The focus on workforce skills is vital in the workplace. Business executives are increasingly looking for standout skills that allow workers to accomplish more than just their daily tasks. They’re actively seeking skilled individuals to advance their enterprise’s output.
More so, skilled employees require less supervision and make the workflow efficient. This article features a combination of five basic skills that every employee needs to thrive in today’s workforce.
1. Communication Skills
Communication skills include effectively conveying ideas, opinions, and information. Good communication skills can enable employees to understand their boss’s objectives at work better.
An employee well-versed in communication skills can easily synthesize information and make a decision that supports the company’s overall vision. A good communicator further allows employees to articulate issues and explain how they intend to achieve specific organizational goals to their boss or colleagues.
These skills are also vital for working with customers and clients because they allow you to convey whatever information is important to them. When it comes to improving communication skills, it pays to start small by focusing on more basic methods like emailing or phone calls.
DISC Plus is an ideal go-to method for all managers to discover employee skills. Because communication skills are essential in the workplace, employers can gauge job candidates’ communication habits through behavioural assessments like DISC Plus.
2. Social Skills (Communication and Listening)
Social skills are about understanding what other people need, their purpose for being there, and their goals. It helps you plan a conversation to fully understand the information being conveyed and get them to discuss their needs.
When it comes to communication, all employees have a role to play. When communicating, words can sometimes get lost in translation. It happens particularly when a boss articulates an issue and employees are uncertain of what their boss is inquiring about or what the meaning of some words is.
Even workers with great intentions can easily miss hearing what others say. That’s where social skills come into play. They help make up for possible misunderstandings or forgetfulness and help employees find common ground with others.
3. Time Management
Organizations and other social institutions often focus on efficiency and productivity in all their operations. Proper time management allows workers to effectively organize their time and accomplish tasks within set time frames. In today’s fast-paced environment, every hour counts.
It’s worth noting that while employees should focus on accomplishing work-related tasks, they also have personal issues to handle daily. Proper time management skills allow employees to strike a balance between their schedules and their work.
One way to improve this skill is by effectively monitoring your time on work-related duties. Employees can keep a log by using an online poll or Google Calendar. Doing this makes it easy to pinpoint activities that take up time.
4. Stress Management
Stress management is managing your responses to stress to make the best decisions. When you’re stressed, you’re bound to make poor choices. Stress affects your ability to perform at work in negative ways.
Having proper stress management skills means that you can access numerous techniques that can aid you in resetting whenever you’re feeling mentally unstable. Your body might be on high alert all the time without it. Workplaces can sometimes be stressful, and without such skills, you could develop major health issues.
5. Conflict Management
Conflict in any workplace can be a tool for idea exchange. With skilful management, it’s possible to make a conflict constructive so that all participants get an equal chance to be heard.
Sometimes it takes a constructive conflict for employees to communicate and solve issues effectively. A skilled conflict manager should be able to turn a tense argument into a successful method of communication through proper management.
Conclusion
The job market has quite a number of candidates. For you to stand out, you ought to possess certain basic skills. The more skills one has, the easier for one to stand out to get opportunities with employers.
Also, read: 7 Helpful Tips for a Successful First Day at Work
Author: Amy Sloane
Amy Sloane is an alum of Oregon State University where she studied marketing and business. She spends her free time writing and is a knitting enthusiast. Amy loves reading, cooking and spending time with her dog, Molly. You can follow Amy on Twitter to read her latest blogs!
