Five Tips to Develop a Strong Work Ethic
November 28th, 2016After updating your resume, drafting a great cover letter and performing some mock interviews, what else can you do to prepare yourself for the job interview? The single thing you can do is to brush up on your soft skills, especially the skill of having a solid work ethic.
Why Is a Strong Work Ethic So Important?
A work ethic is a set of moral principals an employee uses in his job. A hiring manager really cannot detect someone’s work ethic from a resume or even a well-crafted cover letter. Ideally, human resources professionals and hiring managers can pick up on someone’s work ethic during the job interview.
For example, when you interview with ABR, these are the work ethic characteristics we — and our clients — are looking for in the people we hire. We call them our Expectations of Excellence:
- Trustworthy – you are honest, dependable, obey rules and company policies
- Respectful – you show consideration for others; treat co-workers, supervisors and ABR staff with respect
- Responsible – you demonstrate self-control, are accountable for their actions, and respond to disagreements and criticism calmly
- Reliable – you have a good work history and attendance record, are on-time for work and are hard working
- Professional – you follow supervisor instructions; refrain from using inappropriate language and dress appropriately
The Components of a Strong Work Ethic and Some Tips to Help You Develop One
In addition to our Expectations of Excellence, here are examples of other strong work ethic traits employers desire in their employees:
- Commitment
- Determination
- Accountability
- Humility
- Problem-Solving
- Organization
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Time Management
You can develop each of these attributes with understanding, practice and commitment to adopting them permanently to succeed in your next job and throughout your career. Try to work in a few—or all—of the following five tips to improve your work ethic before your next job interview:
- Arrive Early to Practice Being On Time. To account for unpredictable elements, such as a late bus or a traffic jam, plan to leave home early. It is better to have some time to kill before work starts than to need to apologize for leaving your desk unattended at your scheduled arrival time.
- Work on Self-Discipline. Strong self-discipline can help you improve your work ethic on several fronts, including refraining from using your cell phone during work hours, showing up on time, staying for the duration of your shift each day, and completing deadlines on time and without procrastination.
- Cultivate a Positive Attitude. An upbeat and positive approach to work spirals out and affects everyone around you, generating a pleasant work atmosphere. Once you practice maintaining a positive attitude, you will find that it makes the workplace warm and welcoming.
- Maintain Humility and a Good Sense of Humor About Yourself. Even when receiving praise for a job well done, stay humble and gracious. Your employer, co-workers and customers will appreciate your continuing positive work ethic without a hint of inflated ego.
- Respect Others and Yourself. No matter how charged the environment, how angry a customer, or how monumentally poorly someone else does their job that might affect yours, maintain a strong sense of respect. Practice diplomacy under duress, as well as under regular circumstances, and everyone around you will take note and appreciate it.
Reach Out for Professional Advice
You do not have to figure it all out on your own. You can develop and sharpen your work ethic with some help and feedback to ensure you are on the right path to developing a lifelong soft skill any employer will consider a treasure. Contact any ABR office and we’ll connect you with tools to help you polish your work ethic.