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Qualities of a Good Employee (6 Key Traits with Examples)

By Status.net Editorial Team on November 15, 2023 — 7 minutes to read

A good employee possesses a mix of qualities that contribute to their success in the workplace. Let’s explore some key traits that help define an exceptional team member:

• 1. Strong work ethic : A good employee takes responsibility for completing tasks efficiently and effectively. For example, you might stay late to finish a project or volunteer to help your team with additional tasks. Demonstrating a strong work ethic sends the message that you’re dedicated and reliable.
• 2. Effective communication skills : Communication is the backbone of any successful team. A good employee is able to clearly express their thoughts and ideas while also being an active listener. When colleagues feel heard and understood, it fosters a more collaborative and productive work environment.
• 3. Adaptability : Embracing change and handling diverse challenges are hallmarks of a good employee. An adaptable team member can adjust their approach to new situations and help the team navigate through transitions. For instance, you might readily adapt to an updated software system at work or take on a new role when a coworker leaves.
• 4. Problem-solving skills : Good employees are able to find solutions to complex issues and think critically. They can assess the situation, identify potential hurdles, and map out steps to achieve success. For example, you may devise a creative solution to meet a tight deadline when resources are scarce.
• 5. Passion : Bringing enthusiasm and passion to your role can make all the difference. A good employee truly cares about their work, which often leads to better performance. Your energy and commitment can be contagious and inspire your colleagues to perform at their best as well.
• 6. Team player : Collaboration is a crucial aspect of workplace success. A good employee is supportive of their colleagues, sharing knowledge and resources while working together to achieve common goals. By valuing the contributions of others, you help foster a positive and collaborative work environment.

Team Player Qualities

Collaboration and teamwork.

To be a successful team player, embracing collaboration and teamwork is key. You will undoubtedly find yourself working with others on various projects and tasks, so it is important to communicate effectively and be open to the ideas of your coworkers. Sharing your knowledge and skills with others can help improve your team’s overall performance. For example, if one of your coworkers is struggling with a certain task, you can offer valuable insights and experience to help them overcome the obstacle.

Leadership in Team Settings

Leadership qualities are also important in a team setting, and you don’t necessarily have to be a manager or supervisor to demonstrate these traits. Taking the initiative to coordinate with your team, setting goals, and actively participating in discussions can show that you are a natural leader. Providing guidance and motivation to your coworkers can help keep everyone on track to achieve your collective goals. Let’s say your team is working on a project with a tight deadline; sharing a timeline and constantly communicating progress updates can help everyone stay focused and confident in achieving the target.

Being Supportive

Being a supportive coworker goes a long way in creating a positive work environment. Listening to your coworkers’ concerns, offering assistance when needed, and providing encouragement can boost morale and strengthen bonds within your team. For instance, if a coworker has a personal issue, providing a listening ear and offering support can help them feel heard and understood. This, in turn, can result in increased trust and better overall team cooperation. Furthermore, acknowledging your colleagues’ accomplishments and giving credit where it’s due can make them feel valued and appreciated.

Professional Attitudes

Confidence as key.

A good employee believes in their abilities and skills, which is why confidence is crucial. When you’re confident, you easily adapt to changes, take on responsibilities, and tackle challenges head-on. This fosters a strong work ethic and helps you progress in your career development. For example, if you’re assigned a challenging project, having confidence allows you to navigate any obstacles and ultimately achieve success.

Promoting Transparency

Honesty and transparency go hand in hand in the workplace. You should be open about your thoughts, ideas, and any concerns that may arise. This creates a culture of trust and promotes collaboration among team members. For example, if you disagree with a decision made by your manager, transparently communicating your perspective can lead to a productive discussion focused on finding a better solution. Embracing transparency also demonstrates that you prioritize the company’s best interests over personal agendas.

Positive Attitudes at Work

Maintaining a positive attitude is another important quality of a good employee. This means showing enthusiasm, supporting your colleagues, and always displaying a friendly demeanor. A positive attitude can contribute to a lively work environment and improves overall team morale. For instance, if you’re facing a tight deadline, staying positive allows you to encourage others and complete the task without succumbing to stress. This creates a culture of success where everyone thrives and enjoys their work.

Why Adaptability Matters

Learning and development.

Adaptability is key to your success as an employee. When you’re able to learn new skills and apply them in diverse situations, you become more valuable to your team and organization. For example, if you’re in sales and your company is expanding to new markets, you may need to adapt to different cultural norms and communication styles. Embracing continuous learning shows your dedication to your job and helps you stay at the forefront of your industry.

Change and Flexibility

Change is inevitable: companies might restructure, introduce new technologies, or modify their strategies. To remain successful, you need to adapt to these changes with ease. For instance, if your company updates its project management software, you should be willing to learn the new system and apply it to your tasks. Being open to change and demonstrating flexibility make you a reliable team player and go-to resource during periods of transition.

Promotion and Career Growth

Adaptability also plays a significant role in your career development. Employers value professionals who can handle diverse responsibilities while maintaining a positive attitude. If you have a proven track record of thriving in different roles and varying work environments, you’re more likely to receive promotions and enjoy career growth. For example, suppose you’re a marketing specialist who has mastered digital and traditional platforms, responds effectively to new marketing trends, and easily collaborates with cross-functional teams. In this case, your adaptability can lead to exciting opportunities for advancement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What traits do employers look for in a good employee.

Employers appreciate employees who are punctual, reliable, and responsible. They value effective communication skills, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic. For example, consistently finishing projects on time and helping coworkers when needed can show that you possess these traits. Honesty, integrity, and adaptability are also highly regarded by employers.

What are some key characteristics of an effective worker?

Effective workers tend to be proactive, self-motivated, and detail-oriented. They can manage their time efficiently, solve problems, and have a growth mindset. For instance, if you take on extra responsibilities or seek feedback on your performance to improve, you demonstrate these characteristics. Productive collaboration and strong interpersonal skills are also beneficial.

Which positive and negative traits can impact an employee’s performance?

Positive traits that can boost performance include adaptability, diligence, and resilience. For example, adjusting to new procedures or bouncing back from setbacks can help maintain productivity. However, negative traits, such as procrastination, poor communication, and resistance to change can hinder performance and potentially damage relationships with colleagues.

How can someone showcase their best qualities during a job interview?

During an interview, it’s crucial to demonstrate your professionalism, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the role. Prepare examples of how you’ve displayed the desired qualities, such as teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving, in previous positions. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe your experiences concisely and effectively. Don’t forget to make a positive impression by listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and maintaining eye contact. Related: How to Answer 11 Common Behavioral Interview Questions and How to Answer 9 Common Situational Interview Questions

What are some essential soft skills for workplace success?

Soft skills that are valuable in the workplace include effective communication, leadership, teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving. Demonstrating these skills can help build rapport with coworkers, facilitate cooperation, and foster a supportive work environment. For example, actively listening to a coworker’s concerns and providing constructive feedback can enhance your teamwork and communication skills. Related: What Are Soft Skills? (and How to Showcase Them)

How can an employee improve their qualities and become a better team member?

• To develop your qualities and become a better team member, start by identifying areas where you could improve, such as communication, organization, or time management.
• Seek feedback from supervisors and colleagues to gain their perspectives.
• Participate in relevant training programs and workshops to build new skills.
• Try to practice mindfulness and self-reflection, allowing yourself to grow from your experiences and become a better employee in the long run.
• Related: 28 Essential Areas of Improvement for Employees [Examples] Constructive Criticism: When and How to Give and Take It Individual Development Plan [Examples & Templates]
• Good Qualities in a Person: Top Admirable Traits (Examples)
• 26 Examples of Smart Questions to Ask in an Interview
• Interview Follow-up Email Examples (1-2-3 weeks)
• Job Interview Request Email Responses (Detailed Examples)
• How to Resolve Employee Conflict at Work [Steps, Tips, Examples]
• 8 Examples of Effective Interview Confirmation Emails

20 Key Qualities of a Good Employee & How to Test Them

Ask 10 different managers about the defining qualities of a good employee, and you’ll probably get 10 different answers. That’s because what ultimately defines the “right fit” can mean different things across different roles, companies, and industries.

Many businesses, however, are looking for some common traits in their employees. Whether you’re hiring a manager , developer, or entry-level assistant, here are the essential soft skills and personality attributes any good employee should have. 

TL;DR — Key Takeaways

What makes a good employee can vary greatly according to the type of role, company, culture, etc. Generally, a good employee possesses a mix of job-specific hard skills, soft skills, and certain personality attributes.  

Qualities are innate characteristics or traits a person has. Skills are acquired through training or work experience. Both are important screening criteria. 

Some of the key qualities of a good employee include strong communication and teamwork skills, a high degree of self-awareness, humility, integrity, confidence, and dedication. In total, we identified 20 top qualities.

Using skills assessment tests during the hiring process can help quickly identify candidates with preferred skill sets and traits through a mix of data-backed assessments and homework assignments. 

What makes a great employee?

While there’s no single definition of a great employee, there are some key qualities that employers prioritize. Combined with the necessary hard skills required to perform the role, attributes like integrity, reliability, analytical thinking, and being a team player are the most essential qualities of a good employee.

Many job-specific and technical skills can be cultivated with professional development — but certain qualities help employees build up their acumen faster, no matter the sector or role. McKinsey calls these ‘ foundational skills ‘ — cognitive, digital, interpersonal, and self-leadership abilities that help employees develop specialized skills. McKinsey  

People with strong foundational skills (which people are calling power skills now) show greater adaptability to change, bring in a fresh perspective, and can succeed in a wider range of roles. Research also shows that traits like high emotional intelligence are essential to great management and serve as a strong predictor of employee performance .

So the next time you hire employees , think about both the skills and qualities they need to possess to perform well on the job. List these qualities alongside preferred technical-focused skills to attract better matches that will perform well on the job and fit into your company culture.

Qualities vs. skills

A quality is an innate characteristic or personality trait you have. A skill is a learned ability you develop through training or work experience .

For example, Layla has strong oral communication skills she developed as a debate captain in college and later as a sales rep for a cosmetics brand. She’s also funny and considerate, so people are naturally drawn to her. Layla’s confident speaking and active listening are skills, while a good sense of humor and empathy are her personality traits or qualities. 

In the recruitment process, most managers want to hire employees with both strong soft skills and unique personal qualities, so the two terms are used interchangeably. The best part? You can vet job applicants’ soft and hard skills, plus personality traits, with different pre-employment testing methods .

20 key qualities of a good employee

The majority of hiring managers (84%) agree that new employees must have strong soft skills and demonstrate them in the hiring process. What are those soft skills and good qualities, though? Here are 20 ideal qualities of a good employee who’ll be a great asset to any team.

1. Communication

Being able to effectively listen, speak, and write with clarity goes a long way toward doing great work consistently and contributing to a good work environment. Apart from doing their work well, effective communicators also tend to be better team players and demonstrate higher leadership potential. 

Why it’s important

A great employee with excellent communication skills conveys their thoughts well, has great listening skills, can reach a common ground easily, and understands others’ points of view.  People who are great communicators are also statistically more likely to excel in management and personal efficiency and be engaged in the workplace . 

Generally, when the workplace culture promotes a high degree of transparency and openness, it leads to mutual trust. And high-trust organizations experience fewer issues with employee engagement and high turnover.

