While the pandemic has caused chaos worldwide in terms of businesses closing and jobs being lost, the signs of recovery have slowly begun. Countries and economies are slowly opening, and while they have a long way to go to get back to the levels seen pre-pandemic, the signs are promising. Also, within this period, those who have found themselves out of work have had to get creative and many have gone down the path of starting their own businesses. During this period, however, it is important to have skills that make you employable, especially as a fallback option. Here are 4 skills that make you super-employable in the eyes of companies.
1) Communication
This has and always will be an essential skill. How would you ever expect to get through even the application and interview stage without communication skills such as verbal, non-verbal and listening? Employers want employees who can communicate clearly and efficiently because in turn the business can run that way too. Being able to communicate in such a way with colleagues, customers, clients and whoever you come in contact with, will ensure that things run more smoothly.
Improvements in technology have been blamed on worsening communication skills, e.g. the use of conference room scheduling software as opposed to booking with a receptionist or secretary directly, as it cuts out communication between two parties in order to improve efficiency. This, therefore, is a delicate topic we need to adapt to.
2) Decision making
Hiring employees with effective decision-making skills are essential for ensuring that problems are identified and solved quickly and correctly. Employers don’t want to micromanage – that is exactly why they hire employees – but often they find themselves with employees they don’t completely trust and therefore need to keep an eye on every action they do. Good decision-making skills are invaluable to the business as a whole and it is therefore essential for success that everyone in the hierarchy can make decisions well.
3) Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
We all know someone who just doesn’t take a hint, has no finesse when they speak and cannot gauge other’s moods or feelings. These people are rarely popular nor effective leaders. Having a high EQ means you can recognise, understand and manage yours and others emotions. You have to be self-aware in order to improve your EQ and be more empathetic to others, and this is especially important the higher up you progress.
4) Teamwork
More often than not, you will be working and relying on others, who in turn will rely on you. This makes it crucial that all the pieces of the puzzle can at least work together as a team. Projects aren’t completed to the highest quality if only one person is pulling their weight (flashbacks to school days). Teamwork relies heavily on communication and EQ skills, so you certainly don’t want to think of these skills listed as independent of one another.
