Explain personal attributes attributes valued by employers:
Many employers will look for personal attributes in employees to check whether the employee is able to work in the field that they wish to achieve or excel a career in. This type of skill is very important in the IT industry as it shows the employer that the employee is willing to be in lead of others and this will help to achieve all the developments in the IT industry. An example of personal attributes is having good communication skills. This is the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in many ways, some of them could be by email, verbally, with lists and phone messages, on the phone, and with body language. Communication includes listening skills and the ability to follow directions and provide feedback. However, some employers look for other different type of attributes for example, specific attributes. In specific attributes a person must have technical knowledge.
Specific Attributes: Technical knowledge
Technical knowledge is the basic understanding of modern technology, the way it works and its advances. It helps and enables an employee to understand a certain field. The employees detailed understanding of anything in technology can be applied or reasoned with in any shape or form for any issues or applications. For example, if the employee knows how to use the hidden functions on a smart phone, or can work the latest gadgetry or even understand the basics of the programming that makes it function, then this shows the employer that the employee has a high level of technological knowledge, or If an employee has technical knowledge then this shows that the employee is skilled enough to know what the job title means and how they would complete the tasks. An example of this would be I.T technical support, if somebody has technical support knowledge, they should be able to find out the problem with somebody's computer by asking direct questions to find the problem so they can find the solution. Being able to guide somebody through the process would mean you have the technical skills to guide customers through a call to fix their computers. Another example of technical knowledge is a programming a computer programmer will have the correct technical skills to create any computer programme. A computer networker should have the specified skills to set up and maintain networks to a high standard. A mechanic is skilled in finding the problems with cars and finding the solution so he can fix the car so the driver can be on the road again. Employers would value someone who has technical knowledge because it means he knows about his job field and how it works, they can teach you what you need to learn about the job but you already possess the technical skills to complete the job. which can therefore also help the employee with the job that they want to do. If a person doesn’t know how to use a computer or a device properly then this shows the lack in their technical knowledge because they may find it hard to co– operate with simple tasks that are set, this therefore suggests that having good technical knowledge is more beneficial. Some people other than employers may have difficulty with the new advanced technology which is being introduced into our daily lives and may find it very complex, so as a good employee with excellent technical knowledge, the employee can help those people who struggle and they can learn due to this specific attribute.
Specific Attributes: Good working procedures.
Good working procedures are the manner in which the employee behaves around the workplace this is so that everyone is safe and everyone is treated equally. The procedures cover the health and security and data security. The staff and employers all have their own responsibilities regarding health and safety issues. A perfect example of someone who has good working procedures is somebody that knows how to follow a set of instructions, gets the job done accurately and follows health and safety regulations. An example would be somebody ringing an I.T technician tier 1 and the technician follows the instructions accurately in order to complete his safely and within a specified time. Another example would be software security, keeping your software secure means you are following the correct security procedure so your software remains safe and nobody is able to hack into it. Good working procedures would be valued by employers because they want somebody who can follow instructions properly by focusing on each task properly and complete their work within the time they have been set to complete it.
Specific Attributes: Health and Safety
Health and safety are regulations and procedures intended which prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments. Health and Safety is important because it protects the wellbeing of employers, visitors and customers. Looking after Health and Safety makes good business sense. Workplaces which neglect health and safety risk prosecution, may lose staff, and may increase costs and reduce profitability. For example, if an employee is working in the IT industry and has to carry a TV which is heavy, the employee must ensure that they are able to carry it or they should ask another employee with carrying the TV as this will prevent injury if only one person does it. Even when working around others, employees must ensure that they don’t hurt the people around them as this may cause the employee to lose their job over an accident.
Specific Attributes: Security
Security is vitally important because security plays an important part in the workplace, because if the workplace is secure no theft can take place neither no data can be lost or taken. An example of how an employee can increase security is having a strong password for example in an employee’s password they should ensure that they are using uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and other different characters as this will make the password more difficult to guess meaning that hackers and malicious individuals cannot access a computer that is locked with a password, meaning that no company data can be lost or stolen. Employees should ensure that they are not using simple passwords like “123456” as these are the most common of passwords which are easily guessed and this allows hackers to have access to very important information stored on the system. Security is one of the key parts in business or IT industry because the data handled does not necessarily belong to the person handling or using the data, therefore security should be kept as a priority for employees. This means that before opening any files on a pen-drive, or other removable disk, the person should properly scan the device, these sort of practices will ensure that both computer systems are safe, and that company data is in the correct hands, preventing any fraud or unwanted behaviour outside of the company. Business and IT industries can also make sure that their security is upto date by having regular checks, having strong firewalls because firewalls are there to protect and block off any unauthorised access by an unknown individual.
