Today’s workplace – regardless of which business or industry you are a part of – is dramatically different than it was 20, 10 or even five years ago. Technological advances continue to happen before our very eyes. With them, employers and the teams they hire need to keep pace or risk losing their competitive edge in the marketplace.

As you evaluate potential new hires, make sure they have all of the following qualities:

A Natural Tendency to Embrace Change

Millennials are now the dominant demographic in the global workforce. They grew up using social media and collaborative technology to communicate and find people and information.

• Your prospective employees must be ready to embrace change, without giving it a second thought. This will make their jobs easier and your company better.

A Desire to Have their Voices Heard

Leaders don’t have to be managers. They do have to be people who are passionate, knowledgeable and comfortable with sharing their skills and expertise. And of course, you want to hire employees who demonstrate clear leadership potential.

• Collaborative technology empowers every team member to share their interests, ideas and feedback. If an individual cares enough about something, they have the opportunity to become a leader or a subject matter expert, regardless of their title or official position. But, they must be willing to speak up and use technology – as well as their own voices – to be heard and recognized.

Autonomy

Now that people have the ability to work from anywhere at any time, it’s critical that they are self-directed. There won’t always be a manager looking over their shoulder. This is both a privilege and a responsibility.

• You need employees you can trust. Look for individuals who are capable of executing on deliverables, regardless of where and when they do it.

A Willingness to Share and Help Others

Sharing ideas not only benefits the company, but also the employee, as their coworkers recognize their positive attitude and ability to lend a hand.

• Sharing can take on many forms: knowledge, feedback, documents, and projects that one is working on, to name just a few. By sharing with their team and with neighboring departments and business units, employees become known and respected. This breeds confidence, long-term loyalty and ongoing innovation.

The Ability to Filter and Focus

In today’s work environment, employees are constantly pulled in multiple directions. It’s common to be in a meeting while simultaneously checking e-mails, texting, tweeting and/or IMing. The best performers are those who can stay on task and put people and key messages above all the “noise.”

• As information bombards them, employees must be adept at filtering out and focusing on what is most critical. Their ongoing success and growth depends on it.

CPS Recruitment^® understands the challenges you face as you hire to meet the demands of today – and tomorrow. Let us be your recruitment partner as you build your industry-leading workforce. Contact us today to learn more.