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Five Key Traits of Exemplary Employees

How Top Workers Can Take Your Company To The Next Level
Exemplary Employees

Exemplary, exceptional, outstanding. Every employer dreams of having at least one extraordinary employee, a person who is driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence.

How valuable are these employees? Priceless: not only for their work ethic but for the inspiration they can provide—they lead by example. If you want to harness the power of your stellar performers, read on, as we explore the world of exemplary employees and the five traits that fuel their need to succeed. 

Seeking the Best
As the U.S. economy improves, ongoing recovery depends on a continuing drop in unemployment and a rise in payroll. The end of 2014 saw a surge in new hires, the largest over the last three years, and both employers and employees had reason to rejoice. Job seekers were no longer forced to take any job to pay the rent or mortgage, and employers were no longer willing to settle for less to fill the ranks. This increase in stability also allowed companies to reevaluate their needs, and to seek out top notch talent.

So how can businesses attract these highly-valued associates or hold on to their best workers? By understanding what makes them tick. According to experts, articles, and a few recent books, top performers often have several qualities in common, distilled here into five tenets for success.

Drive & Initiative
Changes in technology, the workplace, and the economy mean there’s rarely such a thing as a traditional nine-to-five job anymore. But exemplary employees consistently go above and beyond, according to Dr. Robert J. Cerfolio, a thoracic surgeon and author of Super Performing at Work and At Home (River Grove, 2014).

Cerfolio believes the primary difference between a good and an outstanding employee is that the job doesn’t end when the worker walks out of the office. Outstanding employees are always thinking ahead: “They get home and they’re already preparing for the next day.”

Continual Learning
Great employees are almost never satisfied knowing just enough to do their jobs. They want to know everything there is to know about a product, customer, or service, and are always asking questions to further develop their skills and abilities.

According to Matt Mandel, vice president of sales and marketing for Nogales, AZ-based SunFed, this thirst for knowledge means treating the workplace like a schoolroom. “I’ve always had the mindset of a teacher, and appreciate this quality in others,” he explains. “With the constant ebb and flow of workloads, the ability to teach and help others ends up helping everyone in the end.”

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