What do employers really want?

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Permalink Reply by Jake "The Admin" on February 23, 2009 at 6:28pm

I am not a career coach but have been involved in the hiring process on many occasions. The answer to your question depends on the line of work but there are couple general things that all employers look for. I believe those things are; honesty, commitment, responsibility, knowledge and skills. Sometimes coming out and saying that you're honest is not what they're looking for, this often becomes a judgment call and depends how you present yourself on the resume and during an interview. Do you exude honesty? Commitment on the other hand has to do with your dedication to the job; employers want to see someone who is dedicated and committed to their tasks, duties and work in general. Responsibility shows that you are an adult and can take responsibility for your actions. Knowledge and skills are pretty obvious, you need to know your stuff and show that you're capable of performing what is asked of you and if necessary demonstrate a will to learn. I've also noticed that being an effective team player is very important to many if not all employers. You need to show that you can and will get along with your co-workers and that you can perform well in team environments. Employers want to hire someone who is a team player and as such they will expect you to illustrate how you've worked on a team. Hope this helps.

Jake

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Permalink Reply by Spike on February 23, 2009 at 10:41pm

"I believe those things are; honesty, commitment, responsibility, knowledge and skills... employers want to see someone who is dedicated and committed to their tasks, duties and work in general. Responsibility shows that you are an adult and can take responsibility for your actions. Knowledge and skills are pretty obvious, you need to know your stuff and show that you're capable of performing what is asked of you and if necessary demonstrate a will to learn....You need to show that you can and will get along with your co-workers and that you can perform well in team environments."

That is what they say, versus what they do.

Currently I work for a company that values those things you mention, even though the work is well below my level of education. Since I have the wrong education and the wrong experience, there is not much to look forward to, but I need the health insurance and I am too old to start my life over. At least the harassment policy here has teeth.

When I graduated from college, I toted my degree and my resume door to door for years, and got passed over until I gave up and took a factory job. Twenty years went by before I contacted an honest employer who told me I didn't go to the big university with the placement program. By then I was too old and too in debt to change anything. That's when I began wondering if employers want brand names over substance.

I worked for a string of people whose ethics were well below mine. Honesty is great if it makes you feel good about yourself, but what good is it if it makes you stand out like a goody two shoes, even when you keep your mouth shut? One manager learned to retain employees by promising anything. Another boss preached about wasting time and supplies while printing hundreds of sheets of football scores, horoscopes and dirty jokes on a company printer.

I spent my life showing commitment and dedication to employers who tossed me out like yesterday's newspaper as soon as the work slowed down. As far as responsibility, I was one of the hardest workers. I just didn't fit in with the good ole boys. Using four syllable words instead of four letter words, tolerating people of different faiths and races, having no tattooes whatsoever, not drinking after work, and being faithful to the same spouse for decades were only some of my vices.

When employers say they want knowledge and skills, it appears they want you to walk in the door knowing everything you will ever need to know. One employer retained several of us with endless promises of on-the-job training. We couldn't afford the training ourselves, and we sure couldn't buy the equipment on which to train. They promised us training in two months, then six months, then years, then never. They told me I would have to guard the equipment I wasn'e even allowed to train myself on. They told me I wouldn't need the training, because my job would not change. Six months later, I was out on the street, replaced by a temp agency kid who already knew how to operate the equipment that I had wanted to learn to use,

Teamwork and the willingness to get along with people only gets you so far, when your boss cancels weekly meetings, and instead meets off the premises with the employees he likes. Or your manager refuses to smile or talk to people of your particular complexion. Or you make the mistake of revealing that you were born someplace unpopular.

Yes, I am steeped in vitriole, but it's the result of a quarter century of employers saying they want one thing when they want something entirely different.

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Permalink Reply by Megan on February 23, 2009 at 6:37pm

Hi Spike,

Check out this video we have posted: 10 Things Employers What From a New Hire
There are several really good videos that can be found on the left hand side of the main page. I personally found them helpful and informative.

Hope this helps.
Megan

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Permalink Reply by Spike on February 24, 2009 at 1:20pm

Thank you! I would say I have the first eight skills, but I have not had the financial wherewithall to get a degree in computers. Self-confidence has been beaten out of me by so many managers and supervisors in my former jobs, I am struggling to build it back up.

The one thing about that video which surprises me - why did honesty come in as #2? Ethics aside, having a dishonest employee can be very expensive, in terms of lost clients, lost resources, wasted company time and possible legal action. (Witness the case of the Georgia peanut plant that knowingly shipped product tainted with salmonella.)

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