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As stated by Harvard Business Review, playing to employee strengths works well for a company. The team that received strength intervention witnessed a 10 to 19% growth in their sales, a 14 to 29% growth in their revenue, and a 22 to 59% fall in safety issues.
It is well said a company is as good as its workforce. They are the real assets that make daily operations possible. However, assessing the employee's strength to accomplish business goals is significant.
A diverse, inclusive team includes employees with strong skills and competencies which define their ability to achieve the desired tasks. As a manager, it is essential to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your employees to develop an action. The primary goal includes assessing employees on time to drive the company towards growth and success in the long run.
The need to acknowledging employees' strength
Employee strength involves the comprehensive traits and skills of employees to reach their goals easily. It includes the employees' communication abilities, technical proficiency, leadership skills, and more. With the right employee strength, an organization can go miles. It doesn’t just help the employee progress in their career path but also takes the company to heights.
Employees who use their strengths to boost efficiency and enhance performance levels can effectively accomplish their short- and long-run goals and expectations.
Employees who recognize their strengths learn from their mistakes and enhance their skill sets to become experts in their work field. These employees eventually become excellent leaders who can nurture future generations to develop an extraordinary team.
Gallup shared the significance of acknowledging employees' strengths in the "State of the American Workplace" report. They stated that working on developing strength-based connections resulted in a better, more engaging, and higher-coached culture. Companies and managers should step up development initiatives to get results that are worth it. Strength-based work environments are more inclusive and collaborative.
Acknowledging employees for their strengths adds a domino impact, proving fruitful for the whole business. NuLeaf Natural's VP of Operations, Ian Kelly, stated that employees begin recognizing themselves for their strengths. It boosts their sense of value and self-worth. Overall, it works excellently for nurturing human potential.
15 Employee strengths you should grow among your team
Here is the list of employee strengths examples
1. Discipline
To become great in their work, employees should be disciplined and be able to connect with their colleagues. Employees should follow their everyday schedule and maintain their timetable throughout the year. It is an important trait and a positive strength proving to be a differentiating factor between a good and bad employee.
A disciplined employee demands timely feedback and works on their issues. They follow up with their managers and formulate a routine to handle their work. Only 27% of workers agree that the feedback they get at work makes them perform better.
2. Communication skills
Communication has a significant role in organizational success. Lack of communication makes it tough to achieve long-term goals. Employees who can communicate well can send precise messages easily and boost transparency. They are easily approachable, simple to talk and can easily convert a challenging situation to a calm one with their good communication skill.
Employees with practical communication abilities actively listen to what others say and try to understand their peer's perspectives without judging them. 86% of workers state that ineffective communication leads to workplace failure.
3. Motivational abilities
Any work you do needs the motivation to reach its results. The same goes for workers. If they don't have the will to perform a job, the work will pile up.
Intrinsically motivated employees successfully achieve their goals. They secretly push themselves and set a benchmark for their teams and juniors.
4. Leadership skills
Excellent leadership motivates others to perform better. But leaders should possess the skills to influence others to perform well and promote good work ethics in the company.
Workers with leadership abilities have a vision and the ability to innovate in a competitive marketplace. They guide their teams to company goals without giving up personal ambitions.
5. Responsibility and accountability
An employee who is willing to understand responsibilities, take on new projects, and fulfill their duties with honesty and accountability is a valuable asset. Such employees are proactive in identifying their weaknesses and willing to learn new skills to improve themselves. This combination of understanding, ability, and a growth mindset make them a great addition to any team.
6. Confidence
Confidence and knowledge are key factors that lead to success in the workplace. Employees who are confident in their abilities and have a deep understanding of their field excel in their job and pay attention to detail. Their confidence inspires others, creating a productive environment where everyone strives to do their best.
7. Resilience and patience
Resilience and patience are essential employee strengths that are often overlooked. Persistent employees with a never-give-up attitude can handle challenges calmly, perform better and help organizations achieve long-term goals. These traits develop with experience and practice and are crucial in navigating obstacles and achieving success.
8. Problem-solving and decision-making
The ability to solve problems and make informed decisions is a hallmark of a strong employee. These individuals have a clear understanding of their surroundings and can make decisions that are beneficial for everyone involved. Good problem-solving and decision-making skills are crucial for success and are developed over time. Employees with leadership qualities recognize the importance of these skills in determining the long-term success of the organization.
9. Work ethic
A robust work ethic embodies an individual's unwavering determination, devotion, and commitment to their responsibilities. Those who possess this attribute are known for their focus on performance and ability to cultivate a productive and positive work environment. By consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic, employees can demonstrate support for the organization's objectives and play a key role in achieving their goals.
10. Flexibility
Employees who possess adaptability can seamlessly transition to any modifications in the workplace. This trait helps mitigate stress, foster confidence in facing challenges, and foster a growth mindset toward learning new skills and techniques.
Flexible employees can often serve as leaders and inspirations for their peers, elevating their productivity by confidently taking on additional responsibilities and executing them with proficiency. 74% of workers have the skill to move to different physical wo
11. Organization skills
Time and space management skills allow you to prioritize work, meet deadlines and have an organized workspace. This skill demonstrates to employers your ability to manage your workload and complete tasks efficiently. Effective planning and organization involve accurately estimating project time frames and prioritizing tasks to ensure timely delivery.
12. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence involves being aware of how one's actions can impact the emotions of those around them. Emotionally intelligent employees often exhibit empathy and are attuned to their colleagues' emotional cues and body language. This awareness helps foster supportive and healthy relationships, both with the individual and others in the workplace.
13. Teamwork
Valuing teamwork and collaboration allows employees to work effectively with colleagues and in groups. Individuals who prioritize teamwork often take on leadership roles and prioritize both their own tasks and those of their team members. This approach to work benefits the workplace by focusing on individual responsibilities and contributing to the success of the department or project as a whole.
14. Reliability
Employers are expected to complete tasks and meet deadlines efficiently and effectively by their managers. A strong work ethic and dependability are vital traits valued by companies. Employees who can be trusted to work independently and consistently perform well are more likely to be considered for promotion opportunities.
15. Optimism
Positive employees drive performance through their optimistic outlook. They inspire and motivate others with their shared vision of success, which is especially crucial during organizational changes.
Businesses with engaged and strong workers have 23% higher profits than businesses with disengaged and miserable workers.
How to recognize employee strengths and their potential applications within the organization
Many managers make the mistake of employing workers in a job without considering how they could effectively benefit the company. Remember hiring is not a one-size-fits-all procedure. It is essential to assess the employee you're onboarding and ultimately learn about their strengths and motivations to use them efficiently.
Here's how you can do it:
1. Ask
Ask your employees about their traits, skills, and passions. It is often the best way to know about your team's strengths. Discussing your employees about what they consider their best traits shows that you value the data and want to ensure these abilities are used efficiently.
2. Check their past experience
Whether it is their old history in your company or another company, you can find out how and when a person exhibited their best and what they've done so far in their old job. What type of skills did they practice in their old projects? Once you gain this information, you can employ the same traits and strengths for your team's benefit.
3. Observe
To know their strengths and weaknesses effectively, it is essential to closely observe your employees, especially when they're new to your team. When you see how they react in meetings, while giving presentations, or during collaborations, you can better understand the type of roles you should assign to them to help them perform their best.
How managers can help employees discover and develop their strengths
Once you have identified the strength of your employees, the next thing is to do your best to develop them. Here's how you can do it:
1. Share it with them
Often managers assume that the workers know what their strengths are. Refrain from making that mistake. You'd be surprised to see how your employees take their strengths for granted and never acknowledge them.
Be it a simple compliment or a one-on-one talk, name out the talent of your employees loudly and emphasize their core competencies.
2. Assign relevant roles
Assigning tasks, projects, and roles that align with an employee's strengths can improve job satisfaction and performance.
For example, employees who are known to be positive and diplomatic can be paired with those who are more challenging to work with. Those with exceptional problem-solving and knowledge-based skills could be ideal for handling customer complaints.
3. Invest in training and development
Investing in employee training and development is a powerful way to enhance their skills and experience. Providing access to training courses in teamwork, leadership, finance, and communication can help employees grow in their careers and improve their overall capabilities.
Whether delivered internally or by a third-party provider; this investment can result in a more competent and satisfied workforce that benefits the organization as a whole. It works as a learning opportunity for the employees and they can specifically focus on their weakness and develop better skills that can further help them climb the ladder of success.
How employee strengths can create a positive workplace environment
Gallup states that employees, who develop their innate talent and strength, apply them productively to accomplish performance outcomes.
Further, Gallup revealed that developing employees' strengths is a more effective methodology to improve performance instead of working on improving their weaknesses. When employees use their strengths, they become more engaged, work better, and are less likely to leave the organization.
For many, the advantages of enhancing their strengths not just lead to enhanced engagement, a better career, and a better workplace environment. These well-being benefits additionally benefit employers through increased productivity, fewer sick leaves, reduced incidence of chronic health issues, and lesser health-related expenditure from their workforce. Strength and engagement together help create a positive workplace culture that nurtures high performance. Incorporating methods of effective Staff Engagement can be the key to unlocking these potentials in employees.
Managers and leaders can take such steps to help workers use their highest talents and develop a strength-based company.
Identifying employee strengths and using them to advance the organization's goals
After you recognize employee strengths, it is essential to use them to improve business performance and advance the organization's goals. Forbes states that it is advantageous to put employees with different strengths on one team. It allows employees to complement each other. Often both employees may not have good communication skills. As a team, it is beneficial that one employee with good communication skill covers it well for the rest of the team.
For instance, a team of planners and communicators may start on a specific project but fail if something unexpected happens or the assignment needs technical help. A diverse team is usually more powerful.
Hence, choosing employees with varied strengths for every team and task will benefit the company in the short run and add to the project's success. When employees are offered a chance to play their strengths, they feel a sense of satisfaction and engagement, and their achievement moves on a higher trajectory adding long-term benefits to the entire company.
The 2016 ADP Employee Engagement study revealed that over three-quarters of the workforce state that it is essential for them to enjoy their job. Employees having a better experience at their job will not just boost retention but also bring organizational success.
Conclusion
Acknowledging the strength of your employee is essential to ensure that they are a good fit for your team and company. The roles and duties they have to live up to depend on their abilities and knowledge. To ensure you have on-boarded the right candidate, check out the skills mentioned above during job interviews.
When you have a workforce that can bring out the best in them with their strength in the company, it gets simpler to accomplish your organizational goals over time. If you're looking ahead to discover your team's strength, look no ahead than us!
