top 10 skills

TOP10SKILLS

EMPLOYERS

2014

Based on Nace’s Job Outlook 2014 survey

ARE LOOKING FOR

10. Ability to Influence OthersInfluence is defined as the ability to be a compelling force on the actions of others.

Managers and employees alikeuse influence in leading teams, presenting a project ideaor selling a product to a potentialcustomer.

9. Report WritingAn employee’s ability to create and editwell-structured, concise, and unambiguousreports is absolutely essential indata tracking, analysis, and presentation.

Report Examples:• Sales Reports• Budget Allocations• General Ledger Entries• Business Planning• Marketing Reports

8. Computer Software Proficiency

Computers are an integral part of mostemployee’s day-to-day work.It is a vital skill to know how to usea wide range of programs and when touse each one.

Employees with specialized software usage knowledge can often command higher compensation owing to their ability to maintain critical systems and produce valuable information from large amounts of data.

7. Job–Specific Knowledge

Computers are an integral part of mostemployee’s day-to-day work.It is a vital skill to know how to usea wide range of programs and when touse each one.

Employees with specialized software usage knowledge can often command higher compensation owing to their ability to maintain critical systems and produce valuable information from large amounts of data.

6. Analytical Ability

Quantitative analytical ability hasbecome a crucial skill in the age ofbig data.

Employees with analytical abilities are able to:1. Identify business questions, 2. identify the data

needed to answer those questions3. Extract and summarize, manipulate, and present data

in such a way that allows business decisions to be made

5. Data Collection & ProcessingKnowing where to collect data, how to collect data, and how to processdata.

Producing meaning full businessintelligence using reliable data sourcesallows management make important business decisions.

4. Verbal CommunicationEffective verbal communicationallows employees to contributeactionable ideas, new projects, and personal opinions.

Effective Verbal Communication includes:Appropriate languageClear & Audible voiceCourteous toneActive listeningAsking questions or rephrasing

3. Organizational SkillsThe ability to plan, organize, andprioritize work, allows employeesto complete work with improvedquality and speed, leaving moretime for the employee to take onmore work or take on personalprojects that are beneficial to thecompany.

2. Problem Solving & Decision MakingIn a business environment problemsappear sporadically, and unpredictably.

Companies need employees who canquickly respond to problems, bydevising solutions and decidingthe best course of action to take.

1. TeamworkEmployees who have the ability to work in teams:• Work Efficiently by effectively

distributing workload and taking advantage of each member’s strengthsa team is able to complete more work inless time.

• Improve Organizational Cohesion by building strong relations with and between co-workers

• Learn More – Working effectively in teams gives employees access to the knowledge and skills of more experienced co-workers or co-workers in an entirely different field.