Specific attributes: Work attitudes
The behaviour of employees at work often depends on how they feel about being there. Therefore, looking at how people behave depends on understanding their work attitudes. Attitude refers to the opinions, beliefs, and feelings about aspects of the current environment. everyone has attitudes toward the food they eat, the people they interact with, courses we take, and various other things. At work, two particular job attitudes have the greatest potential to influence how we behave. An employee needs to make sure that the job that they are about to do, must be something that they enjoy doing whilst working because motivation is a very important aspect in the job that the employee is in because if the employee has a negative attitude towards their job, it shows the lack in their motivation which may cause them to be lazy when it
comes to work and they may not enjoy their job as much to an extent where they may even tell other employees to do the work for them, this therefore shows how important it is for employees to have a positive work attitude otherwise they could also risk losing their job.
General attributes: Planning skills
Planning is the thinking skill that helps an employee develop strategies to accomplish goals. It helps the employee to think about how to complete a task before attempting to begin it. If an employee wants to create a program then the employee needs to plan beforehand in order to have a rough idea of what they would want to include in the program, without planning it becomes very difficult because if you have a certain deadline you have to meet and you haven’t really planned on how you’re going to fulfil the current task successfully then it may become very difficult because the employee will not have a plan that he/she can refer to which therefore forces the employee to think on the spot and work at the same time, if there is a problem in the task that the employee would like to do then it will also be very difficult because the employee will not be able to overcome the problem simply due to not having planning skills. Employers would want an employee to be good at planning because it makes the employee more organised in what they want to do and they won’t have to worry as much. This highlights the importance of good planning skills.
General attributes: Organisational skills.
Organisational skills are one of the most important skills an employee can acquire. They surpass a set of capabilities that help a person to plan, prioritise, and achieve his or her goals. The ability to keep work organised allows workers to focus on different projects without getting lost, this allows them to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Managers look for employees who can not only keep their work and their desk organised, but for those who can also adjust quickly to the organised structure of a company. Staying organized in the workplace can save a company time and money. Organisational skills are important for multitasking as you are focused on more than one tasks as well as keeping a business running smoothly and successfully. If an employee lacks organisational skills, then this may affect the company because the employee isn’t able to work according to their structure because the employee may find it hard to solve it one at a time each. Employers aim to recruit applicants who can work to achieve results consistently, even when unforeseen delays or problems arise. Workers with strong organisational skills are able to structure their schedule, boost productivity, and prioritize tasks that must be completed immediately versus those that can be postponed, given to another person, or eliminated altogether.
General attributes: Time management skills.
Time management is the process of organising and planning on how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables the employee to work smarter and not necessarily harder so that the employee can get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time damages the employee’s effectiveness and causes a lot of stress. Time is a special resource that the employee cannot store or save for later because every employee gets the same amount of time each day and if the employee struggles to manage his/her time then this time can never be retrieved. Time management helps employees become more productive as it helps them reduce wasted time and energy, it enables the employee to do the right thing at the right time which leads to more balance and fulfilment in the life of the employee. This attribute is valued by employers because they want an employee who knows what he/she is doing because the company may have difficult tasks that are difficult to complete in a short space of time, so if the employee matches the employer’s criteria then the employee is fit for the job, another reason is that if there is an important meeting, then the employee would know that this meeting is important and would attend without being late
General attributes: Team working skills
Team working is one of the main attributes that are valued by employers and there are various reasons for it such as employers look for employees that can work and communicate well with other employees at the organisation. Even though some people work better by working by themselves; people who don’t like noises and interruptions while they are working, employers would value people who can sit together as a team and work well with each other. The main advantage of working in a team is that it makes the work much easier and this is because many employees can be more intelligent than each other, this also helps finish the task much quicker. Every team member has a specific role to play and it is important that each team member understands their responsibilities well which is much valued and appreciated by many employers. Once an employee successfully finishes the task that has been set for the team and it has been finished by the deadline, it motivates every single team member to do well at other tasks that are going to be set by the employer. Team working also includes good communication skills as you are working as a team, you need to keep up to date with what other team members are doing as well as letting them know what you are doing. Good communication is much needed to fulfil this task which would also be a valued by the employer as they would want to know that their employees can work well together as a team getting all tasks completed.
