Top qualities of a good employee

What makes an employee “good” has evolved dramatically over time and is continuing to change rapidly – even in a matter of a few years. Companies have hired people who were perfect for their jobs at the time, but their qualities became obsolete as things evolved. Maybe they couldn’t keep up or just didn’t fit in anymore. 

To complicate matters, employers and employees don’t always agree on what makes a “good” worker – leading to mismatches in workplace expectations and satisfaction. 

These issues are frustrating – and they can put your business on the back foot. We’re here to help. 

In this guide, we explore what makes a good employee today – considering employer and employee perspectives for a complete picture. Additionally, we help you spot qualities that stand the test of time so you can hire people who’ll continue to thrive, no matter what.

The evolution of a "good employee"

Defining a “good employee” isn’t as straightforward as you’d think. 

First, what makes someone “good” has changed over the years. Ten years ago, employers prioritized highly specialized technical skills over anything else. According to an article published by the World Economic Forum, niche abilities like statistics analysis and data mining, middleware and integration software, and SEO/SEM marketing were the top skills that got people hired. 

In terms of soft skills, HR and hiring expert Yashna Wahal shared – 

Back in 2014, just after the Great Recession, companies placed high value on reliability, work ethic, and speedy execution to help them recover from the downturn. Basically, they wanted people who’d go above and beyond, and with stiff competition among candidates, job seekers had to oblige.

Today, things look very different. The rise of AI and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have put qualities like adaptability, tech-savviness, and emotional intelligence on the map.

What’s more – while employers once had all the power to define a "good employee," today, it’s more of a two-way street. Employees – especially Millennial and Gen Z workers – have their own definition of what makes a good employee. It's essential to get a holistic view and consider all these factors to attract and hire talent that truly stands out.

What makes a good employee today?

Here's what makes a good employee according to today's employers and workers: 

1. Digital literacy

2. Data literacy

3. AI proficiency

4. Creative thinking

5. Analytical thinking

6. Resilience and adaptability

7. Holistic competencies 

8. Ability to balance work and life

9. Meaningful work 

10. Communication skills

11. Honesty

12. Emotional intelligence

13. Growth mindset

14. Drive and proactivity

Let’s dive more into these below. 

The employer POV

Employees aren't considered “good” just for being nice or friendly. They must be good performers, drive results, and contribute to a company's overall success. So, there are various technical skills and abilities that today’s employers demand from good employees. 

Soft skills matter, too. The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2023 indicated that with evolving tech, economic, and environmental trends, a staggering 44% of employees' skills will be disrupted over the next five years. As such, employers are prioritizing soft skills, cognitive abilities, and personality traits – and expect these to stay critical over the next few years. 

Here are some hard and soft skills today’s employers want employees to have. 

Digital literacy

According to Forbes, digital literacy or tech-savviness stood out as one of the top ten in-demand skills for the next decade. Employees with digital literacy can easily learn, navigate, and effectively use devices, software apps, and other tools that are so important to business and collaboration today.  

Data literacy

The same Forbes piece emphasized the importance of data literacy as a top-ten skill. In a world where data is king, those with data literacy can gather, assess, and leverage data-based insights in a powerful and meaningful way – giving businesses a massive advantage. 

AI proficiency

According to another study by Forbes, which surveyed 500 British Businesses, over 70% of businesses believe AI (artificial intelligence) proficiency holds the greatest value in today's job market. Other tech skills like IT support and cybersecurity closely followed. 

In fact, the WEF report found that companies rank both AI and big data high in their skills strategies and plan to spend a significant amount of their reskilling efforts in these areas. 

Employees with AI proficiency aren’t all AI engineers or experts. Most are simply familiar with using AI and machine learning tools to enhance their jobs. 

💡 Did you notice?

Although the above hard skills sound very specific, they're all transferable skills that can be applied across multiple fields and industries. Employers are no longer looking for skills that are too niche and seem to have embraced the idea that change is inevitable. 

Creative thinking

Seventy-three percent of employers surveyed by the WEF stated that creative thinking – the ability to come up with innovative ways to improve processes and solve problems – would become more important as employers look to gain a competitive advantage in crowded markets. 

Analytical thinking

Employers want their workforce to be able to break down and analyze complex ideas and use the insights to make sound judgments. Sixty-three percent of employers claimed this was a core skill for their employees in 2023, and over 70% expect it to continue growing in importance. 

