong values in them.

10. Loyalty

Managers look for loyal employees, but this concept has a different meaning today than it did two decades ago. Nowadays, people have an average of ten jobs throughout their careers, so they can’t be loyal to a company in the traditional sense of working there their whole lives. Instead, people are loyal to companies who offer them growth, learning and career advancement opportunities. Loyal employees are satisfied with their jobs and have a sense of accomplishment. Their employers are fair to give them credit when credit is due. Loyalty can be gained by making people feel heard, by offering them feedback opportunities and a sense of empowerment in the workplace. Managers who trust and support their employees will reap loyalty in return. After going through the article, you might realise that there are particular values that is missing in you. It’s never too late to start taking small steps to make the change and slowly develop them!