5 must-have personality traits that drive productivity

5 must-have personality traits that drive productivity

Cultivating a positive workplace environment is not something achieved by a select few – everyone brings something of their own to the table. Forgive the cliché, but the modern office space is such a hive of activity that it is almost impossible for it to be led by a single presence. Everyone pitches in.

And, if your business is to reap the sweet benefits of growth, increased revenue and industry recognition then the employer must embrace this. Personalities are what make a successful business tick – for better or worse.

So, in the spirit of diversity, we have been in touch with a few industry leaders and business professionals to get the lowdown on what personalities shine most in the office environment.

1. Don’t worry, be happy

Positivity! Every officpexels-photo-29594e has that shining beacon of positivity, and some are lucky enough to have more than one. Again, this is something more employers should recognise. Happiness at work equals productivity; a brand new survey from employee services provider Personal Group proves that happy workers are 12% more productive.

Happiness at work can be influenced by a number of factors, from pay to how the office itself is designed.

Commenting is Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of recruitment experts CV Library. Having helped countless professionals into their jobs, Lee is more than familiar with office personalities and what best influences a workplace:

“Our research found that there are certain personality traits that UK professionals would most like to see in their colleagues. At the top of the list was positivity, with 48.1% of workers rating this as the trait that they would like to see in their colleagues. This was followed by honesty (42.1%), approachability (41.5%) and a sense of humour (38.3%).

“What all of these traits have in common is a theme of openness and support. Clearly, UK workers want to find themselves in a workplace where people are able to express their opinions withou
t fear of unjust negativity.”

From Lee’s experience, positivity is almost an ‘umbrella’ trait which envelops related aspects:

Being positive in the workplace can only help breed success across the workforce. Alongside this, being honest and approachable means that co-workers are happy and confident to approach you with new ideas as well as any concerns they may have.

“Finally, a sense of humour is highly desirable; while we of course all need to knuckle down and work hard, being able to have a laugh with your colleagues is just as important to help maintain morale within the workplace.”

2. Creativity is unique

Our minds work differently, and we often approach problems from different angles – this is all to do with creativity. Creative minds are best creativeput to use in collaboration with others, as ideas bounce off one another and become industry-leading campaigns (or are retired to the wastepaper bin, as some are).

Because, while success might be reflected in profit margins and ROIs, they only exist because of brave, bold ideas. Good ideation processes will always uncover the creative minds of your workplace, so employers should be taking the time to engender a positive, creative environment in order for talent to flourish.

3. We all appreciate punctuality

Being on time is an understated, often-overlooked aspect which gets far less credit than deserved. It goes for anything – cpexels-photo-196656oming into work on time, delivering tasks and respecting deadlines.

If your business is reliant on timing, then this can be even more important. Working in digital, for example, may require you to provide reactive comment on industry developments or events in the media.

It’s not only important within the team, it’s great for meeting clients and ensuring that you make a good impression at job interviews.

4. Let’s not forget about integrity

Integrity relates to so much withpexels-photo-271560in the workplace; have you ever taken credit for someone else’s work? Maybe you’ve witnessed something untoward but have neglected to tell anyone.

Honesty and trust are central to integrity, and its ethical foundations within work must not be underestimated. It is also closely aligned to passion – how much you know about your industry depends on the amount of work you have put in and your genuine interest in the business.

Commenting is Marcus Franck, Founder of start-up business Franck Energy:

“For me, the most desirable trait of a co-worker is integrity. When we’re looking for new team members at Franck Energy, we look for people that are genuinely passionate about environmental issues and understand the context in which we work.

“I don’t mind if a co-worker isn’t completely clued-up on a certain topic, but genuine honesty and curiosity goes a long way.”

5. Passion pays

Having a passion for what you do is crucial, not only for personal fulfilment (everyone wants to enjoy what they do) but career advancement, too. Whatever industry you are in, a love of the business will stand you in good stead for success.

Maybe you are a design-head, and live for creating websites. Have you always had a way with words? Copywriting should be right (or, write?) up your street. Either way, passion is a list-topping priority for most recruiters and is most certainly something fellow colleagues will want to see.

To get more information, we spoke with Craig Hall, Operations Director at digital marketing agency Glass Digital. According to Craig, passion is a powerful personality trait to possess:

“Digital marketing is a young industry, so it can be difficult to hire experienced staff. That’s why we place huge emphasis on the right personality traits when hiring. The most important thing is passion and focus, as a lack of enthusiasm often translates into poor productivity.

This is not just passion for the business, either. Passion for self-improvement, pro-active goal setting and practicing your craft is a brilliant by-product of passionate employees.

“We also look out for people who are fast learners, because best practice is constantly changing in our industry. For the same reason, staff must be able to identify their own weaknesses and have the desire to develop their own knowledge and skills.”

These traits run through most businesses, and should be valued for their contributions to the wider organisation. As proven, happiness goes hand-in-hand with productivity, and success. If you’re looking for an office refurbishment to help boost productivity, we can help. Get in touch today.

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