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Hiring the right person for a job usually includes determining the necessary skills. Whether it’s language needs or computer proficiency, we look for those who have developed their skills for the workplace. However, a skilled employee does not necessarily provide other attributes that make a difference in your franchise success.
Not all helpful (or problematic) traits are easy to pinpoint during an interview, but if you see these positive characteristics in an existing employee, pay attention. The person who demonstrates these abilities has a way of keeping things positive and moving forward.
- Addressing Conflict Comes Easily. Of course, you don’t want someone who causes conflict, but it is important to address disagreements and issues. An exceptional employee will remain logical and reasonable in an adverse situation, calmly seeking resolutions without feeling targeted themselves. Even the most difficult coworker is addressed rationally to find ways to compromise and find resolutions to a problem. They deftly make your organization better with judicious problem-solving.
- They Do Their Job and More. The employee who will help grow your franchise does whatever needs doing, and they do it without expecting anything in return. Instead, they strive for long haul rewards because they feel confident that it will happen if they stay focused on the business’s best interests, not their own.
- Accountability for Improvement is Important to Them. Everyone makes mistakes occasionally. The employee who benefits your franchise most will readily admit it and seek to make improvements. Likewise, when this same employee challenges decisions or brings up the white elephant in the room, they do it with grace and within the context of improving the overall organization. They think like owners and act to improve ownership success. Sometimes, that means taking initiative to voice concerns or to simply improve a storage room layout. Both show real concern for the good health of your franchise.
- Priorities Matter. Keeping a clear head involves prioritizing. In any franchise, there will be days of distractions and chaos, broken tools and cranky customers. The employee who helps you most is the one who keeps the primary objective clear and can quickly prioritize changing needs. By discerning between inconveniences and real problems, the valuable employee keeps the business moving forward in the most efficient way. They stay tuned to the most important need, not necessarily the loudest issue.
- They Represent Well. The employee who can be respected by various levels is a valuable one. When others like him and naturally look to him for ideas and leadership, it is because they demonstrate integrity and leadership ability within the organization. Outside the organization, they also can be trusted to represent your franchise brand at meetings with clients or vendors.
It’s not always business skills and years of experience that will help your organization most. Be sure to keep an eye out for the employees who embody these other abilities. They are the ones who will grow your franchise.
Anne Daniells is a co-owner of Enterprising Solutions, a professional services firm specializing in corporate communication and financial improvement for businesses where she shares decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience—including franchise ownership—in her writings on business culture. She has authored hundreds of articles for publications including AllBusiness.com, TweakYourBiz.com, and MSN.com. Reach out via her website for more on where corporate culture, communication, and human architecture collide.