You Are the Employer

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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• Would you want someone who is consistently late and makes excuses for tardiness?
• Would you want someone creative but unorganized, or would you want someone who works well with others and thinks outside the box?

There are many things employers look for when hiring a new employee or volunteer; sometimes, it can be tough to decide who to hire.

What Is Skill?

A skill is something a person can do really well, like playing an instrument, solving math problems, or cooking a delicious meal. When it comes to being an employee, having skills means you have abilities that are useful for a job.

For example, if you’re good at talking to people, you might be great at a job in customer service. If you can fix computers, you could be valuable in a tech support role.

Employers look for people with the right skills because it means they can do the job well and help the company succeed. So, the more skills you have, the more likely you will get hired and do well at work.

Here are some other examples.

• math skills
• writing skills
• skills in organizing materials
• skills in organizing other people; a leader
• skills in talking with other people and communicating effectively

What Is Quality?

Quality, when talking about a person, means their good traits or characteristics. These are things like being honest, hardworking, or friendly.

For an employee, having good qualities means they have positive traits that make them great to work with. For example, if someone is dependable, they always show up on time and do their job well. If someone is a good team player, they work well with others and help everyone succeed.

Employers want people with good qualities because they will be trustworthy, work well with others, and help the company improve. So, having good qualities makes a person more desirable as an employee.

Here are some other examples.

• honest
• positive
• caring
• imaginative, creative

What Is Behavior?

Behavior is how a person acts or behaves. It includes the things they say and do.

In a job, good behavior means acting in a way that helps everyone get along and get work done. For example, being polite to others, following the rules, and working hard are all examples of good behavior.

Employers look for employees with good behavior because it makes the workplace better and more productive. If you behave well at work, it shows that you respect others and take your job seriously, which makes you more desirable as an employee.

Here are some other examples.

• always on time
• focuses consistently on the task
• only takes breaks as agreed upon
• helps others as needed with their tasks

Brainstorm a few qualities, skills, and personal behaviors you would want in an employee.

Then, continue to the Got It? section to practice rating job candidates.