Resilience and adaptability 

Resilience is amongst the most sought-after employee qualities and will continue to be valuable in the future. Employees who can persevere and adapt to changing circumstances and unexpected challenges are highly valued, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Holistic competencies"

A study by Chan and colleagues found that employers scan graduates' resumes for what they call "holistic competencies" – broader skills they'd have developed through work placements and extra-curricular activities, like teamwork or problem-solving abilities. These are believed to be indicators of job-readiness. 

The employee POV

While the above coveted qualities and traits seem so obvious, many employees don't seem to be actively working to build them. For example, ADP, an HR management platform, found that only 19% of US workers are resilient. Aon, an HR consulting firm, found that only 30% of European employees are classed as resilient. 

Additionally, research showed that nearly a third of employees don't feel comfortable with creative thinking. 

There seems to be a discrepancy in what employers and employees view as good qualities to have at work. HR and hiring expert Wahal attributes this to the false consensus bias. 

Employees often think that companies have the same beliefs, preferences, and values as them. For example, today's workers might believe employers are looking for flexibility – for instance, the ability to strategically balance work with their personal errands – when in reality they want adaptability: the ability to work through changing situations. 

That said, it's still important for you to understand what employees view as good qualities in the workplace. Why? First, they're important to understanding and retaining your workforce. Second, they're already working on developing these qualities, so you should maximize these strengths to stay ahead of the curve. 

Here are two qualities that today's employees deem "good" but employers don't seem to include in their list of desired attributes. 

Ability to balance work and life  

According to Zippia, a recruitment platform, 90% of employees believe that balancing their work and personal commitments boosts their morale and makes them more productive. 

If you ask us, work-life balance is here to stay long term, and employees are genuinely working towards managing their time better. For instance: 

• More employees are setting boundaries at work but also in their personal lives. Additionally, employees are demanding flexible, hybrid, or remote work because they believe it makes them better employees. 

• Gartner's 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey found that 43% of employees felt flexible work helped them do better at work, and 30% said that less or no commute time enabled them to be more productive. 

• According to the Microsoft 2022 Work Trade Index, 53% of employees said that they prioritized their health and well-being more now than before the pandemic. 

Meaningful work

Recent research by the WEF found that the younger generation believes that good employees do meaningful work. This includes jobs that "bolster their skills and prospects while allowing them to contribute to a wider sense of purpose and impact on society." One study showed that 71% of Gen Z workers were willing to take pay cuts to do more meaningful work. 

As Gen Z continues to grow in numbers, this quality will continue to be important over the next few decades. 

The overlap

While employers and workers have their own perspectives on what makes a good employee, there are a few qualities both parties strongly agree on. If you ask us, these are the absolute non-negotiables when assessing your employees and candidates.  

Communication skills

Communication is the most in-demand skill of 2024. As we move toward an increasingly global working world and a shift to more remote and hybrid working, good communication skills are critical to being a good employee. 

Statistics show that employees also believe effective communication is essential to performance. Eighty-six percent of employees attribute workplace failures to poor communication, and 97% believe communication impacts their task efficacy. 

Honesty

According to the Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey, 96% of US job seekers believe that the ability to be honest with their managers is at least somewhat important, with 87% believing it helps with productivity and 82% believing it helps with employee loyalty. Additionally, over 60% said workers should feel comfortable discussing personal issues with their managers, especially when it affects their work.

Employers were on the same page. The same survey found that over half of hiring managers felt honest employees were more productive and had better morale. Ninety percent felt it fostered employee loyalty. 

Another study of accountants also found that employers wanted employees who displayed attitudes and behaviors like honesty, integrity, and conscientiousness. 

Emotional intelligence

Mental health and well-being are front and center today. As such, employers are increasingly considering emotional intelligence and empathy as key traits in good employees. 

Lauren Salton, Talent Acquisition Specialist at TestGorilla, shed some more light on this – 

A good employee would also be someone who has a level of empathy and understanding for the team around them. 

Not everyone is comfortable with talking in large groups or questioning decisions made, but being mindful of cultural differences and providing a safe space for those around you makes for a more open and productive environment to work in.

In a recent press release, Ernst and Young shared that 87% of workers believe empathy is key to building an inclusive environment. While the 1,000-employee study focused on empathy in leadership, results showed that empathy from both leaders and employees led to better efficiency, creativity, innovation, and other qualities of good employees. 

Growth mindset 

In the WEF's Future of Jobs survey, 67% of employers said they highly valued curiosity and the drive for lifelong learning in today's employees. With technology advancing at such a rapid speed, it's no surprise that companies want their employees to be open to learning new things and take proactive steps to upskill and reskill.   

Luckily, team members are on the same page. According to a report by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), today's employees are looking for ways to train and upskill themselves. 