General attributes: Verbal skills
Effective verbal communication skills include more than just talking. Verbal communication encompasses both how the employee delivers messages and how they receive them. Communication is a soft skill and it is something that is important to every employer. Workers who can convey information clearly and effectively are highly valued by employers. Employees who can interpret messages and act appropriately on the information that they receive have a better chance of excelling on to a better position in the job. What causes effective verbal communication on the job depends on the relationships between communication partners and the work context. Verbal communication in a work setting takes place between many different individuals and groups such as co-workers, bosses subordinates, employees, customers, clients, teachers students, speakers and their audiences. Verbal communication occurs in many different contexts including training sessions, presentations, group meetings, performance appraisals, one-on-one discussions, interviews, disciplinary sessions, sales pitches and consulting engagements.
General attributes: Effective written communication
Effective written communication is an important aspect of the IT industry because it sends messages that are flat, lacking other elements of communication such as tone of voice, a person's body language and gestures. Written communication is so important that it is not possible to think of a business organisation without it. The working of any organisation depends to a large extent on the exchange of letters, reports and much more. There are a variety reasons for it. And the most important reason is that face-to-face communication is not always possible because the workers of an organisation may be spread over widely spread geographical distances. This therefore allows employees to depend on exchange of letters.
Modern technological distances have not decreased the importance of letters. Modes of transmission have changed. But written communication remains as important as ever. It provides the company records and references on which important decisions to make. It builds up the legal defences of the organisation through records, letters, instructions etc. It also promotes uniformity of policy and procedure and builds up
proper guidelines for the working of the organisation. Written communication also builds up the image of the company. This attribute is valued by employers because the employers need to make sure that the written messages that the employee sends to the recipient must be able to understand what the sender is trying to say and not get the wrong idea as this could cause mistakes.
General attributes: Numeracy skills.
Even though certain jobs require a high degree of mathematical skills, all jobs want to employ a person who has atleast a good level of numeric skills. This is essential and there are many reasons for it such as calculation. This is really important as the calculations have to be accurate. You must at least be able to use a calculator and to check your working by estimating the answer. You will also come across times where you have to analyse a data and this is when your numeric skills will be tested. If an employee struggles with basic numeric skills, then they may struggle with basic calculations and this may make their job harder for them to an extent where they may always require help from others instead of working independently. Numeracy skills are much valued by the employers as they know that the staff they are recruiting have a good knowledge of all subjects including maths being one of the main important one.
General attributes: Creativity
Creativity is about the use of imagination or original ideas to create something, when an employee is creative, this means that new ideas are brought forward and can help avoid being stuck to the same ideas all the time, even by creativity, a person can change the way the world works. If an employee has a job which involves teaching to a group of people and it involves a lot of talking, the employee has to be creative in order to help the other people listening stay motivated in listening and doing tasks properly throughout the motivation they have. Employers would value someone who is creative because the employee can help think of ways to solve problems which means less stress and less thinking. In IT Creative skills are also important with design in companies. Creative skills can be used to present more exciting presentations and help design more attractive websites. Companies highly regard creative skills when they are re-branding and changing their company as this can make the company more appealing to the new customers. Employees need to be able to present their creativity to succeed in business. For some people, it takes time for good and original ideas to present themselves.
Attitudes: Determined
Being determined is about having that positive feeling towards your role, an employee that is determined will prevent him/her from giving up and will allow them to always continue what they are doing without fail. There are certain attitudes that a person may not have or find it difficult to learn but to overcome it and be determined to work at the best of your ability is what the employers look for which is also much valued by them. Another reason why employers want determined workers is because they want the best employees working at their organisation and the people who are determined are tend to work really hard while they are at work which is appreciated and valued by the employer as they wouldn't want to hire people who have the knowledge but only there to make money. This is why they prefer to have people who have the knowledge and at the same time enjoy their work as they work better if they enjoy what they are doing.
Attitudes: Independent
Being independent is being able to complete tasks by yourself, it is good in a business environment, as this allows for one to go away and complete tasks with minimal input from bosses, supervisors and colleagues. Being independent will also increase job satisfaction, as tasks are by the person, without any or much external input, hence satisfaction for the employee. Being independent will also ensure that there is only one person to a job – this means that others can spend time completing their own work rather than anyone else’s, also meaning that all employees are paid fairly. independence will also mean that the employee will be able to complete work quicker, as there will not have to be someone guiding them throughout the duration of the task, therefore increasing productivity for the company.