Trusting employees are 260% more motivated to work, have 41% lower rates of absenteeism, and are 50% less likely to look for another job.  Deloitte

How to assess employees for communication skills

In the initial stages of the hiring process, assess how well the potential hire formulates their thoughts and explains their previous experience in their application and emails. 

For a deeper take, administer a pre-screening communication skills test featuring questions to assess the applicant’s communication style, active listening abilities, and verbal communication skills.

A great free text question to test communication skills might be, “Tell me about a conflict with a team member you had in the workplace. How did you solve it?” Or, you could ask them, “You need to explain a complicated issue to a co-worker. How do you go about it?”

2. Teamwork

Effective teamwork includes qualities like active listening, accountability, empathy, adaptability, and consensus-building. A team player knows how to multiply their unique strengths with the abilities of others. They can communicate well, cooperate on shared tasks, and support others by their side to achieve a shared goal faster. 

Being a team player is important for 37% of employees , and 97% of employers believe that a lack of alignment influences the chances of success for a project.

Team players are also able to work in groups to boost internal efficiency. Groups of three to five individuals outperform individuals on complex tasks by processing information more effectively, generating fresh ideas, rejecting erroneous responses, and finding the correct solution.

How to assess employees for teamwork

Teamwork skills shine through during collaboration. So the best way to assess these are practical job simulations like: 

In-basket/in-tray exercises

Role-playing simulation

Open-ended homework assignments

Situational judgment test 

In each case, give candidates a mock situation they may experience at the job. For example, ask them to explain how they’d brief a designer about creating a new product interface or organize a three-person sales team to prepare a new sales demo for a client.

Explain the purpose of such tests. A recent study found that candidates perceive different job assessments as more fair when the managers explain how these match the job requirements. Doing so helps reduce candidate drop-off rates at the early stage of your recruitment funnel and promotes a better candidate experience . 

3. Reliability

Reliable employees are consistent and dependable. They do exactly what they say they’ll do and never bail on an important deadline, task, or other commitment.

Reliability in this sense is also related to time management, as a reliable employee manages their time well, making them more efficient and a better investment when hiring. Time is money, and frankly, the more a (reliable) employee can do within 8 working hours, the better your return on investment.

On average, an unplanned absence causes a 36.6% dip in productivity. So, you don’t want people on your team who disappear for vague “personal reasons” or clock off when the rest of the team is struggling to complete a project.

Instead, you want a great employee who is reliable, meaning they excel both in personal time management by completing tasks on time and doing their part in shared work. This kind of ideal employee also requires less supervision, allowing managers to focus on proactive mentoring rather than helicopter management.

How to assess employees for reliability

The best way to assess reliability is by assessing the person’s “proxy” qualities like integrity, time management, and overall motivation.

When conducting a structured interview , try to understand how the person performed in their past job. To get the most honest responses, ask indirect questions like:

Share an example of when you made a mistake in the workplace and owned up to it.

Have you ever done something against company policy? If so, explain why.

Have you ever failed to meet your employer’s expectations, and why do you think this happened?

You can also evaluate the person’s reliability by testing their time management skills with a short pre-assessment employment test . Ask questions about their ability to set and achieve goals, meet deadlines, and prioritize tasks.

4. Critical thinking

Critical thinking is a collection of cognitive abilities that help you assess and synthesize information, build logical arguments, and make sound judgments.

Instead of taking information for as-in, you can mentally check it for inconsistencies, fallacies, and conscious and unconscious bias . It makes up the bulk of a good worker’s problem-solving, decision-making, and analytical skills — which are required for success in almost every role. 

The World Economic Forum ranked analytical and creative thinking as the top core skills for employees to have. However, 39% of employers named critical thinking as the most lacking quality among candidates, according to a 2023 survey by ZipRecruiter .

What makes this so important on the list of good qualities of a standout employee is that individuals with reflective thinking abilities, also called “ metacognition skills , ” are highly intentional with their thoughts and can effectively regulate them (i.e., not allow personal life matters to affect their performance).

Moreover, they can employ more diverse thinking strategies to identify problems, analyze industry trends, or prioritize strategic action without resorting to irrational “gut” feelings. Overall, potential hires with strong critical thinking skills are also easier to train, and they often end up showing higher leadership potential.

How to assess employees for critical thinking

To identify applicants with high critical thinking skills, you can administer short problem-solving skills tests designed to test either their general cognitive abilities or logical reasoning. Such tests work great for entry-level roles when you’re looking for good employees to nurture. 

For more senior roles, consider giving out a homework assignment or case study specific to the role. For example, you may ask a product manager to explain: 

💬 “How will you generate 10k new monthly customers in 6 months? You have a budget of $100k and the ability to bring 5 people on the team. You can also choose between launching a new product feature or scaling an existing one.”

Other effective ways to test critical thinking skills include mock case studies, technical interviews, or group role-playing. 

An honest employee is transparent, sincere, and straightforward. They’re forthcoming in their communication and refrain from drama or office politics. They’re also more likely to develop positive relationships with other employees and contribute to a more positive work environment.  

Honesty defines good employees as it fosters trust, integrity, and open communication within the workplace. It ensures transparency, ethical behavior, and accountability, laying the foundation for a strong and successful team.

However, before you engrave “radical candor” into your corporate culture manifesto, check if the current environment is conducive to consistent honesty.

Are your managers open to hearing contrarian opinions and constructive criticism? Do you provide sufficient psychological safety to allow people to freely express their thoughts and feelings without any fear of judgment or repercussions? The best employees will look for this when interviewing.

How to assess employees for honesty

Honesty is a tough characteristic to measure, as people like to exaggerate their achievements or overstate the length of employment. You can weed out such applicants by asking for references and casually chatting up their former colleagues or superiors on LinkedIn. 

Inconsistencies in job history or experience levels are also easy to notice during interviews, especially if you ask repetitive questions like “How long have you been with company X?” and then rephrase it as “So you have X years of experience in the said industry?”

6. Integrity

A good employee with strong integrity abides by their personal core values and always acts with ethical considerations in mind. They tend to avoid “gray zones” or risky moves that may involve slight rule-bending, even if this could cast them in a better light. 

A third of business leaders say behaving with ethical standards is an important characteristic of integrity, while half (50%) name compliance with laws, regulations, and codes of conduct as an important characteristic.

Fundamentally, integrity assumes both compliance with the organizational core values and operating principles, plus an internal drive to do the right thing when pressed with an ethical dilemma.

Apart from hiring people with strong moral principles, ensure new employees get debriefed on how your company makes decisions, practices ethical behaviors, and promotes transparency. This will help foster a culture of trust and honesty and lead to optimistic workers who deliver high-quality work.

How to assess employees for integrity

Aside from checking references, here are some questions you can ask potential employees:

Share an example of when you stood up for your beliefs in the workplace.

Tell us of an instance when you took the lead by setting an example for others.

Have you ever had to lie in your previous position? If yes, why did you do it?

Imagine you have accidentally gained access to sensitive corporate information. How would you handle the situation? 

If you’ve found that your colleague has been acting unethically, what would you do?

Experts agree that testing for integrity is really difficult , so take a look at previous work history and do a background check if you have doubts. 

7. Self-awareness

Self-aware people have a good grasp of their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, emotions, and general behaviors. They know how their perceptions and actions can affect others and can easily moderate their behavior in different social contexts. 

Self-awareness, along with empathy and social skills, make up emotional intelligence (EQ) — one of the best qualities of a good employee.

Self-aware people tend to be better communicators and stronger team players. A high level of self-awareness also leads to a better ability to handle conflict, meaning they avoid confrontation when their emotions run high and approach the matter later from a clear-headed place.

The Center for Creative Leadership found that 75% of careers get derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies, like the inability to handle interpersonal problems, unsatisfactory team leadership during times of difficulty or conflict, or the inability to adapt to change or elicit trust.

How to assess employees for self-awareness

Emotional intelligence tests have become popular. Many, however, lack scientific validity or don’t cover workplace behaviors, so it may be better to use soft skills assessments instead. 

You can also pre-screen candidates for self-awareness or emotional maturity by asking questions like “How do you typically cope with stress and performance anxiety?” or even “What was some negative feedback you’ve received? How did you react, and what have you learned from it?”

8. Detail-oriented

Being detail-oriented means having a knack for spotting the tiny but oh-so-important details that others might miss. Detail-oriented workers are thorough, precise, and accurate in their work. They require minimal supervision and can be fully relied upon.

In industries like finance, healthcare, life sciences, or engineering, among others, a missed coma or an omitted instruction can turn into a major mishap, making attention to detail top among the good qualities of a great employee.

One unfortunate junior software developer managed to wipe all data from the company’s production database on their first day due to a copy-paste error, for example. Over the years, human errors have caused numerous air traffic control incidents and an assortment of mildly embarrassing advertising typos . 

Employees with high attention to detail help catch those mistakes before they go public or lead to bigger issues.

How to assess employees for detail-oriented qualities

The first obvious pre-screener: Detail-oriented employees will never send an email or submit an application form with typos or missing information.

Some other ways to identify candidates with high attention to detail include skill assessment tests, portfolio reviews, and structured interviews. 

9. Leadership

Leadership qualities can be both innate and acquired. As a trait, natural leaders tend to be charismatic, selfless, decisive, and slightly magnetic — these are people you feel at ease with almost immediately.

Leadership skills, in turn, can be developed through a combination of work experiences and professional training. These include strategic thinking, adaptability, mentorship, and strong decision-making skills.

A study by Seton Hall University analyzed how top leadership qualities change by country. North American employees, for example, prefer leaders with strong critical thinking skills, while Asian employees value managers who can attract, develop, and nurture the right talent. 

What’s universal, though, is that companies need better leaders. In 2023, “leader and manager effectiveness” was the top cited organizational priority for 60% of HR professionals . 

More specifically, employees now expect more modern management styles driven by authenticity, empathy, and adaptivity rather than the rigid, top-bottom chain of command.  

How to assess employees for leadership skills

Depending on the role, industry, and seniority level, leaders may need to display various skills and traits, ranging from strong business acumen and commercial awareness to soft skills like team-building, negotiation, or consensus-building. 

You can then evaluate the candidate’s leadership potential by testing for identified soft and hard skills or with situational interviews.  It also helps to understand what kind of leader your team needs to help look for more specific qualities during the interview process. Here are a few. 👇

10. Confidence

Confident people don’t overthink or second-guess their judgments. Thanks to a positive self-image and a strong sense of self-efficacy, they can get even the most challenging work done without constantly seeking support or approval from co-workers or superiors. 

A study performed by higher educational institutions in Spain found a direct link between high employee self-esteem and productivity. Confident faculty did better in their job and accomplished more staff.

The results also apply to other industries. After all, an employee who lacks confidence will struggle with decision-makers, which would further aggravate their performance problems. So look for people who already feel confident both in their current skill set and the ability to master new competencies. 

How to assess employees for confidence

Timidness and insecurity will likely come off during the first interview, especially when you get scrambled answers to standard interview questions like “What are your strengths?” or “What sets you apart from other applicants?”

Although hiring an employee with low confidence isn’t a deal breaker, you’ll have to invest some extra time to help them find a stronger footing in their new role. 

11. Dedication

Dedication comes from a mix of intrinsic motivation to do a certain type of work, combined with external validation in the form of regular praise, positive performance reviews, and, of course, smooth career progression. 