Fifty-seven percent of them are even doing this independently of their employer, clearly indicating how important they believe this quality is.

Drive and proactivity

According to the WEF report, employee motivation – the drive to take initiative and get things done – also ranked as a core skill employers looked for last year. Nearly six in ten companies feel this will get increasingly important. 

Employers are struggling to come to terms with how Gen Z is reshaping the workplace. Many younger workers are considered "lazy," and the data shows they fuel their ambition through passion projects outside of work. But, HR and hiring expert Wahal challenges this notion. 

Are employees drawing boundaries at work? Yes. But does this mean they're not trying to stay proactive? No. In my experience, today's generation are self-starters. They value development, take active steps for promotions, ask for stretch assignments, and more. Contrary to popular belief, the drive still exists in good employees. You just need to know how to harness it.

Top tips to hire, measure, and retain good employees

Here's what you can do to hire good candidates, measure existing employees, and retain the best ones. 

Hire right

Define "good"

First, ensure you think carefully about what good means for you . Do you need someone adaptable, or is great communication most essential? It's not easy (or necessary) to find someone who ticks every single box, so focus on the qualities that matter most to your business, culture, and open roles. 

For example, you might not need construction workers to be skilled in AI. But you'd want them to be resilient, proactive, and tech-savvy so they can use construction software. 

Write clear and specific job descriptions

Craft detailed, skills-based job descriptions that avoid focusing on degrees and years of experience and instead outline the qualities you're looking for – including hard and soft skills and behavioral attributes. Otherwise, you could, for instance, hire someone from an Ivy League college who lacks adaptability, emotional intelligence, or honesty. 

Use multi-measure talent assessments

Romina da Costa, Director of IP development at TestGorilla, rightfully reminded us that – 

A good employee brings to the table not only strong technical skills but also soft skills like adaptability, open-mindedness, and strong interpersonal abilities. They are not just able to do the job, but they also align with the company’s values, show a growth mindset, and consistently deliver results. 

That’s why you should screen applicants with multi-measure skills tests that assess them on multiple levels, including hard skills, soft skills, cognitive abilities, personality traits, and even cultural contributions. Test results not only help you shortlist the right applicants but also inform what you ask in interviews. 

We surveyed over 1,000 employers and found that 92% of employers who use multi-measure testing are happy with their hires.

Measure thoroughly 

Looking at employees' performance ratings will help to see if they’ve contributed to company goals, especially in roles with fixed targets. Reading self-appraisals and manager appraisals can also provide powerful insights into what's going well and what isn't. 

While most companies stop there, we recommend using the 360 feedback tool to gather feedback from employees' managers, direct reports, and even peers. Moreover, consider assessing their engagement and participation rates in training, events, and more. 

Lucy Dewhurst, Content Lead at TestGorilla, also emphasized the importance of looking for values that make an employee good. 

Think what's "good" for you: You need to have a way of measuring or understanding what your employees are doing and a way of benchmarking what “good” looks like in your context. Equally important is understanding how employees achieve their results. Some companies call these values, others call them behaviors, but together, they help create a picture of what a strong employee looks like.

Retain your good employees

Finally, good employees are in high demand, so retaining them is critical. 

While the hiring process focused more on how you – the employer – defines good employees, retention is more about helping workers develop the qualities they deem important. 

• Forbes suggests ensuring good employees have meaningful work that aligns with their own values and interests – not just the company's goals. In practice, this can look like placing them in roles that match their values or offering opportunities like philanthropy, volunteer work, or mentorship. 

• The article also encourages employers to give employees autonomy. Give them room to grow through challenging work and reduce micromanaging to promote a sense of ownership. 

• Deloitte stresses the importance of prioritizing employees' well-being. Flexible working options, mindfulness initiatives, health benefits, and other tools for work-life balance are great for this. 

• Lastly, continuous learning and development are key to retaining good employees. Offer training, mentorship, or leadership opportunities to help them grow their skills.

Land not just “good” but great employees

The definition of a "good" employee has changed so much over time. But certain qualities are universally essential to employees' success today and tomorrow. For employers, workers who are tech-savvy, adaptable, and good with analyzing data are considered assets. 

Employees believe that meaningful work and the ability to balance their work and personal lives make them good. Additionally, qualities like seasoned communication, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset are non-negotiable for both employees and employers. 

Think about what “good” means for your company and communicate this clearly in job descriptions. Importantly, use multi-measure testing with a platform like TestGorilla to ensure you hire good candidates who fit the bill. 

Finally, measure employees' performance and cultural contributions regularly and offer flexibility, autonomy, and continuous learning to retain the cream of the crop.