Attitudes: Integrity
A sense of integrity is essential in most jobs. Employees must be trustworthy and honest if they wish to perform well in their job. An honest and trustworthy employee can be relied upon by the employer to always tell the truth even in circumstances where it may seem very difficult. By having a sense of integrity employees gain the trust of the people around them. This is crucial for employees in a position of leadership as it allows people who look up to the leader to trust them. Integrity make individuals makes them responsible for their decisions and actions.
In an IT company, integrity is important because it allows the people around them to be truthful and honest about what is happening in the company. For example, an IT technician would need to be honest and trustworthy as possible when diagnosing and repairing the company’s computers. If there was a problem that they had trouble solving, the technicians would be trusted to find another way to resolve the problem. Another reason why integrity is important is because when it comes to sales of products or services, the employees have to be honest about the performance of the product to gain the trust of the customer, if a customer was sold a product under false information and claims then the company could be sued and would lose customers. By having a sense of integrity, the employer will trust the employee to represent the company and be a good ambassador which could potentially increasing profit and growth.
Attitudes: Tolerance
Tolerance is about being able to work with the different type of people you meet, when an employee is working in an office environment, the employees need to be tolerant towards the people surrounding them if they want to perform well in their job. A tolerant person is someone who is able to accept that some people are different and that they have different views, different skills and different levels of performance.
When working in a team, the leader must be tolerant when working closely with colleagues of different abilities. They should support other co-workers that may be below them and are having trouble with their work and ensure that they able to complete their work. But employees that take up a role of authority, should be able to show no tolerance in situations where one person puts other people in danger. In IT, employees need to be tolerant as there are many people with different skill sets and personalities and not everyone is at the same level as each other. Employees are working closely among co-workers that they may not get along with, but they must be tolerant because having a job is all about meeting different people and employees need to understand that they will work with someone like themselves so it is vitally important to work with them to ensure the company’s success.
Attitudes: Dependable
One of the most important attitudes an employer looks for is dependability. Dependable is about being trustworthy and reliable. The employee needs to be dependable if they wish to perform well in their job, the main reason why employers look for a dependable employee is because it shows the employer that they can rely on the employee to complete their work before a deadline. Dependability can also show an employer that an employee is committed and reliable. A committed employee works hard and is someone who does their job well. they strive and work very hard for the success of the company.
In IT dependability is important because work needs to be of a good quality to ensure that systems are functioning correctly. People who work in IT are relied upon to fix any proble
ms regarding technology in a company. An employee could be relied upon to fix a certain problem that is specific to their skills, so the company relies on them to ensure the company’s systems are fixed. When working in a team in IT, certain people are depended upon because of their skills. Employers want a worker who is reliable, good at time keeping and does what they are expected to do without complaint.
Attitudes: Problem solving
Problem solving is the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. Problem solving is a highly regarded skill in any job that an employee is looking for. Employees need to be able to see the problems and work out the solutions with an open-mind. If an employee assumes that a problem is impossible can possibly lead to failure due to the mind-set they had, but if the employee believes that they can find a solution and continues to work towards the problem with a positive mind-set, this can often lead to success. Employers want employees with good problem solving skills because there are always problems that need to be resolved in businesses. Businesses look for employees who have different ways of solving problems because some problems aren't always straight forward to solve. By having multiple solutions, there is the potential to save money with a solution that is cheaper and easier to resolve than others.
Problem-solving skills are well sought after in IT because the employee must be able to analyse the system they are working with, work out what the problem is, how to solve it and be able to explain communicate with those around them so that the problem can be fixed. In IT, there are often little problems that affect the company and need to be resolved. Having good problem-solving skills could help work out a solution that ensures that these problems do not occur again. If someone is not able to solve problems, then that is a problem itself because they will struggle and may even stress as every job will always come with a problem and it’s all down to the employee with the way they go about the problem
Attitudes: Leadership
Leadership is about leading a group of people or an organisation. Leadership skills allows an employee to work as a team or to manage a team effectively. Good leadership skills also allow the team to work effectively. Leadership skills are required for jobs in Network Management because technicians will be working as part of the team, meaning that the employee has to allocate tasks, ensure that they are being completed and then give feedback to technicians to make sure that the task has been done to a high standard, and that any problems have been solved.
Leadership skills enables one to manage people within an organisation, this skill would be required for jobs like ‘Head of ICT’, or a ‘Network Manager’ position. A person with this skill should be able to manage teams of people and to properly delegate tasks, this person will also be able to see what all people are doing at the same time, watching over progress as it happens, knowing what has been done and what needs to be done. This skill is valued by employers because they always need an employee who is responsible for him/herself and others to get the job done. Someone who does not have this skill may make the job very difficult because the employee will struggle to manage the team effectively causing problems and delays as they will not be able to allocate tasks properly.