Dedicated employees don’t mind going above and beyond the demand of their roles, often helping their peers and taking on extra tasks. Just the type everyone wants to see on their team, right? 

Dedicated employees are hard-working and engaged. You don’t need to nag them to do their part. However, dedication sometimes gets confused with passion.

Passionate employees are also uber-enthusiastic about their work, but their zeal may blow out. Committed employees, in contrast, also have strong work ethics and high personal integrity. Apart from doing something out of favor, they also complete work because they feel accountability.

Your goal is to look for the latter in your talent pool . 

How to assess employees for dedication

Dedicated, committed employees rarely job-hop. They’re more likely to stay (and get promoted) with one employer, so that’s one sign to look for.

That said, with many people opting for nontraditional careers — freelancing, gig work, fractional positions — devoted employees can be also more drawn to a specific type of work rather than a company.

For example, someone working for 10+ years as a UX designer is likely dedicated to their craft and may be less interested in adjacent roles in UX research or interaction design. 

12. Autonomy

Autonomous employees keep things cracking with or without the direct presence of others in their vicinity (or in their Slack inbox). They’re self-reliant, solve problems independently, and can set and complete personal or professional goals without excessive external direction.

Employees want greater autonomy and flexibility, with 76% willing to quit their jobs if their employer rolls back remote work flexibility. However, less than two-thirds (63%) of organizations trust their employees to keep doing good work without micromanaging.

The balance is, as always, somewhere in the middle. Remote flexible work especially requires both the right organizational practices and cultural mindset, plus great employees with the right qualities.

If you want to have self-sufficient, independent, strong performers, you’ll have to create the right environment for them. At the same time, hiring people who thrive in high-touch, team-driven environments to work autonomously most of the time can lead to higher attrition. 

How to assess employees for autonomy

People with a past track record of remote roles and/or independent contractor projects are more likely to show high autonomy.

In other cases, try asking questions like, “Please share an example of a new task you’ve completed without direct supervision. How did you approach it?” Another great question to test remote workers for autonomy is, “How do you typically plan your workday and decide which tasks to focus on?”

If you’re hiring remotely, verify remote work readiness . Determine if the new employee is suited for fully remote work with a Toggl Hire assessment . Test for adaptability, motivation, focus, and remote communication abilities with a proven test that takes only 15 minutes to create and administer.

13. Adaptability

Your capacity to adjust to changing circumstances and lingering uncertainties represents adaptability. Whether it’s ChatGPT going after your job or fickle consumer preferences eroding the demand for your service, great employees can roll with the punches and emerge on top. 

Over 70% of employees name “being adaptable/flexible” as an important skill for their career over the next five years. PwC

From automation and generative AI to digital therapeutics, technologies are changing the way we work in almost every sector. Employees who struggle to adapt to these changes are at risk of becoming an organizational burden. 

Already, many sectors are facing a skills mismatch — a growing gap between the skills their company needs and the ones employees have. People with high adaptability are more inclined to complete upskilling or reskilling programs to gain new competencies to navigate tough times and industry ebbs and flows.

How to assess employees for adaptability

Ask about previous experience with change: 

Did you ever change careers or industries in the past? Why did you decide to do so? 

Tell me about a time when the project priorities changed mid-way. How did you break the news to the team?

How did you adapt to the remote work policy when it was first enacted?

Have you ever performed a task outside of your role? How did you approach it? 

Have you had to cope with a major change in your life?

The answers to these questions can give you a sense of how flexible and adaptable is a potential employee. 

14. Positive attitude

People with a positive attitude are naturally more optimistic and approach new challenges with resilience. For them, a setback is an opportunity for growth and a catalyst for understanding new perspectives.

90% of people have a co-worker who annoys them, and 57% have even considered quitting their job because of such an unsavory type. Employees with a great attitude are less likely to become the reason for workplace conflicts.

On the contrary, their cheerful demeanor can often help defuse tensions, plus it helps increase the morale of others. Such people are also highly coachable and eager to share their knowledge with others.

How to assess employees for attitude

You can get a good sense of a candidate’s attitude during a culture-fit interview. Try asking the next personality questions to reveal the candidates’ traits: 

How do you contribute to fostering a positive team environment? 

How do you stay enthusiastic when assigned a mundane task?

Tell about a time you had to share some difficult feedback with a colleague.

Asking such questions should help you get a better sense of the candidate’s life outlook and overall demeanor. 

15. Results-oriented

Results-oriented people are strong-headed and love going after concrete outcomes. They’re good at setting SMART goals and figuring out the best ways to achieve them. This quality reflects a proactive and determined approach to task management, emphasizing effectiveness and accomplishment, which makes an ideal employee for many positions. 

Result-oriented are excellent hires for roles in sales, marketing, and executive positions, where they can drive quantifiable, continued success. They’re keen on hitting the set KPIs and thrive under extrinsic motivation — performance-based bonuses, leaderboards, and public feedback.

How to assess employees for results-oriented qualities

You can get a good sense of the employees’ result-oriented abilities by providing them with various problem-solving assessments.

For example, you can give away homework assignments with hypothetical workplace scenarios, requiring them to achieve a specific result (e.g., increase sign-up rates for a SaaS product by 15% or increase sales volumes by 20%).

16. Teachable

Teachable people are open and proactive in absorbing new knowledge, whether through mentoring, academic coursework, or casual exchanges with peers.

You’ll find them frequently learning new stuff via YouTube, chatting with their colleagues about doing things better, or completing various professional certifications. Such people often seek out proactive feedback and guidance to become better in whatever it is they’re doing. 

A teachable attitude promotes personal growth, effective collaboration, and continuous improvement — all important qualities in the modern workplace. 

For example, new technologies have disrupted many roles and professions, forcing people to rethink how they approach task execution. BCG research found that across many roles, the share of the top 20 requested skills by hiring managers has changed by 10% to 46% over the past five years.

Teachable employees are more eager to embrace new ways of working — be it using a project management app or operating autonomous manufacturing equipment. They’re also easier to upskill and reskill to support your workforce planning activities .  

How to assess employees for being teachable

A good indicator of this quality could be a good collection of completed courses and certifications listed on the person’s LinkedIn profile. Similarly, you can recognize an eager learner and teachable employee by seeing how they receive and implement feedback.

17. Optimistic

Optimistic employees focus more on positive outcomes and opportunities than temporary challenges and setbacks. They’re motivated to keep going because they’re certain success awaits them just around the corner. 

Similar to people with a positive outlook, optimists contribute to creating an uplifting work culture. Their enthusiasm inspires others to also act with more certainty and dedication. 

In fact, a study by Leadership IQ found that optimistic employees are 103% more inspired to give their best effort at work than workers with low optimism. However, the same study claims that only 13% of workers tend to have high optimism levels, while 33% maintain low or moderately low optimism.

How to assess employees for being optimistic

A personality test can indicate whether someone is optimistic or pessimistic. However, studies also show that such tests are inconclusive as the same person can get widely different results each time. 

Your best bet is to use a mix of behavioral interview questions to better understand how the person acts and thinks in different circumstances.  

18. Humility

Humble people are modest and unpretentious. They don’t think they’re naturally better than everyone else and openly acknowledge their personal shortcomings.

Humility also involves a high degree of self-awareness and openness to new ideas. Employees who are humble are more receptive to feedback and recognize the value other people bring to their workplace. They’re more likely to be strong team players, dependable associates, and great leaders. 

Humble people become effective leaders, with a recent study of tech teams revealing that humble leaders help employees develop a better perception of themselves, which in turn, increases teams’ productivity.

Another study also suggests that a humble leadership model also improves overall employee well-being, while yet another study also named humility as a unique predictor of high job performance. Bottom line? Humble people are great to have onboard. 

How to assess employees for humility

Humility can naturally come across in conversations, especially if you encourage the candidate to self-reflect on their recent accomplishments or ask to talk about the mistakes they’ve ever made in their career.

Some good questions to ask:

Did you ever make a big mistake at your job? How did you handle this, and what did you learn in the process?

Can you please walk us through this project on your resume? What was your contribution, and how did others support you?

How do you usually give feedback to others? Can you give me an example? 

🔥 Did you know? In psychology, the six intrapersonal aspects of humility are a willingness to see ourselves truthfully, an accurate perception of our places in the world, an ability to acknowledge our mistakes and limitations, openness, and low self-focus.

19. Tech-savvy

Nearly every job today requires technical or hard skills. For some roles, it could be basic knowledge of office software and teleconference apps. For others — first-hand experience with coding tools, knowledge of connected hardware, or enterprise cloud platforms. 

Almost 18% of the global workforce could be automated as new technologies like machine learning,  generative AI, and industrial IoT take over business processes. 

Emerging technologies displace the demand for certain skills while augmenting for others. Gartner found that even despite the layoffs, larger tech companies still employ over 150,000 more people in total than at the beginning of 2020. 

Effectively, technologies have become the synonym of innovation and most companies are trying to get as much of an edge as possible by hiring tech-savvy people. 

How to assess employees for tech skills

Practical assessments like short role-specific pre-employment tests or longer homework assignments are the best assessment methods for skills related to being tech-savvy. Coding challenges, pair programming sessions, and technical interviews with senior IT specialists are also excellent methods. 

20. Engaged

Engaged employees have a deep sense of involvement in their role. They’re proactive, contributing to higher personal productivity and job satisfaction.

Nearly six in ten employees are physiologically disengaged from their work, and Gallup reports that the problem of low engagement costs $8.8 trillion, or 9% of global GDP.

Engaged employees, on the contrary, are more likely to stay with their current company, go above and beyond at work, and contribute 15% more effort than their disengaged peers, Gartner found. 

How to assess employees for engagement

Human resource managers evaluate employee engagement levels via anonymous general surveys or 360-degree feedback tools administered team by team. 

But if you want to figure out if the particular applicant will show high levels of engagement, chat them up about the reasons for applying to this job. What made them particularly excited about the role? What do they know about the company and its values? How do they feel about the culture?

Prioritize people who did their research and can name at least several factors that attracted them to your company. 

Hire quality employees with Toggl Hire

The best way to find out if a potential candidate has all of the qualities of a good employee is through quantitative, comparable data.

With Toggl Hire , you can easily test candidates’ soft and technical skills with customizable tests. We’ve got hundreds of pre-made tests in our test library to evaluate skills like teamwork, negotiation, the ability to work remotely, and more!

👉 Sign up for a free account to see how skills testing works and start identifying top qualities for your next hires.

Elena is a freelance writer, producing journalist-style content that doesn’t leave the reader asking “so what." From the future of work to the latest technology trends, she loves exploring new subjects to produce compelling and culturally relevant narratives for brands. In her corporate life, Elena successfully managed remote freelance teams and coached junior marketers.

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Essays About Work: 7 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you want to write well-researched essays about work, check out our guide of helpful essay examples and writing prompts for this topic.

Whether employed or self-employed, we all need to work to earn a living. Work could provide a source of purpose for some but also stress for many. The causes of stress could be an unmanageable workload, low pay, slow career development, an incompetent boss, and companies that do not care about your well-being.  Essays about work  can help us understand how to achieve a work/life balance for long-term happiness.

