Initiative is an important skill to have in today's workplace as it allows companies to exploit opportunities, get tasks done quickly and be more creative. A person with initiative uses their instincts and common sense and acts upon them, sometimes without the knowledge or approval of an employee higher up in the company hierarchy. This can help the company expand and improve; the individual is likely to gain promotions quickly due to their instinctive work behavior.
• Looking beyond the curriculum vitae
When opening a job post for applications, an attractive position could gain hundreds of well-qualified applications. Of these, there will certainly be more than one individual with the required academic achievements, qualifications and experience. For this reason an employer will call a number of job applicants for an interview, and may test them to see if they have initiative. This could be done a number of ways. One popular method is to change the location of the interview without informing the applicant, then see how they react when they turn up and nobody is in the stated room. Will they ask for help, or will they go home? Employers value being able to test a candidate without them knowing they are being tested.
• Initiative in the workplace
Having a team of employees who all possess the gift of sharp initiative can have a number of benefits. Firstly, they are able to exploit more opportunities to the company's advantage. For instance, if they have gone to see a potential client and something unexpected occurs, they can adapt appropriately. In addition, it prevents employees constantly seeking their supervisor's approval when undertaking tasks, which can be time-wasting. In all, having initiative in the workplace can be beneficial for both the individual employee and the firm as a whole.
• Looking beyond the curriculum vitae
When opening a job post for applications, an attractive position could gain hundreds of well-qualified applications. Of these, there will certainly be more than one individual with the required academic achievements, qualifications and experience. For this reason an employer will call a number of job applicants for an interview, and may test them to see if they have initiative. This could be done a number of ways. One popular method is to change the location of the interview without informing the applicant, then see how they react when they turn up and nobody is in the stated room. Will they ask for help, or will they go home? Employers value being able to test a candidate without them knowing they are being tested.
• Initiative in the workplace
Having a team of employees who all possess the gift of sharp initiative can have a number of benefits. Firstly, they are able to exploit more opportunities to the company's advantage. For instance, if they have gone to see a potential client and something unexpected occurs, they can adapt appropriately. In addition, it prevents employees constantly seeking their supervisor's approval when undertaking tasks, which can be time-wasting. In all, having initiative in the workplace can be beneficial for both the individual employee and the firm as a whole.
