Top 5 Qualities Every Employer Looks for in a Candidate

When you’re sending out your CV and cover letter to potential employers, it’s important to remember that you’ll be competing with many other applicants. This makes it important to make sure that your job application is filling in the blanks in the minds of a potential employer. 

You want to give them the best chance of seeing you as the person they want to hire, so you must focus on improving the skills and qualifications they’re looking for. Here’s a list of the top skills every employer is looking for, as well as some tips to help boost your aptitude in each one:

1. Communication Skills

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively has always been a crucial skill that employers look for. This is a critical skill in any workplace, whether you’re communicating with colleagues, customers, or clients.

To improve your communication skills, it’s important to practice. You can do this by volunteering for a community outreach program or joining a student organisation. As you get used to the way people communicate in a variety of professional settings, you’ll become more comfortable speaking in public.

2. Active Listening Skills

Communication is a two-way street, and that means your ability to listen is just as important as your ability to speak. This is important because a good listener is someone who is focused on the speaker and capturing the information they’re giving, rather than formulating their own response.

Employers like to see how you handle difficult conversations, and active listening skills are the key to keeping a conversation going. People with strong active listening skills have been trained to pay attention to the speaker and can steer conversations towards productive topics.

3. Problem-Solving Skills

Having great problem-solving skills is a critical element for any job. Employees with the ability to quickly and effectively solve workplace problems are the ones employers strive to retain.

You can build your problem-solving skills by taking courses, reading industry publications, and contacting professionals in the field to get insight on common problem-solving strategies.

4. Collaborative Skills

Collaboration is an important skill to have in the workplace. It allows people of different skill sets to work together as a team, and accomplish goals by complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Collaborative skills are strengthened through experience and practice. In the workplace, your collaborative skills can be used when participating in group projects, and also in team-building exercises to help contribute to a pleasant work environment.

5. Adaptability

In today’s workplace, employees need to be able to quickly adjust to changing circumstances and new situations. These skills are often used in situations where a crisis arises, and you're charged with solving the problem quickly to minimize any negative effects.

The Bottom Line: Highlighting the Crucial Skills Employers Often Prioritise When Interviewing Candidates

When you’re applying for a job, it’s important to highlight the skills that are most important to the job description so that you stand out from a sea of other applicants. 

Each skill listed above can be enhanced through practice and experience, so a job search that emphasises developing these skills can help you get in the door and get the interview you deserve.

How Can We Help You?

If you're looking for a recruitment agency, look no further because Chimera Recruitment is here to help.

Our team specialises in working with high-end luxury retailers and brands to help build their team. Besides that, we also assist in onboarding and training to ensure they fit exactly what the company needs.

Build your team with us today!