Work can still be a happy place to develop essential skills such as leadership and teamwork. If we adopt the right mindset, we can focus on situations we can improve and avoid stressing ourselves over situations we have no control over. We should also be free to speak up against workplace issues and abuses to defend our labor rights. Check out our  essay writing topics  for more.

5 Examples of Essays About Work

1.  when the future of work means always looking for your next job by bruce horovitz, 2. ‘quiet quitting’ isn’t the solution for burnout by rebecca vidra, 3. the science of why we burn out and don’t have to by joe robinson , 4. how to manage your career in a vuca world by murali murthy, 5. the challenges of regulating the labor market in developing countries by gordon betcherman, 6. creating the best workplace on earth by rob goffee and gareth jones, 7. employees seek personal value and purpose at work. be prepared to deliver by jordan turner, 8 writing prompts on essays about work, 1. a dream work environment, 2. how is school preparing you for work, 3. the importance of teamwork at work, 4. a guide to find work for new graduates, 5. finding happiness at work, 6. motivating people at work, 7. advantages and disadvantages of working from home, 8. critical qualities you need to thrive at work.

“For a host of reasons—some for a higher salary, others for improved benefits, and many in search of better company culture—America’s workforce is constantly looking for its next gig.”

A perennial search for a job that fulfills your sense of purpose has been an emerging trend in the work landscape in recent years. Yet, as human resource managers scramble to minimize employee turnover, some still believe there will still be workers who can exit a company through a happy retirement. You might also be interested in these  essays about unemployment .

“…[L]et’s creatively collaborate on ways to re-establish our own sense of value in our institutions while saying yes only to invitations that nourish us instead of sucking up more of our energy.”

Quiet quitting signals more profound issues underlying work, such as burnout or the bosses themselves. It is undesirable in any workplace, but to have it in school, among faculty members, spells doom as the future of the next generation is put at stake. In this essay, a teacher learns how to keep from burnout and rebuild a sense of community that drew her into the job in the first place.

“We don’t think about managing the demands that are pushing our buttons, we just keep reacting to them on autopilot on a route I call the burnout treadmill. Just keep going until the paramedics arrive.”

Studies have shown the detrimental health effects of stress on our mind, emotions and body. Yet we still willingly take on the treadmill to stress, forgetting our boundaries and wellness. It is time to normalize seeking help from our superiors to resolve burnout and refuse overtime and heavy workloads.

“As we start to emerge from the pandemic, today’s workplace demands a different kind of VUCA career growth. One that’s Versatile, Uplifting, Choice-filled and Active.”

The only thing constant in work is change. However, recent decades have witnessed greater work volatility where tech-oriented people and creative minds flourish the most. The essay provides tips for applying at work daily to survive and even thrive in the VUCA world. You might also be interested in these  essays about motivation .

“Ultimately, the biggest challenge in regulating labor markets in developing countries is what to do about the hundreds of millions of workers (or even more) who are beyond the reach of formal labor market rules and social protections.”

The challenge in regulating work is balancing the interest of employees to have dignified work conditions and for employers to operate at the most reasonable cost. But in developing countries, the difficulties loom larger, with issues going beyond equal pay to universal social protection coverage and monitoring employers’ compliance.

“Suppose you want to design the best company on earth to work for. What would it be like? For three years, we’ve been investigating this question by asking hundreds of executives in surveys and in seminars all over the world to describe their ideal organization.”

If you’ve ever wondered what would make the best workplace, you’re not alone. In this essay, Jones looks at how employers can create a better workplace for employees by using surveys and interviews. The writer found that individuality and a sense of support are key to creating positive workplace environments where employees are comfortable.

“Bottom line: People seek purpose in their lives — and that includes work. The more an employer limits those things that create this sense of purpose, the less likely employees will stay at their positions.”

In this essay, Turner looks at how employees seek value in the workplace. This essay dives into how, as humans, we all need a purpose. If we can find purpose in our work, our overall happiness increases. So, a value and purpose-driven job role can create a positive and fruitful work environment for both workers and employers.

In this essay, talk about how you envision yourself as a professional in the future. You can be as creative as to describe your workplace, your position, and your colleagues’ perception of you. Next, explain why this is the line of work you dream of and what you can contribute to society through this work. Finally, add what learning programs you’ve signed up for to prepare your skills for your dream job. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

For your essay, look deeply into how your school prepares the young generation to be competitive in the future workforce. If you want to go the extra mile, you can interview students who have graduated from your school and are now professionals. Ask them about the programs or practices in your school that they believe have helped mold them better at their current jobs.

In a workplace where colleagues compete against each other, leaders could find it challenging to cultivate a sense of cooperation and teamwork. So, find out what creative activities companies can undertake to encourage teamwork across teams and divisions. For example, regular team-building activities help strengthen professional bonds while assisting workers to recharge their minds.

Finding a job after receiving your undergraduate diploma can be full of stress, pressure, and hard work. Write an essay that handholds graduate students in drafting their resumes and preparing for an interview. You may also recommend the top job market platforms that match them with their dream work. You may also ask recruitment experts for tips on how graduates can make a positive impression in job interviews.

Creating a fun and happy workplace may seem impossible. But there has been a flurry of efforts in the corporate world to keep workers happy. Why? To make them more productive. So, for your essay, gather research on what practices companies and policy-makers should adopt to help workers find meaning in their jobs. For example, how often should salary increases occur? You may also focus on what drives people to quit jobs that raise money. If it’s not the financial package that makes them satisfied, what does? Discuss these questions with your readers for a compelling essay.

Motivation could scale up workers’ productivity, efficiency, and ambition for higher positions and a longer tenure in your company. Knowing which method of motivation best suits your employees requires direct managers to know their people and find their potential source of intrinsic motivation. For example, managers should be able to tell whether employees are having difficulties with their tasks to the point of discouragement or find the task too easy to boredom.

A handful of managers have been worried about working from home for fears of lowering productivity and discouraging collaborative work. Meanwhile, those who embrace work-from-home arrangements are beginning to see the greater value and benefits of giving employees greater flexibility on when and where to work. So first, draw up the pros and cons of working from home. You can also interview professionals working or currently working at home. Finally, provide a conclusion on whether working from home can harm work output or boost it.

Identifying critical skills at work could depend on the work applied. However, there are inherent values and behavioral competencies that recruiters demand highly from employees. List the top five qualities a professional should possess to contribute significantly to the workplace. For example, being proactive is a valuable skill because workers have the initiative to produce without waiting for the boss to prod them.

If you need help with grammar, our guide to  grammar and syntax  is a good start to learning more. We also recommend taking the time to  improve the readability score  of your essays before publishing or submitting them.

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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Employee Development

Jul 24, 2020

The Top Skills of a Good Employee

It’s a given that businesses want to hire and retain the best employees in their field, but what does it really mean to be a ‘good employee’ and why is it important to seek them out? Most recruitment or human resources (HR) managers know how difficult it is to find good employees; candidates either lack certain skills or they won’t fit in with the company culture. 1 Business owners often focus on technical skills alone and don’t assess the qualities and characteristics that make up the ideal employee. This could end up adversely affecting culture, productivity, and may even protract training efforts.

Regardless of the industry or nature of the job, there are certain key qualities that every hiring manager should look out for if they want their employees to succeed in the business world.

Skills and characteristics of a good employee

Both soft skills and technical skills, or hard skills, are equally important in an employee. Soft skills include the social expertise, personality and character makeup, communication skills, emotional intelligence, influence, and approach to work that an employee shows. 2

These serve to complement the hard skills – those abilities that have been learned and can be measured and quantified – and can make an employee more of an asset to a company. 3

Here are some of the top skills and characteristics of a good employee:

• Knowing the why, as well as the what . 4 Good employees know the reason why their job exists, above just knowing how to do their job. This allows them to come up with new suggestions and ideas to improve their tasks
• Professionalism . 5 Being polite, well-spoken, calm, and presentable is all part of being professional at work
• Honesty and integrity . 6 Telling the truth about tricky subjects, such as workload, work/life balance, difficult customers or colleagues, and ineffective procedures makes for a good employee
• Innovative ideas . 7 Employees who bring innovative ideas and suggestions forward that will impact positively are an asset to a company. Stagnation and complacency are the enemy of growth
• Problem-solving abilities . 8 Employees who work on something until it’s solved, or complete, and who bring their best efforts to solve problems are considered good employees
• Ambitious . 9 When employees have a clear, personal career plan or goal in mind, they’re not under the assumption that their employer will drive their career for them, so they strive for advancement
• Dependability, reliability, and responsibility . 10 Employees who take responsibility for their actions, are dependable, arrive on time, do what they say, and don’t let the others in their team down, are highly valued employees
• Conflict resolution . 11 Good employees address and resolve conflict maturely, rather than trying to avoid it, by maintaining respect for those involved, not placing blame, and not acquiescing just to keep the peace
• Positive attitude . 12 Employees who bring a positive attitude to work have a positive impact on those around them and improve the energy in the team
• Emotional intelligence . 13 Emotional intelligence (EQ) is about being mindful of one’s own state of emotions, as well as those in the team. Knowing how to manage these well is an important key to being a good employee
• Teamwork . 14 The ability to work with other people in a team, by fostering relationships in a professional manner, in order to achieve a common goal, is an asset to any company
• Willingness to learn . 15 Hard skills attained through education are not enough for good employees – they’re open minded to new ideas, and they share their thoughts and personal insights with the team.
• Creativity . 16 Not all people are born creative, but creativity is a skill that can be learned through experimentation, imagination, questions, collaboration, and information processing
• Generosity . 17 Good employees coach and mentor those around them. They generously share their experiences and expertise. They understand that knowledge is only power when it’s shared with others

Recruiting vs training

Knowing what skills and characteristics to look out for, in existing employees as well as when recruiting new employees, will ensure that these desired qualities are nurtured and developed throughout the business, regardless of the job title or function.

All over the world, businesses are seeing skills gaps emerging . In the United Kingdom alone, 23 per cent of employees lack basic digital skills in spite of the fact that they’re needed for close to 90 per cent of all new jobs. 18 One possible solution is training existing employees to become proficient in new skills – both hard and soft – and in turn creating ‘good employees’. 19 This also means that a new approach is needed when recruiting. Hiring employees who show potential to be further skilled and who display some of the qualities listed above may be an effective tactic. Given that top talent is likely to become more and more scarce and in demand, training might well be the best and most practical solution.

Knowing what skills and characteristics to look out for, in existing employees as well as when recruiting new employees, will ensure that these desired qualities are nurtured and developed throughout the business, regardless of the job title or function. The skills of a good employee reach beyond technical acumen and business experience. While these are important to get the job done, how these tasks are carried out, and the interactions with other team members, are indicative of the attitude, approach, mindset, and adaptability of a good employee.

GetSmarter can guide you as your learning partner, and help your business to create a tailored upskilling plan to meet your unique needs.

