The nitty-gritty of performance measurement reports may vary from company to company – some might have more numerical KPIs to fulfil, while others may choose to track their employees progress in the form of learning milestones. Whatever method a company chooses, there are a few universal traits upon which almost all employees are judged. These lie in the areas of innovation, teamwork, and communication. If you’re a new employee due to receive your first performance review or have recently transferred jobs, here are some qualities managers look for:
Exceeding Expectations
There is more to your job than simply showing up on time and getting through the tasks of the week. Basic expectations include completing error-free assignments by their deadlines and fulfilling key performance indicators, such a set number of clients to service. An employee meeting expectations will hit their benchmarks without exerting additional effort, but an excellent employee will always go the extra mile to improve, and constantly outdo themselves, by undergoing additional training or acquiring extra knowledge to supplement their skill set. Display your commitment to your job by becoming the latter type of worker.
An Unorthodox Approach
Even if you’re trapped in the world’s most repetitive job, there are ways of making it less dreary. An employee who strives to find novel solutions to common problems is an excellent asset to any business. Of course, the person must be deeply invested in their job to constantly test new methods of getting things done and put forth recommendations to upgrade business solutions. Self-driven and fully-engaged members of the workplace will fetch glowing performance reviews for sure.
Team Chemistry
A quality employee doesn’t engage in petty office politics or attempt to sabotage their colleagues; instead, they motivate their team members and inspire them to perform at their best. Approachable and dependable, other employees turn to them for advice, and when needed, these staff members lean on their peers for assistance and guidance. Your managers will observe if your relationships with your peers are cordial and pleasant, as well as how you function in a team environment. Collaborating and coordinating with others in high-pressure situations can stress the best of us, but if you manage to keep your cool and rise to the occasion, your managers will be full of praise.
Superior Communication Skills
An employee with communication skills par excellence convey their message in a clear, concise and transparent manner and do not shy away from providing feedback when required. Though some employees are more reserved and withdrawn than others, being an introvert should not impede your work. If your team or superiors have complained about you being too quiet or convoluted, what they may be truly saying is that they need you to be more transparent in how you communicate regarding your work. Try not to take the feedback personally and instead be more proactive at updating everyone on your work. Once you’re communicating well with your peers, clients, and managers then you have nothing to worry about…
