What Makes a Great Employee:

How to be Successful Once You

Land Your First Job! Dr. Jenna P. Carpenter

COES Graduate Seminar April 2012

First, the Basics…

What qualities do employers want to see in a

good employee?

• Reliable

• Creative

• Proactive

• Fits the culture

• Punctual

• Good communicator

• Adaptable

• Open to change

• Good work ethic

• Responsible

• Honest (Ethics)

• Willing to learn

• Leader

• Follower

• Positive attitude

• Open to feedback

Now, let’s Look at Qualities that

Help you Stand Out!

1) A “Do-Whatever-It-Takes”Attitude

Attitude is huge! You DO need to focus your

efforts on the things against which you will be

evaluated (and learn the people/culture so that

you don’t step on anyone’s toes/territory), the

ability to think on your feet, adapt when

necessary, and the willingness to pitch in and

do whatever is needed to advance the

organization are invaluable!

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

2) A Willingness to Be Yourself

The best employees are themselves – they are

“comfortable in their own skin”. They know

themselves - their strengths and weaknesses,

the unique ways in which they are different.

And they use that difference to stretch

boundaries, challenge the status quo (when

appropriate), bring some flavor to the

workplace, and generate great ideas.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

3) Knowing When to Be a Team Player

While individuality and being different can be

good qualities, great employees know when

there is a major challenge, a stressful situation,

an important meeting, that they need to fit in

with the team. Deciding when to conform and

when to be different, when to challenge and

when to back off, etc., can be tough, but great

employees know when to do what.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

4) Publically Recognize Others

Genuine thanks and words of praise for great

ideas, contributions, key accomplishments, hard

work can be great motivators for employees at

any level. And they are free. But people often

fail to give out praise when its due. Doing so

publically, in front of peers, makes the words

have even greater impact. Never pass up an

opportunity to say thank you for a job well done.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

5) Complain in Private

Never, ever publically surprise your boss, put

her/him on the spot, or hit them with a

“bombshell” issue. Great employees keep their

boss informed and talk to them in private (such

as before or after a meeting) about controversial

issues. And if they know one is likely to come

up from someone else (either in private or in a

meeting), they notify their boss ahead of time.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

6) They are Willing to Speak Up…

Great employees speak up, either in a meeting or

in private, to ask important questions or raise

important issues. Even when others won’t.

They know how to do so in a professional, non-

controversial way. They are tuned in to the

issues and concerns of those around them. They

know the goals and culture. They have the

organization’s best interests at heart.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

7) They are Self-Motivated

Great employees are motivated from within –

they work toward, expect, and are attracted to

excellence…from themselves, their peers, the

organization. They constantly reach for the

best…but they are driven from within…at a

level that is deeper and more personal than just a

“desire to do a good job”. It is their character.

Let’s Look at Qualities that Help you

Stand Out!

8) They always Reach for More!

They are always looking for, seeing ways to

improve things – processes, procedures, goals,

strategies, initiatives, programs – they are

restless, but in a good way. And they do it not

because it is expected of them – they can’t help

it. They simply look at the world through the

lens of “how can we do this better?”

How do you get there?

Be patient – you won’t get there all at once.

It takes time. You really need a full year to

understand your job and the organization. It

is really a journey, so how do you start?

• Find some mentors (within and outside the

organization)

• Take advantage of professional

development opportunities

• Set personal goals and periodically check

your progress

How do you get there? Read and learn about yourself and best practices (here are

some of my personal favorites):

• Now Discover Your Strengths by Donald O. Clifton and

Marcus Buckingham

• Good to Great by Jim Collins

• Why So Slow: The Advancement of Women by Virginia

Valian

• Blink by Malcolm Galdwell

• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

• Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Leschever

• The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and

Barbara Pease

How do you get there? More Ways to Learn about Yourself:

• Inventory of Learning Styles and Description of

Learning Styles

(http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/pu

blic/ILSpage.html)

• Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator

(http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-

type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp)

References

Haden, Jeff, 8 Qualities for Remarkable Employees,

Inc., http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-

of-remarkable-employees.html, accessed April 10,

2012.

Chicken Soup for Your Soul,

http://chickensoupforyoursoul.blogspot.com/2008/0

7/10-key-employee-attributes.html, accessed April

22, 2012.

Questions?

Remember – you can find this, and all

of our presentations, on the COES

Graduate Seminar Website at:

http://www.latech.edu/coes/owise_semi

nar.shtml