[Empower your team with the right skills]

Click here to view sources

• 1 Zambas, J. (Aug, 2018). ‘20 key qualities that make a good employee’. Retrieved from Career Addict .
• 2 Doyle, A. (Aug, 2019). ‘Top soft skills employers value with examples’. Retrieved from The Balance Careers .
• 3 Autenrieth, N. (Nd). ‘Why soft and hard skills are so important to your resume’. Retrieved from Top Resume . Accessed 25 June 2020.
• 4 Duncan, R. (Sep, 2018). ‘The why of work: Purpose and meaning really do matter’. Retrieved from Forbes .
• 5 Belyh, A. (Jun, 2018). ‘Top skills and values employers seek from job seekers’ Retrieved from Cleverism .
• 6 Zambas, J. (Aug, 2018). ‘20 key qualities that make a good employee‘. Retrieved from Career Addict .
• 7 Wiles, J. (Apr, 2019). ‘Foster innovation to drive digital transformation’. Retrieved from Gartner .
• 8 Belyh, A. (Jun, 2018). ‘Top skills and values employers seek from job seekers’ Retrieved from Cleverism .
• 9 (Nd). ‘Why passionate employees are the most valuable employees.’ Retrieved from Soprana . Accessed 23 June 2020.
• 10 Belyh, A. (Jun, 2018). ‘Top skills and values employers seek from job seekers’ Retrieved from Cleverism .
• 11 Wroblewski, M. (May, 2019). ‘What are the benefits of good conflict resolution skills?’. Retrieved from Chron .
• 12 Zambas, J. (Aug, 2018). ‘20 key qualities that make a good employee‘. Retrieved from Career Addict .
• 13 Gassam, J. (Jul, 2018). ‘How to develop more emotionally intelligent employees’. Retrieved from Forbes .
• 14 Belyh, A. (Jun, 2018). ‘Top skills and values employers seek from job seekers’ Retrieved from Cleverism .
• 15 Bean-Mellinger, B. (Mar, 2019). ‘Most important employee skills in the workplace’. Retrieved from Chron .
• 16 Bhandare, S. (Jan, 2020). ‘Top 9 qualities of great employees in the digital age’. Retrieved from Recruitment.com .
• 17 Oesch, T. (May, 2018). ‘How kindness and generosity can impact learning and the bottom line’. Retrieved from Training Industry .
• 18 Bughin, J. et al. (May, 2018). ‘Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce’. Retrieved from McKinsey .
• 19 (Nd). ‘Skilling, reskilling, and upskilling’. Retrieved from Randstad . Accessed 23 June 2020.

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7 Secrets to Being a Good (Even Great) Employee

Published: June 01, 2021

While it can be difficult to define the traits of a good employee, it's easy to describe the perks.

A good employee, for instance, gets raises, promotions, and praise from managers. She is often a role model for her peers, gets selected for unique projects, and makes the whole work thing look easy.

But what does it mean to be a good employee? And what skills can you work on developing to ensure you're considered a good — or even great  — employee at your own company?

Here, I spoke with HubSpot employees and managers to determine the soft skills required to be a good employee in any role, to ensure you're earning some of those perks we discussed earlier. Let's dive in.

1. A growth mindset and willingness to learn.

One of the biggest strengths of any good employee is an eagerness to learn and a growth mindset .

A growth mindset, a term first coined by Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck , means you believe you can develop and refine skills and become better at something over time. A fixed mindset, on the other hand, means you feel that your intelligence and skills are inherent and unchangeable.

In the workplace, a marketer with a growth mindset might decide to take a few analytics courses to develop skills related to data, even if her background is more creative in nature. Alternatively, a marketer with a fixed mindset would avoid those courses, claiming "I was never good at math. It's just not something I can do."

A growth mindset can influence an employee's motivation, work ethic, and how well she responds to constructive feedback. As Dweck writes, "The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives."

Ultimately, a good employee is someone who is eager to try new things, adopt new skills, and grow.

As HubSpot's Marketing Manager of the Website Blog, Anna Fitzgerald, says, "A good employee is someone who can notice opportunities where it would make sense for your manager to delegate a task or project to you. It's a win, win. You take something off your manager's plate, and the new responsibility helps you grow and develop new skills."  

2. A positive and solutions-focused attitude.

Employees enjoy working around people who are positive and solutions-focused when challenges arise.

It can be stressful to work around someone who focuses on the negative, or demotivates the rest of the team. For instance, at a previous company I used to work with someone who didn't feel fulfilled in his role. As a result, he often expressed his criticisms for the company to the rest of our team — which wasn't a great motivator for anyone.

A positive attitude can inspire your peers to work harder, and lift your team's spirits when you're confronted with a frustrating obstacle. Plus, happiness is correlated with greater success. In fact, one study found happy employees are up to 20% more productive  than unhappy employees, and happy salespeople produce 37% more sales  than their unhappy counterparts.

A positive mindset also helps you shift more quickly into a solutions-focused attitude. For instance, negativity might cause you to feel frustrated when a roadblock presents itself. You might resort to self-blame, criticism, or simply a lack of motivation to alter your strategy.

A positive attitude, however, can help you remain confident, calm, and level-headed when a challenge arises. Positivity can help you reframe the problem in your mind, so you're able to say, "This challenge is actually an opportunity for us to rethink our strategy and create a better solution as a result."

Of course, everyone is allowed to have bad days, but the sign of a good employee is someone who doesn't let that bad mood get in the way of problem-solving or building strong team morale.

3. Empathy and emotional intelligence.

HubSpot's Marketing Manager Kristen Baker told me she feels that empathy is a critical trait for becoming a good employee.

She says, "A good employee demonstrates empathy when engaging with both colleagues and customers. Additionally, a good employee shows she cares about the impact her work has on those around her."

Baker adds, "Empathy can help you put yourself in your customers' shoes, which can increase motivation and purpose. When I understand our customers' challenges better, I see how much my own role can help serve those needs, and that motivates me to work harder."

Additionally, emotional intelligence is a vital skill for employees and leaders to hone. The ability to regulate your own emotions — as well as the emotions of others' — has proven invaluable in the workplace.

To increase your emotional intelligence, try taking an EI quiz to determine how emotionally intelligent you are, and then identify areas for improvement. (HubSpot even offers one !)

To practice empathy in the workplace, consider asking colleagues how they're doing, and practice active listening skills to develop rapport over time. For instance, if a coworker mentions he's celebrating his birthday this weekend, remember to follow-up and ask how it went.

Additionally, take the time to understand how your products or services meet your customers' needs. Put yourself in their shoes. Listen to customer interviews or read survey responses to better understand your customers' challenges, which will naturally enable you to feel more empathy towards your customers.

4. Accountability.

Being accountable simply means taking responsibility for your actions, and this is an incredibly important skill in the workplace.

People mess up every day — it's how you handle your mistakes that matters. Go directly to your boss, outline the issue at-hand, and explain how you might've created or contributed to the problem.

Showing you're not afraid to admit when you're wrong is a sign of a good (and honest) employee. It doesn't help anyone when you try to hide problems or point fingers.

Additionally, it's impressive if you take the time to self-reflect and consider how you might change your approach so you meet your goals next time.

For instance, if you're responsible for getting 12 posts published per month and you only manage to get 10 completed, you'll want to figure out what prevented you from meeting goal.

Then, when you approach your manager, you can say something like, "I had a difficult time with the last two pieces because I didn't accurately account for how long each piece would take, particularly the pieces that require external quotes. Now that I've reflected, I've recognized that I'll need to write three pieces per week, and give myself an extra couple days to conduct outreach and collect quotes before I begin writing my quote pieces."

5. Critical, big-picture thinking.

A good employee takes the time to pause in his day-to-day and assess bigger-picture goals, always ensuring his work aligns with the company's goals and has a positive impact on the company's bottom-line.

Even if you've just started at a new company, it's never too early to ask questions and take an interest in the larger organization. Strategic, big-picture thinking is a sign of a good employee, and your boss will take notice if you take the time to think critically about the problems or tasks at-hand and how they fit into your company's overarching strategy.

6. Ambition.

Charlene Strain, a HubSpot Associate Marketing Manager for Global Co-Marketing Acquisition & Partnerships, considers ambition to be a vital trait for any good employee.

Ambition can look differently for everyone, but in this case, we're talking about ambition as it relates to scalability.

As Strain notes, "To be a good (and even great) employee, you have to look for scalability in every aspect of your role. Find ways to make a process smoother, or implement processes where there isn't one."

Strain adds, "If you move up or out to a different role, think about if someone else could fulfill your day-to-day duties easily and grow the role and program. If not, think about ways to lessen this friction."

A good employee considers how she can make her role more efficient for the company at-large. She also considers how she might create new processes to make her whole team's  outputs easier.

For instance, I've seen colleagues clean up outdated filing systems and create new, streamlined Google Drive folders for easy access to critical information. I've also seen colleagues re-shape how they tackle their own daily tasks for more efficiency, which has then been used at-scale to rework how HubSpot writers create content.

When you're in a new role, take the time to consider inefficiencies or small details that could lead to problems as you scale. Those issues could become growth opportunities.

7. Good communication skills.

Finally, a good employee is clear and direct with colleagues. She practices good communication skills  — including active listening, setting clear expectations, asking questions, and showing interest in what the other person is saying.

We've all worked with colleagues who don't seem to listen when we speak, or don't follow-up on something they said they'd do. It's frustrating, and can reduce trust. A good employee practices strong communication skills every day — both in-person, and online.

A good employee is also able to articulate when she can, and can't, take on additional projects. This is part of setting clear expectations.

As Jen Stefancik, HubSpot's Team Manager of Channel Promotions, tells me, "You can say 'no' and still be helpful. For example, you shouldn't take on work you cannot or should not prioritize, but you can still put in the extra effort to suggest other avenues, resources, or advice to the person asking for help."

It's important to note — becoming a good employee takes time, and there will be setbacks.

As Clint Fontanella, Manager on HubSpot's Blog team, puts it, "Most people want to get ahead fast. They want to make more money, get a better job or promotion, and they start to measure themselves on that, rather than day-to-day performance. You're going to have bad days. There are people who are going to get promotions before you do. Your friend might land a new job and make more money."

"All you can do is focus on you and be as consistent as possible — both in your work and in your attitude — and good things will happen."

Don't forget to share this post!

Lessons on leadership from HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah.

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Essay Samples on Employee

How to be a good employee: core qualities.

Being a good employee goes beyond simply fulfilling job responsibilities; it involves a combination of skills, attitudes, and behaviors that contribute to a positive and productive work environment. Whether you're starting a new job or aiming to excel in your current role, embodying certain qualities...

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Employee Engagement in the Context of the Virtual Workforce

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Empowering Employees: the Benefits of a Self-Managed Workforce

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Work patterns refer to which a manner in which a particular job is performed and in Australia have drastically changed over the past couple decades as a result of a variety of factors impacting on this issue. during the nineteen hundreds nearly one third of...

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Employee Engagement Affects Employee Retention

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Minimum Wage Should Be Raised And Its Impact On Mental Health

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Influence of Employee Retention Strategies on the Performance of Spotless Group

Introduction In this third chapter the research method will be described, and it justifies how ultimately the research question will be answered. There are different subjects that all together form the research method. These subjects entail the data collection methods, justification for the choice of...

Overview of Baskin Robbins Dress Code Policy

Policy and Purpose Baskin Robbins depicts how the company expect the employees to dress at work. The Appearance of the employees of the company is indispensable when representing our company on front of clients, customers and other parties. The image of an employee can create...

The Efficiency of ITN’s Reward System and Benefits Strategy to Motivate Employees

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• Employee Benefit
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Overview of the Specific Standards and Guidelines Deveped by OSHA

Ergonomics Occupational Safety and Health Administration has developed industrial specific guidelines that give specific and helpful instructions for abatement to assist employees and employers in minimizing the injuries at workplaces. Even when there are no guidelines specific to an industry, an employer still has obligation...

