Employee Strengths in the Workplace (And How To Find Yours)

Updated August 21, 2023

Your strengths as an employee help you get hired for a new job, earn promotions or other career opportunities. These skills are what make you more productive and efficient in the workplace. Understanding your own strengths can help you become more self-aware, which can help you develop skills to better fit into your role as an employee. In this article, we discuss employee strengths in the workplace, describe how to identify your strengths and provide tips for highlighting your strengths in job applications.

Employee strengths in the workplace

Here is a list of employee strengths to consider developing:

Dependable

Dependable employees demonstrate accountability when issues arise. These employees are reliable and loyal. If you're a dependable employee, you're punctual, regularly meet deadlines, and your coworkers can ask you for guidance or support. As a dependable employee, you provide consistent, high-quality work. This strength allows you to develop strong professional relationships.

Flexible

Flexible employees adapt quickly to changes at work. By having flexibility, you experience less stress and increased morale when issues arise. You also learn new procedures quickly and maintain optimism. As a flexible employee, you're a leader and a role model to others. Being flexible increases your productivity by allowing you to learn new skills and procedures quickly.

Self-motivated

Self-motivated employees produce consistent work without a supervisor reminding them. This is a valuable strength to have at work because you remain focused on your own work and produce work that is of good quality. Supervisors recognize this strength and your dedication to your work.

Team-oriented

Team-oriented employees enjoy working with coworkers and in groups. If you're team-oriented, you act as a leader for your groups. You focus on both your own work and ensuring your coworkers are succeeding in their roles. If you're team-oriented, you focus on your department and project's success as well.

Success-oriented

Success-oriented employees focus on their job's overall goal or aim. This employee goal is essential because it helps ensure increased productivity and helps your team all work towards the same objective. You also complete tasks with a greater purpose and have a clear idea of what you want to achieve.

Optimistic

Optimism is a desirable trait because you maintain a positive outlook through difficult situations. If you're an optimistic employee, you also show your coworkers how to also maintain a positive outlook. This optimism contributes to your overall motivation and increases productivity. It can also positively affect the company culture and make the workplace more inviting for your colleagues.

Communicative

You need communication skills when interacting with various professions and personalities in the workplace. This helps to relay information to other professionals, as well as customers and clients. Your communication skills limit conflict and misunderstandings by remaining clear, concise and effective. For example, you need excellent communication skills when writing emails to ensure your tone and message are accurate.

Emotionally aware

Emotionally aware employees recognize how their actions impact the emotions of their coworkers. If you have emotional intelligence, you remain empathetic toward those around you. Employees who demonstrate emotional awareness pay attention to body language and other nonverbal cues to ensure coworkers are comfortable. You can improve your relationships and help mediate the relationships of people around you by using empathy and being supportive of those around you.

Trustworthy

Trustworthy employees are honest and dependable. If you're a trustworthy employee, you demonstrate accountability and apologize when you make mistakes. You can also navigate confidential information without requiring supervision. Employers appreciate trustworthy employees because it means they can work independently and set a good example for their peers.

Problem-solving

To be a problem solver, you need to know how to provide solutions for complex situations. Problem-solving skills allow you to analyze problems as they arise. This helps you save the department and company both time and money by solving issues quickly.

How to identify your strengths as an employee

Here is a guide to help you identify your employee strengths:

1. Review your responsibilities

To identify your workplace strengths, start by reviewing your overall responsibilities and writing them down. Think about your daily job responsibilities, as well as which tasks you perform weekly and monthly. Determine the skills or strengths you need to complete those tasks.

For example, marketing assistants attend daily meetings with marketing and sales teams. They also present slideshows to report findings and project details to supervisors and upper management. From these responsibilities, you have the following strengths: communication skills, teamwork and attention to detail. When necessary, identify the skills you use the most and the ones in which you excel.

2. Think about your weaknesses

The second way to define your strengths is to identify your weaknesses. When you identify where you can improve your skills or responsibilities, you also identify which skills you already have. To identify your weaknesses, look at your responsibilities and which ones take the most time to complete or which ones you enjoy the least.

For example, you may have difficulty focusing at work. This can happen if you attempt to complete tasks when you talk with your coworkers in the office. It may cause you to enter information incorrectly or make errors in your work. In this situation, you lack accountability and motivation. Now that you have identified your weaknesses, you can study your strengths. If you make errors because you concentrate on your coworkers, this implies you're an active listener and good communicator. You might also be good at giving presentations or demonstrating empathy.

3. Identify your personality

Your personality type identifies your strengths by considering how people with the same personality interact with the world around them. If you are unsure what your personality type is, consider taking an online test or quiz. This can provide you with more information on common traits for those who share your personality.

For example, some people may decide to take the Myers-Briggs test, which summarizes potential strengths and weaknesses depending on your personality type. People with an ESTP personality, which stands for extroverted, sensing, thinking and perceiving, have greater verbal communication skills, emotional awareness, problem-solving and optimism.

4. Make a list of your employee strengths

Finally, determine your strengths by making a list of your various employable qualities. When making this list, remember to separate your strengths into the three following categories: knowledge-based skills or technical skills, personality traits and transferrable skills or interpersonal skills. Consider how these skills apply to the workplace and how they make you a better employee. When writing your list, include the ones that you identify as your most valuable.

Here is an example of a potential list and description of how your skills apply to work:

Knowledge-based skills

Computer programming systems: This helps me to program according to company needs and requirements. I also collaborate with other professionals who use different programming languages, so this strength allows me to work more efficiently in a team.
Inbound and outbound marketing: I work with the sales and marketing departments to maximize our sales through several marketing techniques.
Statistics: I use statistics to identify how we can make use of our budgets and reduce waste.

Personality traits

Extroverted: I have an extroverted personality. I have excellent communication skills and can perform active listening.
Empathetic: I connect easily with clients and coworkers because I show empathy.
Analytical: Because I perform budget analyses, I use analytical skills daily. This allows me to find errors and details easily.

Transferrable skills

Verbal communication: I have excellent communication skills and can accommodate the needs of those around me.
Problem-solving: I am good at solving problems, which helps increase profits and productivity at work by ensuring I solve problems easily.
Emotional awareness: I am emotionally aware, and I pay attention to how my actions affect my coworkers.

Tips for highlighting employee strengths in your application

Here are some tips to consider regarding highlighting employee strengths in your application documents:

Including strengths on your resume

Your resume typically has a section dedicated to your skills and strengths. List how your skills affected your previous jobs positively. For example, explain how the recycling and composting processes you implemented reduced company waste and saved the company money. Include figures like dollar values and percentages when possible to make these accomplishments more quantifiable.

Including strengths on your cover letter

Much like your resume, your cover letter discusses and establishes your strengths. Your cover letter is also your opportunity to elaborate on the skills you discussed in your resume. For example, you can highlight a strength in your cover letter by writing, "I'm a good communicator and always consider the needs of those around me when participating in a conversation."

Employee Strengths in the Workplace (And How To Find Yours)