Introduction of Employment Skills
What is an Employee?
An employee is a person who works for an organization or a company on a part-time or full-time basis and receives compensation for the services rendered in form of a salary. However, not every individual who offers his or her services to an organization or company gets compensation for the rendered services can be considered an employee.
An employee is hired for a specific job or just to provide labor and does his/her work in the service of another entity, mostly the employer. The main difference between an employee and a contractor is that the employer has control over the activities of the employee, but the contractor does his or her work independently. The employee has a specified salary or wage and is bound by an employment contract, whether written, express or implied. The organization which has hired the services of the employee do control or if not, they possess the right to control the work which is done by the employee and how the work is done.
What is employer?
The employer is the organization or company which puts to work, employs or hires the services of the employee. The employer can also be an individual, a small business, a government entity, an agency, a professional services firm, a store, an institution or a non-profit association. The employer has the mandate of compensating the services rendered by the employee in a way which is agreed upon by both parties in the employment contract or as per the organization’s policy. These ways include a salary, an hourly, daily or weekly wage and other employment benefits as legally outlined by the local laws and provided by the employer.
In a workplace which is represented by a union, the employer bears the obligation of paying as per the union-negotiated contract. The employer has the power of terminating the employment of a worker if the employee fails to meet the standards expected at the time of employment or if he or she breaks some rules as set by the employer.
Differences between an employer and an employee
Point of Difference
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Employer
|
Employee
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Goal
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Maximize the productivity and efficiency.
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To be able to financially support themselves and their families.
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Cash flow
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Gives out the cash (salary) as a deduction and receives the proceeds from the business.
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Receives the salary as an addition and in turn, contributes to generating more income for the employer.
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Roles and responsibilities
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Ensure safety, health and welfare of the employees are well taken care of and provide a conducive working environment.
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Serve the employer faithfully, follow the rules, honor the contract of employment and uphold loyalty and diligence in service.
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Level of authority
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Has authority over all the employees.
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Has authority only over employees at lower levels.
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Employment
skills are core skills and traits needed in nearly every job. These are
the general skills that make someone employable. Hiring managers
almost always look for employees with these skills.
Employment
skills sometimes are called foundational skills or job-readiness skills. They
are soft skills that allow you to work well
with others, apply
knowledge to solve problems and fit into any work environment. They also
include the professional skills that enable you to be successful in the
workplace. These are seen as transferable skills because you can apply them
to a job in any industry.
Top Five Features of Employment
Skills
There are
several employment skills that are of value to employers, but the following
five are among the most important. It's important when applying for jobs to
convey aptitude in as many of these areas as possible.
Communication
All
employers look for job candidates with strong communication
skills. These
refer to one’s ability to convey information clearly to others. Employers want
employees with strong written, verbal, and nonverbal communication skills. Part
of being a strong communicator also includes being a good
listener;
employees need to be able to understand the questions and concerns of their
clients and listen to their employer’s directions.
Teamwork
Teamwork is
important in almost any work setting. If an employee works on a number of group
projects, she needs to be able to get along well with others, sharing the
workload with colleagues to complete a goal. Even if an employee does not do a
lot of team projects, he still needs to be able to get along with his
colleagues, working hard to achieve the company goals.
Critical
Thinking
Critical thinking refers
to one’s ability to understand, analyze, and interpret information and draw
conclusions. In any job, an employee will have to assess situations and solve
problems. Employees need to think logically and make reasoned judgments.
Ethics
Ethics is
a broad category that refers to an employee’s principles. Companies want
employees who understand and follow company rules, are honest and trustworthy
and act professionally and responsibly.
Information
Technology (IT) Knowledge
While most employment skills are
soft skills, IT is a hard skill that is increasingly required in many jobs.
While jobs in the field of IT (such as computer programmers) require extensive IT
knowledge, every
job requires a little bit of experience with information technology. Employers
want job candidates who can use common programs like Microsoft Office,
especially Word and Excel. Perhaps most important is the ability to learn and
adapt to new or changing technologies quickly and efficiently.
Any other
IT experience is almost always considered a plus.