How to Achieve the Balance Between Life and Work

As an adult and one whose aim is to keep their jobs and means of livelihood it is very easy to get sucked into the rollercoaster of a 9 to 5 which would be no problem if one actually gets off work – physically and...

• Healthy Lifestyle
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Dangerous Behaviour of Employees in the Workplace and Its Consequences

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Role of Trade Union for the UK's Employers

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Motivation of Employees and Team Work in Samsung Company

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Motivational Drive of the Nestle Employees

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Demonstration of Respect Towards Employees in Management

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Analysis Of United Airlines Case Of Customer And Employee Dissatisfaction

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The Need Of Support For Underpaid Workers

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Work Spaces And Employee Performance And Efficiency

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Designing Of Enhanced Job Recommendation System For Online Job Hunting

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The Strategies To Cope With Employees Who Are Always Late

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The Reasons Employee Motivation Is Critical For A Company

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Impact Of Positive Psychological Capital Employee Engagement

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History Of Ontario Minimum Wage

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Important Things For Interview To Get A Professional Job

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Best topics on Employee

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3. Employee Engagement in the Context of the Virtual Workforce

4. Empowering Employees: the Benefits of a Self-Managed Workforce

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6. Employee Engagement Affects Employee Retention

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13. Dangerous Behaviour of Employees in the Workplace and Its Consequences

14. Role of Trade Union for the UK’s Employers

15. Motivation of Employees and Team Work in Samsung Company

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The Most Important Characteristics of a Successful Employee

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Five Attitudes That Are Important in Workplaces

How does pessimism affect the workplace, examples of good employee behavior.

• Examples of Bad Communication at Work
• How to Debrief Others Involved in an Incident of Challenging Behavior

The characteristics that employers look for in employees are the same traits that make for successful workers. Good employees obviously are important in any business, but small businesses often feel the impact of employee behavior – both good and bad – more acutely than larger companies. One bad apple can have a much greater impact on morale in a small organization than in a large one and, conversely, a good employee’s attitude and work ethic can be infectious.

Good employees are disciplined, dependable, responsible and cheerful. They also have good communication skills and the ability to work on a team.

Being Disciplined and Dependable

Reliability is a trait that is – or should be – instilled at an early age, and employees often can overcome deficiencies such as lack of experience simply by showing up on time and performing their assigned duties. Being able to work without a supervisor hovering over your shoulder is a sign of discipline. So is not having to be told not to make personal phone calls, surf the Internet or constantly text and tweet.

Closely related traits are work ethic, honesty and integrity. It boils down to an employer being able to count on you to show up, do your job, stay focused, be prepared and not steal – either physically or by stealing company time.

Taking Initiative and Responsibility

Offering solutions to problems in a constructive manner, as well as standing up and taking responsibility for mistakes you’ve made, goes a long way in catching an employer’s attention. Supervisors can't be everywhere at all times, so it is up to you to pay attention and speak up when you identify a problem or a way that a process can be improved. You should also be willing to pitch in when your company is faced with a serious deadline or a coworker has to take an unexpected break. Bosses take notice when you are willing to do more than just your own job as a way of looking out for the company's interests.

A Good Attitude

Even dependable and responsible employees may not have the most cheerful dispositions. A smile alone won’t get the job done, but a positive outlook and a pleasant disposition – combined with fundamentals such as work ethic and discipline – make for a well-rounded employee. Flexibility and enthusiasm also are components of possessing a good attitude. Being a team player, which is another attribute of a successful employee, is difficult if you’re not approachable and if you don’t play well with others. This doesn't mean that you need to be a pushover, but you can learn to be assertive while not demoralizing your coworkers.

Good Communication Skills

Whether writing, speaking or using computers, communication skills are essential in virtually any job. These skills often are the result of upbringing and education but are fundamental to most businesses. Improving these skills is vital to becoming a successful employee. It’s especially important when trying to communicate ideas to improve your company’s performance. Your good ideas won't help anyone, or your career, if you can't deliver them effectively. Think before you speak and take a few minutes to read and proofread your emails before sending them.

• Inc.:15 Qualities of the Perfect Employee
• GST Michigan Works: 10 Qualities of a Good Employee
• UF Career Resource Center: Qualities of a Good Employee That Any Boss Wants
• Temple University: Describe Characteristics of a Responsible Employee
• Ole Miss; Characteristics of Successful Long-Term Employees; MK Meyer; April 2002
• San Antonio Eye Institute; 5 Qualities of a Good Employee; Relief Jones III
• Dummies.com: Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player

John Kibilko has been writing professionally since 1979. He landed his first professional job with "The Dearborn Press" while still in college. He has since worked as a journalist for several Wayne County newspapers and in corporate communications. He has covered politics, health care, automotive news and police and sports beats. Kibilko earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Wayne State University.

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The Importance of Employee Relations Essay

Introduction.

Employee relations refer to an organization’s efforts to plan, create, and maintain positive relationships with its employees. Dessler (2017) notes that good employee relations are essential because a comfortable work environment and the absence of conflicts increase the efficiency of the production process in the company. Benevolent relationships between employees in an organization improve the team’s socio-psychological climate, contribute to the productivity of an individual employee, and increase the group’s efficiency. Therefore, since good employee relations increase the organization’s efficiency, planning, creating, and maintaining good employee relations is particularly important.

Various factors affect the degree of favorable employee relations. Stewart and Brown (2019) highlight such aspects as people’s satisfaction with their activities, the psychological compatibility of people in a group, the nature of the interaction, and the specifics of the work. When a job is attractive to employees, it allows them to realize creative resources, regularly improve their knowledge, grow in positions, and receive a good income, which contributes to the formation of a harmonious psychological climate in the team. In turn, people with a similar personality type are easier to interact with. Moreover, it depends on the characteristics of communication, the reaction to the words and behavior of others, and whether conflicts and misunderstandings will arise in such a team. As for the specifics of the activity, monotonous actions, a high level of responsibility, and risk to life and health can adversely affect the social and psychological climate of the team. Thus, it is crucial to consider these factors when planning, creating, and maintaining positive relationships with employees.

Employee relationship planning is the process by which organizations assess the state of current relationships, anticipate future relationships, identify gaps, and develop a plan to fill them. Based on the above planning steps, different tools can be used. For example, a SWOT analysis can be used as a strategic tool to assess the current state of employee relationships. Moreover, according to Verhulst and DeCenzo (2021), scenario planning is an effective employee relationship planning tool. It allows for the identification of future scenarios, discussing how they will affect the organization, and taking preventive measures. Therefore, employee relationship planning is key to an employee relations strategy.

The manager is the key person in creating good relationships between employees. First, it is essential to create comfortable working conditions. Stewart and Brown (2019) affirm that it is easier to create a positive atmosphere when the place facilitates it. Pleasant colors in the office, comfortable desks, and a separate room where employees can sit together for breakfast or drink coffee and talk can help create a comfortable working environment. Secondly, the manager needs to approach the choice of employees reasonably. When managers participate in the recruitment process, they should consider whether a particular candidate will fit the team and the company’s corporate culture. Thirdly, it is necessary to treat employees equally. Dessler (2017) states that an equal attitude and respect for the manager have a significant impact on the well-being of employees since the feeling of injustice leads to conflicts. Thus, these recommendations will help create good relationships in the team.

Another important aspect is maintaining good relations with employees. It is essential to work on the emotional intelligence of employees. It requires courses and training, thanks to which they will gain more knowledge about their emotions, and learn how to manage them better, which will positively affect the atmosphere in the team. Furthermore, it is worth developing the skill of providing feedback among employees. According to Stewart and Brown (2019), extending this competency will help build more successful employee relationships and positively impact employee engagement. Moreover, conflict situations sometimes arise in every team. The resolution of conflicts is important because they can worsen the atmosphere. Thus, maintaining a good relationship with employees is also crucial.

Dessler, G. (2017). Human resource management (15 th ed.). Pearson.

Stewart, G. L. & Brown, K. G. (2019). Human resource management (4 th ed.). Wiley.

Verhulst, S. L. & DeCenzo, D. A. (2021). Fundamentals of human resource management (14 th ed.). Wiley.

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How Companies Can Improve Employee Engagement Right Now

• Daniel Stein,
• Nick Hobson,
• Jon M. Jachimowicz,
• Ashley Whillans

Start by connecting what people do to what they care about.

A year and a half into the pandemic, employees’ mental “surge capacity” is likely diminished. Managers must take proactive steps to increase employee engagement, or risk losing their workforce. Engaged employees perform better, experience less burnout, and stay in organizations longer. The authors created this Employee Engagement Checklist: a distilled, research-based resource that practitioners can execute on during this critical period of renewed uncertainty. Use this checklist to boost employee engagement by helping them connect what they do to what they care about, making the work itself less stressful and more enjoyable, and rewarding them with additional time off, in addition to financial incentives.

As the world stumbles toward a Covid-19 recovery, experts warn of a surge of voluntary employee departures, dubbed the “Great Resignation.” For instance, one study estimates that 55% of people in the workforce in August 2021 intend to look for a new job in the next 12 months. To counteract the incoming wave of employee turnover, organizations — more than ever — need to focus on cultivating employee engagement .

• DS Daniel Stein is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Management of Organizations (MORS) Group at UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He conducts research on groups and teams, focusing on commitment to one’s group. He studies commitment across multiple levels, ranging from teams to organizations.
• NH Nick Hobson is chief scientist and director of labs for  Emotive Technologies , a behavioral technology think tank that brings together leading academic researchers, technologists, and business strategists in order to create and share knowledge. A PhD-trained behavioral scientist and adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto, Nick’s research and client practice specializes in employee experience (EX) and the influence of behavioral science as a tool for business success.
• Jon M. Jachimowicz is an assistant professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit at the Harvard Business School. He received his PhD in management from Columbia Business School. He studies how people pursue their passion for work, how they perceive passion in others, and how leaders and organizations seek to manage for passion.
• Ashley Whillans is an assistant professor in the negotiations, organizations, and markets unit at the Harvard Business School School and teaches the “Negotiations” and “Motivation and Incentives” courses to MBA students and executives. Her research focuses on the role of noncash rewards on engagement and the links between time, money, and happiness. She is the author of Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time & Live a Happier Life (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

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Top 15 Awards for Employee Recognition

May 7, 2024

Celebrate and honor your hardworking employees with these top employee award ideas.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday work life,  it's easy to miss the little wins and triumphs that keep our organizations moving forward. But behind every completed project and conquered challenge is the dedicated efforts of countless employees. And their hard work deserves more than just a pat on the back -- it deserves a celebration! After all, recognizing and appreciating employees' achievements and success is essential for building a positive workplace culture.

In this blog post, we explore the top 15 employee awards that organizations can use to celebrate their staff's achievements and hard work.

What are Employee Awards?

Employee awards are a form of recognition given to employees to acknowledge their outstanding performance, dedication, or contributions. These awards are often presented as a certificate, plaque, or trophy, giving employees a tangible keepsake to commemorate their achievements. Unlike monetary incentives, these awards focus on the intrinsic value of appreciation and validation, serving as a powerful morale booster and motivator for employees. 

