Tips to Increasing Your Value in the Workplace

Whether you’re looking to move up the corporate ladder or establish yourself in a new job, there are certain behaviors that can help demonstrate your value to an employer. One of most important is showing consistency in workplace behaviors and attitudes. Sometimes this is demonstrated quietly as in how one employee treats other co-workers and other times it is by making oneself visible by volunteering for new tasks and showing an interest in the changes happening in the workplace and beyond.

Steps in the Right Direction
Consistency – Knowing what to expect from an employee and their performance is a reassuring element for an employer. Employees who demonstrate value in themselves and their work show a level of consistency in their work and attendance. Being able to count on someone means demonstrating consistency and responsibility each day.
Attitude – Having an evenness of attitude is a must. Employers look for employees who are even-keeled and who strive to not let a bad day get in the way of the job at hand. This doesn’t mean that someone can’t have a bad day now and then. It’s more a case of being honest and showing co-workers that a bad day will not get in the way of the mission. If a bad attitude is left unchecked, it can create situations that benefit no one.
Change – The ending of something always creates a change. Employers look for employees who are open to change and who are willing to advocate for things that go along with change. The ability to adapt includes demonstrating the positive elements, in effect becoming a positive mirror for others. Workers possessing a willingness and ability to adapt are increasingly valuable in work environments facing changes such as new technology, new customers or a new way of doing business.
Network – The old saying is often true, it is who you know. This can be in a positive sense, as in surrounding yourself with positive people who want to do good work or in a negative sense where laziness and pessimism run rampant. A network of the right people can also be invaluable to an employer when it comes time to hire. Having a good reputation at work also casts a positive halo on others within your sphere of influence.
Communicate – Knowing how to effectively get across your ideas in written and verbal form is an important way to stand out. Employers look for good communicators to share ideas and gain new contacts and business. Communication skills also include the importance of listening. Being a good listener for new ideas, to give advice or to provide a listening ear is a soft skill that’s invaluable.
Learning – A desire to keep learning by gaining new skills, looking for continuing education possibilities and keeping a varied reading list indicates a mind that never wants to stop learning. Along with acquiring new knowledge there is a potential to share this information in the workplace, demonstrating value and a desire to keep learning always.

This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City, a Kansas City employment agency that provides “Personnel Services with a Personal Touch.”