Exceptional Employees Share These 3 Traits. Here’s How to Spot Them in an Interview.

With all the technology advances available to help a business gain efficiencies and grow, the most important asset remains its people. Strong skill sets, educational backgrounds and experience play a role in finding the right employees, but today’s environment has changed.

The exceptional employees are those who are strategic thinkers, communicators and collaborators. 

Taking a strategic view

For a business to thrive, you want employees who can look beyond their immediate tasks and roles, consider what is happening in the marketplace (even what could happen) and assess how a shift could impact the company’s mission. Strategic thinkers anticipate market shifts, adopt a proactive approach to solving issues and ensure operations align with long-term goals. They are asking “why?” and “what if?” and then figuring out the “how.”

These are people you want helping you make informed decisions on why and how to move forward, whether it’s elevating an existing service, coming up with better or new products, enhancing the customer journey or seeking operational efficiencies. They are the team that helps you bring your vision to life. 

When interviewing people, go beyond their CVs. Ask them how they have contributed to a previous employer’s overall success and listen to how they answer this question. For example, a COO may explain that a process was causing delays, which spurred an effort to create a new workflow to improve efficiency. While that demonstrates strong execution, the focus was on solving an immediate operational issue.

Strategic thinkers, on the other hand, look beyond the process itself and consider broader business implications. They recognize that changing customer expectations, competitive pressures or future growth plans could make existing operations unsustainable. Rather than simply fixing the issue at hand, they evaluate how operational improvements can support long-term business objectives, improve the customer experience, reduce costs and position the company for future growth. The difference lies not just in addressing what is happening now but in anticipating what may happen next and getting the organization ready for what’s to come.

Communication masters

Communication is key in any organization and is necessary to get everyone on board and on the same page. Those who communicate clearly, provide constructive feedback, and are transparent build trust and foster champions within the organization to move ahead with proposed plans or changes. Strong communication aligns all stakeholders, mitigates and resolves conflicts, and keeps everyone in the organization motivated and informed. 

Keeping people in the dark or sending mixed messages only serves to generate rumors, a sense of uneasiness and instability, and an environment of mistrust. 

A good communicator presents ideas confidently, actively listens and invites questions during conversations. For instance, let’s say your company is launching a new technology platform. Rather than just announcing the platform change and expecting employees to get on board, a strong communicator will explain the change, the benefits of the new platform in supporting the business’s goals and the transition process.

Effective communication also involves engaging in discussion, encouraging employees to ask questions, addressing concerns and providing status updates. When employees understand why the change is happening, they will be more likely to support it and engage throughout the implementation phase. 

During the interview process, be aware of how candidates address change, the tone they use and whether they listen.

Let’s collaborate: We’re in this together

Strong team players help elevate performance and encourage the professional development of those with whom they work. They create an environment where ego is put aside, and knowledge and resources are shared. Collaboration is welcome, and a safe environment is cultivated where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, no matter how outside the box they may be. A strong team player also gives credit where credit is due. 

One company I work with has what’s called “Weekly Wins,” where the heads of each department submit one or two wins their teams have achieved. Each win is explained along with who was responsible for achieving it. Sometimes, the win is a collaborative effort, while other wins are individual. They are all shared, and the organization regularly celebrates its successes, both small and big. 

To find and add team players to your organization, look for candidates who use “we” rather than “I” when discussing accomplishments and are eager to credit their colleagues’ contributions.

Additional traits of exceptional employees

Exceptional employees are also adaptable in fast-paced environments, able to pivot when needed, embrace innovation and adopt new technologies and processes to remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve.

They continually want to learn and improve, acquiring new skills and keeping up to date with market trends. They are also adept at problem-solving and can take ownership of their work, including their failures. 

Finding exceptional employees

Bringing in employees who master strategic thinking, communication and collaboration is one of the most direct investments a company can make in its own success.

During the interview process, each candidate should meet directly with the hiring manager, who assesses collaboration skills and strategic thinking, before that evaluation goes to a single senior leader for final sign-off. There is no need to cycle candidates through multiple members of the leadership team.

The companies that get hiring right do not leave it to chance. With a streamlined process, clear criteria and the right people in the room, you build a team that drives the business forward.