Why Employee Recognition Matters

The current state of the workforce is dismal: employee engagement is on the decline, burnout is rampant, and employee stress is at an all-time high. That's why organizations need to prioritize celebrating and recognizing their people -- to turn these negative trends around and set their organizations up for success. 

When done right, employee recognition can elevate the employee experience, improve engagement, and reduce turnover. In fact, research by Deloitte reports recognition increases employee engagement, productivity, and performance by 14%. Likewise, Zippia reveals that 37% of employees feel that the best way to improve their engagement is for their superiors to give them recognition. And employees who are recognized are almost 6x more likely to stay at their jobs than those who aren’t.

When employees feel valued and appreciated for their hard work, they are more likely to stay engaged, motivated, and committed to their roles and the organization's goals.

Benefits of Employee Awards

Enhances employee engagement and performance

Employee awards can be a powerful motivator for employees, fueling employee engagement and driving productivity. Employees who feel valued and appreciated for their contributions are more likely to be more engaged with their work and go the extra mile to achieve their department's and organization's goals. 

Improves employee satisfaction and retention

Recognizing employees for their hard work and accomplishments fosters a sense of appreciation and belonging within the organization. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of employee retention. Employees who feel valued are more likely to remain loyal and actively seek opportunities for growth and development within the company. 

Creates a satisfying employee experience

Employee awards are essential for building a positive and fulfilling employee experience. When strategically used, these awards will celebrate the moments that matter most -- instilling a sense of pride and belonging in employees and creating a more meaningful and rewarding employee experience.

Uplifts spirits and boosts morale

With employee stress at an all-time high , employee awards can serve as a much-needed morale booster. These awards communicate to employees that their efforts are seen and valued, reinforcing their role within the company and validating their efforts. This acknowledgment can improve their morale, instilling a renewed sense of motivation.

15 Awards for Recognition

• Extra Mile Award: Recognize employees who consistently go above and beyond their job descriptions to deliver exceptional results.
• Star Performer Award: Honor individuals who consistently demonstrate outstanding performance and achieve exemplary results.
• Spirit of [Company] Award: Celebrate employees who embody the core values and spirit of the organization through their actions and behaviors.
• Employee of the Month Award: Recognize employees who demonstrate outstanding performance and contribution with a recurring monthly award.
• Employee of the Year Award: The highest honor bestowed upon an employee for their exceptional contributions and impact throughout the year.
• Innovation Catalyst Award: Recognize employees who drive innovation and growth, helping the organization have a stronger competitive edge and contributing to its growth and success.
• Partnership Award: Celebrate collaboration and teamwork by recognizing individuals who excel in building strong partnerships within and outside the organization,
• Customer Excellence Award: Honor employees who deliver exceptional service and contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Team Player Award: Recognize individuals who provide invaluable support and assistance to their colleagues and teams. 
• Quality Excellence Award: Recognize employees who consistently deliver high-quality work, demonstrating attention to detail, accuracy, and a commitment to excellence in their tasks and projects.
• Problem-Solving Pro Award: Acknowledge employees who demonstrate exceptional problem-solving and resourcefulness in overcoming challenges or finding innovative solutions to complex issues.
• Efficiency Expert Award: Recognize employees who consistently find ways to streamline processes, optimize workflows, and increase productivity, resulting in significant time or cost savings for the organization.
• Trailblazer Award: Acknowledge the employees who fearlessly explore new challenges, take strategic risks, and pave the way for others to follow, driving the company forward.
• Visionary Award: Honor the employee with the most visionary outlook whose ideas and initiatives impact the company's trajectory and position it for long-term success.
• Creative Genius Award: Acknowledge the individuals at your organization who bring innovation, creativity, and fresh ideas to the table. 

Best Practices for Employee Awards

One of the most important components of an employee award is the process of selecting and awarding the awardee. These processes should be fair and transparent. To ensure your employee awards are set up for success, follow these three best practices.

Establish Transparent Criteria

The foundation of any effective employee awards program is clarity. Establishing transparent criteria ensures that all employees understand the benchmarks and criteria for the awards, creating a sense of fairness and equality. When employees know what is expected of them, they are better equipped to strive for excellence.

Accompany it with a Reward

Employee awards are most impactful when presented with a tangible reward. Consider offering your recipients a selection of rewards to choose from, such as gift cards, company swag, or even additional paid time off. A digital recognition platform like Inspirus Connects makes it easy to offer your employees a gift of choice.

Provide Timely Recognition

One of the biggest pitfalls of employee awards is timing. Don't let employee awards fall by the wayside. Make sure your employee awards are timely for your staff by setting up a regular cadence for rewarding and recognizing employees.

Summing It Up

Employee awards are a powerful form of recognition that can help elevate the employee experience and create a positive work environment. From traditional accolades to more specialized honors, these awards can empower employees to feel a sense of validation and pride for their achievements in the workplace -- motivating and inspiring them to strive for excellence.

Want to make your employee awards more impactful? We can help! Talk with an Inspirus specialist today to see how we can elevate your award experience.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a recognition-based award.

Recognition-based awards are accolades given to individuals or groups that acknowledge their achievements, contributions, or noteworthy actions.

What is the most valuable employee award?

The value of an employee award is ultimately dependent on the context and priorities of an organization. While there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, some awards can hold significant weight across industries and companies. A generic employee award that is typically highly regarded is an Employee of the Year award or a Most Valuable Employee (MVE) award.

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Opinion | Gannett fired an editor for talking to me

Sarah Leach spoke to Poynter in an attempt to staff up her team. She may have been successful, even if she won't be at Gannett to see it through.

Sarah Leach, an experienced editor overseeing 26 Gannett community papers in four states, was fired via video conference first thing the morning of Monday, April 29. She was accused, she said, of “sharing proprietary information with (a reporter for) a competing media company.”

The reporter in question was me.

Her boss, Silas Lyons, next asked, “How do you respond?” Leach recalled. Then he added, “We have documentary evidence you have been communicating with Poynter.” No performance issues were raised. Since the dismissal was for cause, after 13 years of service, Leach was offered no severance.

Lyons’ bill of indictment was half right. Leach and I met five years ago at a Poynter seminar and have stayed in touch since. She did email me March 29, saying, “Things are a lot worse than people realize, and I’m hoping people are telling you about it. … I can’t speak on the record, but I’ll tell you what I know.” The rest of our interchanges were by phone or through her private email.

Lyons did not say how the company identified her as a source. As best Leach and I can figure, they must have tapped into her office email. “That’s the only way I can think of that they could have known,” she said.

The firing took place while I was still reporting the story, two days before Poynter published it. Leach published her own statement Thursday afternoon.

Back to the facts in a moment. But as both a participant and chronicler, I do have an opinion of what happened.

Outrageous! Gannett is a news company, not a widget factory, though it often does seem to be run like a widget factory. Gannett employs several thousand journalists who go to work every day in pursuit of stories, some of them based on insider tips and information. To pillory a successful and basically loyal editor because she raised an issue mildly embarrassing to the company…? Gannett’s top management extols itself for its commitment to excellent journalism while deploying espionage on its own employees? What a bunch of phonies.

Leach’s take: “They seem to be more interested in controlling their outward image than listening to their own people.”

Lyons declined to comment, as did spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón, who said the company does not discuss personnel matters.

Leach’s tip and my story concerned a ballyhooed initiative to revitalize Gannett’s small community papers like the one Leach had edited for years in Holland, Michigan.

The centerpiece, known internally as I-30, was to hire at least 30 new reporters for outlets that had only one or none who were locally based. However, just as it was getting rolling, the initiative was suspended in November. Then Lyons told 17 editors at the end of March that the “pause” (his wording) would extend through the second quarter.

Meanwhile, chief content officer Kristin Roberts continued to brag about I-30’s success as recently as February, three months into the pause, in an earnings call with analysts and a webcast.

Leach has been promoted several times during the five years I’ve known her. Still based in Holland, she oversaw The Holland Sentinel there and 25 more papers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. The pause was a bitter pill to her and the editors who reported to her, as they had been scrambling for years to cover multiple outlets with ever-shrinking staff. When the promise of fresh resources was postponed indefinitely, she said, that extended a management nightmare. She hoped that a story on it would goad her superiors into action.

I spoke with Leach minutes after her firing. Though shell-shocked, she already had a firm fix on the situation. “I took a chance, and I got caught,” she told me. “It seemed important to reveal what was going on.”

Leach is a single mom of three. Because of her family situation, she said, she cannot leave Holland for a job elsewhere. The sudden loss of income was alarming.

She turned quickly to patching together work and found immediate encouragement. Two newspapers (including The Detroit News) and a TV station have expressed interest in employing her to cover Western Michigan. “I’m going to be able to pay my mortgage,” she told me this week.

This had been an especially good year for Leach professionally. She chose herself to cover a big local story as a new right-wing group of county commissioners took control and began dismantling the government — starting with the local health department.

The stories were forceful enough that her predecessor as Holland Sentinel editor and another citizen nominated her for a Pulitzer Prize in local reporting. Also, The Washington Post jumped in with long stories , seeing a Middle America case in point of MAGA stalwarts in action at the local level.

With her Post connection, Leach was hired to cover the Michigan leg of a three-city series of Trump rallies May 2. She shared a quadruple byline three days after being fired.

There is one other oddity in the sequence of events. Leach had a conference call, scheduled before I began work on the story, with Michael Anastasi, who oversees all of Gannett’s 200-plus regional papers (USA Today has a separate structure). “I had never had that kind of one-on-one conversation with him,” she said.

As it happened, the call took place the Friday before she was let go. It was a pleasant how-are-you-doing chat, she said, that allowed her to make her pitch for more staffing.

She gleaned from talking to Anastasi and then to former colleagues after she left that while the promised I-30 hires remain on hold, permission to fill several other positions had just been approved.

That was a relief. “It’s not The New York Times.” she said, “but I’ve dedicated most of my career to community journalism — they need to be served too.” Her choice to raise a fuss seems to have achieved at least part of her objective. But Leach won’t be around at Gannett for the next chapters.

Opinion | Gannett fires editor for talking to Poynter, and other media news

Firing a single mother of three who was speaking up for more newsroom resources is a horrible look that deserves scrutiny and criticism.

Donald Trump repeated inaccurate claims on the economy in a local news interview in Pennsylvania

Trump repeated a bevy of inaccurate claims about the economy during an interview with WGAL-TV, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, station

Opinion | Kristi Noem’s media headaches now extend to conservative outlets

The South Dakota governor’s past few days have been so bad that she’s canceling on conservative media. Conservative media might soon cancel on her.

Q&A: HBO Max’s new ‘Girls on the Bus’ set out to show a cool, fun side of journalism

Former New York Times reporter and show co-creator Amy Chozick on how fact inspired fiction, pitfalls she avoided and today’s media environment

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Tesla Fires Many on Charger Team, Raising Doubts About Expansion

The carmaker dismissed 500 employees in a unit that was critical to its success and seen as important to the future of electric vehicle sales in the United States.

By Jack Ewing

Elon Musk has gutted the part of Tesla responsible for building electric vehicle charging stations, sowing uncertainty about the future of the largest and most reliable U.S. charging network.

The layoffs of about 500 Tesla employees, which many of them posted about on social media on Tuesday, raised questions about deals that Mr. Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, struck with the leaders of General Motors, Ford Motor and other automakers last year allowing cars made by other companies to use Tesla Supercharger stations.