Attitudes: Confidence
Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can have faith in. This is important because if you have confidence, you will not be worried that you will be unable to complete the work given to you. This shows that one is a valued employee because if they can complete the work that has been assigned with confidence, they will also be reliable. It is also important to be confident because it shows that the employee is able to perform confidently in front of a group of people when presenting work. This is important because an employee will sometimes be asked to do a presentation in front of a group of people, or even when working with other members and talking to them, so this therefore shows having the confidence to do so will allow the employee to present and communicate calmly and clearly.
If you there is a lack of confidence, the employee will most likely be not able to solve a problem and there are several reasons why this may happen. One of the reasons why this might happen is the bravery and courage, due to their confidence, they may not be able to try the best strategy that they may have. There will be difficulty during presentation of work and communication with other members. This can be a real problem if they are seeking a job the employers would definitely not prefer workers who have a lack of confidence. This also decreases a chance of getting the job in the first place!
Attitudes: Self – motivation
People with self-motivation can find a reason and strength to complete a task, even when it is challenging without giving up or needing another person to encourage them. This allows for one to work independently and to get work done, as motivation is the key to the completion of tasks and objectives. If a person is motivated they will work much harder and faster, meaning that tasks are complete to a high standard in a short amount of time which will also bring efficiency for the company. In the IT industry there’s a lot of work which involves using a computer and sitting at it for long periods of time, so being self – motivated will help the employee push him/herself in to carrying on with the work.
if a person is self – motivated, the chances are that this person will be able to complete work each and every day, therefore this sort of person would be valuable to the company or business, as there would be less time spent trying to get people to start working, and more time, and money in fact spent in other areas that may need it more.
Unit 1 Task 2
Explain the principles of effective communication.
What is effective communication?
Effective communication is a key interpersonal skill and learning how we can improve our communication has many benefits. Communication is a two-way process, so improving communication involves both how we send and receive messages.
General communication skills: Cultural differences
Cultural differences are all about working with an audience or people from different backgrounds, not everyone will be the same in their accent and their style. When working in the IT industry, it is very likely that people will be communicating across the world, this therefore shows that the employee must be ready to get used to working with different type of people, some of these people will have different accents and different religions. People with different religions will have different beliefs so this may require them to leave during work hours to go and practice or worship, this means that the business and employees must acknowledge that this cultural difference can affect the communication between these people, so the IT industry must be able to find an alternative way to communicate when time is needed.
Employees need to consider that the fact that when they are communicating with these people, they must use appropriate language which is befitting for the communication period, this means that the employees must not use slang or certain words as the people with different backgrounds may not understand, the words can be misinterpreted and misunderstood to the extent that it may be found as offensive. Employers value employees who have this type of communication skill as they need people who are able to understand other people because the company could mainly be about working with others from different countries so it is vitally important that the employee is ready to work despite the different accents, styles and religious views.
General communication skills: Adapting
Being able to understand the audien
ce’s background is important because it allows the addresser to adapt to suit the audience they are addressing. The way a person communicates depends on the audience whether they come from a different cultural background, how old they are or what their job is. These factors can affect the way an individual chooses to communicate.
For some audiences, the addresser could use a microphone, raise or modulate their voice to capture the interest of the audience. By using the voice to speak clearly it shows that the addresser is considering the needs and backgrounds of the audience and making communication clear between the two parties. Modulating the voice can make the audience more enthralled by the communication and the addresser. This can be used for young audiences or people hard of hearing.
Another way the addresser could adapt their communication with the audience is by being selective in terminology. This is a way to make everyone understand the message the addresser is communicating – for audiences that contain people from different sections of a company, the audience may find that they do not understand certain terminology. In IT industry communication often happens between technical and non-technical employees.
The people in IT need to be able to adapt the terminology so that people outside IT understand their message. If communicating with people in a team who use similar terminology, then the addresser need to be able to use key technical term and acronyms to get the message across in a way the team understands.
After adapting the form of communication that is used, the speaker needs to make sure the information they’re communicating is accurate. Accurate information can be what differentiates between a good communicator and a liar. Some people choose to use emotive or far-fetched statements that can leave the audience doubting whether the addresser is trustworthy or not. Speakers that use false statements to communicate can lose their credibility and the audience’s trust. By providing accurate information in the communication, it shows that the person is a trustworthy source and can set apart fact and opinion.