10 Qualities of Remarkable Employees to Hire and Develop

Remarkable employees are dependable, proactive, diligent, good leaders and good followers… they possess a wide range of easily-defined, but hard to find, qualities.

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.

Here are the ten top qualities of remarkable employees that we look for to hire and develop in both our and our clients business:

They are personable and care about people. Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater. They always demonstrate their interest in others and their team.

They don’t focus on job descriptions and love taking initiative. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer’s project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there’s a problem and jump in without being asked — even if it’s not their job.

They embrace and drive change …. The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun… until it isn’t. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

They are humble yet very passionate about what they love. The remarkable ones find strong egos very distasteful … yet they wear their passion 24/7. They can as easily follow as to lead and in all situations pay attention to be strong team players.

They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting, I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what’s going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don’t, and they’re afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”

Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

You want the great ones who are not afraid to fail. The last thing they worry about is making mistakes or failing in a task. They understand risks and realize progress depends on going a little beyond, even when they realize they won’t be right all the time.

The remarkable employees always demonstrate the creative spirit and drive. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can’t help it.

Some employees are really motivated by continuous learning. They thrive when they are given opportunities to do new things where they push the boundaries of their learning. They tend to soak up new knowledge like a sponge and keep coming back for more.

Remarkable employees are good problem solvers and examine problems in multiple ways. Their anticipation of issues keeps them thinking ahead on potential problems and they often have alternative options before problems arise. Most of them realize that problem understanding is much more valuable than alternative solutions.

All of these qualities of remarkable employees are rarely found in one individual, but you should always be looking for them all. Your employee team’s makeup requires them all, even if not in any one individual.