Tesla’s agreements with other makers of electric cars assured buyers that they would be able to find fast chargers on road trips, addressing one of the main reasons that many people are hesitant to buy such cars. It was also seen as a coup for Mr. Musk, validating Tesla’s technology and giving the company outsize influence over the auto industry.

Almost all major manufacturers announced plans to switch the hardware and software in their cars to make them compatible with Tesla’s chargers. Ford has been mailing adapters to owners of its older electric vehicles so they can connect to Tesla’s chargers.

Mr. Musk said on X, the social media site he owns, that Tesla would slow down construction of new charging stations and increase its “focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations.”

On Monday, in an email to employees that was reviewed by The New York Times, Mr. Musk said he would dissolve the “entire group of approximately 500 people” that had worked on building new Supercharger stations. In that message, he said the company would finish stations under construction and build some new ones “where critical.”

The abrupt dismissal of the Supercharger team caught many people off guard.

Andrés Pinter, whose company installs chargers for Tesla, said he was stunned Tuesday morning to learn about the layoffs, which included about 20 people he had been in touch with on construction projects. He said emails to those Tesla employees had bounced back with an automated message saying those addresses were no longer valid.

“I see this as a shocking reversal from going all-in on the Supercharger network,” said Mr. Pinter, who is co-chief executive of Bullet EV Charging Solutions, which is based in Austin, Texas, where Tesla is also based. Until Tuesday, Mr. Pinter said, Tesla had been pushing Bullet to expand into other states and move as fast possible.

Tesla did not reply to a request for comment. News of the layoffs was reported earlier by The Information .

A spokesman for Ford, Martin Günsberg, said that company’s plans had not changed.

Numerous laid-off Tesla employees discussed the job cuts publicly. Mr. Musk “has let our entire charging org go,” William Navarro Jameson, a senior manager at Tesla’s charging operation, said on X . “What this means for the charging network, NACS, and all the exciting work we were doing across the industry, I don’t yet know.”

NACS, or the North American Charging Standard, was developed by Tesla and has a reputation for being a reliable and easy-to-use charging technology.

The latest layoffs, two weeks after Tesla said it was firing 14,000 people worldwide, unsettled investors who had been regaining confidence in the company after it reported last week a 55 percent drop in its first quarter profit .

Tesla shares closed about 5 percent lower on Tuesday afternoon, though they are still up around 13 percent since Thursday. Mr. Musk has said in recent weeks that, despite a decline in car sales, Tesla still has enormous growth potential from products based on artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology.

The charging network is regarded as a key element in Tesla’s dominant position in the electric vehicle market. There were hardly any fast chargers when the company began selling the Model S, its first sedan, in 2012. Tesla built its own network of more than 2,600 fast chargers in the United States. They are often the only chargers in many regions.

“You made E.V. adoption possible,” George Bahadue, another senior manager at the charging unit, said on LinkedIn in a message to other team members who had also lost their jobs.

By allowing other manufacturers to use the network, Tesla opened up a potentially lucrative source of recurring revenue. But Mr. Musk also took away the exclusive access to the network, which was one of the perks of owning Tesla’s cars.

The automaker has been a major beneficiary of federal funds to build charging networks. As other carmakers like Hyundai and Ford have chipped away at Tesla’s market share, Mr. Musk may have concluded that it was not in Tesla’s interest to build many more charging stations, which would help its rivals sell cars.

Some employees expressed bitterness after the layoffs, raising the risk that the abrupt dismissals could undercut morale among those still at the company.

“If you would have told me a month ago that Tesla was a company that would notify people, some with 10-plus years of experience, who helped build the company to what it is today with nothing more than a ‘Dear Employee’ email in middle of the night,” Lane Chaplin, a former employee of the charging unit, wrote on LinkedIn , “I would have said you’re nuts.”

Ryan Mac contributed reporting.

Jack Ewing writes about the auto industry with an emphasis on electric vehicles. More about Jack Ewing

The World of Elon Musk

The billionaire’s portfolio includes the world’s most valuable automaker, an innovative rocket company and plenty of drama..

Tesla: Elon Musk has gutted the part of the carmaking company responsible for building charging stations for electric vehicles , sowing uncertainty about the future of the largest and most reliable U.S. charging network.

X: An Australian court extended an injunction ordering the social media platform to remove videos depicting the recent stabbing of a bishop , setting the country’s judicial system up for a clash with Musk.

A $47 Billion Pay Deal: Despite   facing criticism that Tesla is overly beholden to Musk , its board of directors said that the company would essentially give him everything he wanted, including the biggest pay package in corporate history.

SpaceX: President Biden wants companies that use American airspace for rocket launches to start paying taxes into a federal fund  that finances the work of air traffic controllers.

Business With China : Tesla and China built a symbiotic relationship that made Musk ultrarich. Now, his reliance on the country may give Beijing leverage .  

Employees are secretly bringing their own AI tools to work so they can keep up

Good morning. For some time, I’ve been speaking with industry experts and CFOs about ways to implement AI in finance and how to determine a business case for generative AI . But there’s new eye-opening information for companies that haven’t yet come up with an AI plan.

Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index, released on Wednesday in partnership with LinkedIn, finds that, in the last six months, the use of generative AI has nearly doubled, with 75% of global knowledge workers using it. (Knowledge workers are considered professionals in roles like public accountants, engineers, editors, and lawyers.)

In addition, 78% of AI users are actually bringing their own AI tools to the workplace, which is coined “BYOAI.” And this action is without guidance or clearance from leadership. But, employees who are trying to keep up with a fast pace and large volumes of work are leaning on the technology. Microsoft and LinkedIn pointed out that BYOAI isn’t just implemented by Gen Z (85%). It cuts across all generations—millennials (78%), Gen X (76%), and boomers (73%).

Seventy-nine percent of leaders surveyed agree their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive. However, 59% worry about quantifying the productivity gains of AI.

“While leaders agree AI is a business imperative, many believe their organization lacks a plan and vision to go from individual impact to applying AI to drive the bottom line,” according to the report. “The pressure to show immediate ROI is making leaders inert, even in the face of AI inevitability.”

The findings are based on a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries, identifying labor and hiring trends from LinkedIn, and analyzing Microsoft 365 productivity signals as well as research with Fortune 500 customers. You can read the full report here .

Although many knowledge workers are eager to get the ball rolling with AI, some employees are hesitant to use the technology. I recently read an article in Harvard Business Review that speaks to this. It’s titled, “ For Success with AI, Bring Everyone On Board ” by David De Cremer, a professor of management and technology at Northeastern University. Cremer argues that it’s counterproductive for leaders to avoid involving rank-and-file employees in AI projects.

Cremer writes: “If you want to avoid resistance from your employees when introducing AI, you must push them out of their comfort zone while ensuring that they understand why you’re doing so. They should know how you plan to take care of them during this transition. You’ll need to exercise patience because it will take time and effort for workers to become familiar with AI and see how it can help them in their jobs.” He provides suggestions on what organizations must do to develop employee-inclusive AI practices.

Moving beyond experimentation with AI to business transformation is tough. But it seems to be a necessity to stay competitive. Have a good weekend.

Sheryl Estrada [email protected]

Upcoming event: Join Fortune for a conversation on “Leveraging Decision Intelligence to Mitigate Risk in an Uncertain World,” on June 18, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. This virtual discussion is part of the Emerging CFO series, presented in partnership with Workday, and offers a chance for emerging finance leaders to hear from CFOs on topics at the top of their agendas. We’ll explore the new science of decision intelligence–the combination of AI, machine learning, and advanced computing power–and discuss how it’s enabling CFOs to create forecasts, connect planning with execution, optimize spend, and manage risk amid disruption. You can find out more information and register here .

Leaderboard

Some notable moves:

Emily Reuter was promoted to CFO at Instacart (Nasdaq: CART), effective May 7. Reuter replaces Nick Giovanni, CFO since 2021, who stepped down. Giovanni will remain at the company for a transition period ending July 1. Reuter has served as VP of finance at Instacart since January. Before that, she worked in a variety of financial roles at Uber for nearly 10 years, including as its head of investor relations.

Susan Healy  was named EVP and CFO at the casual footwear maker  Crocs, Inc.  (Nasdaq: CROX), effective June 3. Healy succeeds Anne Mehlman, who was recently appointed president of the Crocs Brand. Healy joins Crocs, Inc. from IAA, Inc., a marketplace for automotive buyers and sellers, where she served as CFO and led the company through its $7 billion merger with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated. Before IAA, Healy served as SVP of finance for Ulta Beauty.

Gavin Felder  was named CFO at  Smoothie King Franchises Inc. , effective May 28. Felder replaces Thomas Kim, who left the company in September. Felder joins the company from Yum Brands, most recently serving as its chief strategy officer. During his 16 years at the company, he also worked as commercial director for KFC U.K., CFO of KFC Africa, and CFO for Yum’s Global KFC Division.

Taryn Miller was named CFO at Wolverine World Wide  (NYSE:WWW), a casual footwear and apparel company. Prior to this appointment, Miller served as VP of corporate and commercial finance at Corteva Agriscience. She has also served as the CFO of global business units, enterprise FP&A, and investor relations at Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

Chris Zych  was named CFO at  Southern First Bancshares  (Nasdaq: SFST), the holding company for Southern First Bank. Most recently, Zych served as director of corporate development and investor relations at United Community Bank. Before that, he worked as manager strategy and management reporting at First Citizens Bank.

Blake McCarthy  was appointed CFO at  Atlas Energy Solutions  (NYSE:AESI), a proppant producer and logistics provider, effective May 13. McCarthy joins the company from NOV, Inc., where he served in various operational and financial roles. Before that, McCarthy was a principal investor with Citadel Global Equities, covering the global oil and gas industry with a specific focus on the oilfield services sector.

Brian Bolster  was appointed CFO at  NextEra Energy Partners , (NYSE: NEP), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, a renewable energy company. Bolster is succeeding Kirk Crews, who has been at the company since 2016 and was promoted to the roles of EVP and chief risk officer. Bolster spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs where he was the head of natural resources of the Americas. 

Just 15% of organizations have AI policies, and 40% of organizations offer no AI training at all, according to an ISACA pulse poll of 3,270 digital trust professionals. The organization considers these gaps to be “concerning” given that 70% of respondents say staff are using AI, and 60% say employees are using generative AI.

Going deeper

Here are a few  Fortune  weekend reads:

“ Many Americans can’t afford vet care. Is a new business model to blame ?” by Luisa Beltran 

“ Spirit Airlines CEO, still salty after its failed JetBlue merger, calls the airline industry a ‘rigged game’ and consumers ‘the long-term losers’ ” by Dylan Sloan

“ Boeing whistleblower deaths are prompting ‘more than 10’ new witnesses to come forward, says attorney ” by Shawn Tully

“ Equinox is offering a $40,000 a year personalized wellness program to help you live longer. Here’s what it includes ” by Beth Greenfield 

“There are those who believe artificial intelligence is here to automate the economy, displace jobs, and wreak social havoc. I understand those fears, but in the aviation industry, AI is having the exact opposite effect.”

—Brian Tossan, chief technology officer of Greater Toronto Airport Authority, writes in a new Fortune opinion piece . In baggage handling, for example, “AI-driven scheduling software is revolutionizing staff allocation,” Tossan writes. 

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