5 Habits All Successful Employees Have

Finding a job is hard enough, but maintaining one can be just as challenging. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be terribly difficult, as long as you understand the ins and outs of proper conduct in any employment setting. Below are five habits that every successful employee should have if they want to thrive in their role:

1. Be on Time

Punctuality might seem like an obvious prerequisite for success, but there are some people who really struggle with it. There are folks who live with “chronic lateness”— a somewhat tongue-in-cheek “disorder” that can nevertheless have a real impact on people’s work lives. There are workers who can’t seem to keep a job because they can never manage to make it to work on time.

Being on time is important because it shows your employer that you are dedicated to your work. Furthermore, it shows that you are a team player who is respectful of other people’s time.

Punctuality isn’t only about arriving to work on time — it also means meeting deadlines, attending meetings, and making it to any other functions that your employer may host. Being successful as an employee starts with the simple habit of always being on time.

2. Respect Your Employer

Being respectful to your employer is simple. Listen carefully to instructions, be courteous, and never talk back or interrupt.

That being said, sometimes, being respectful to your employer can be difficult, especially if you have a boss who is hard to deal with. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, your employer is the one who signs your paychecks.

Think of it this way: a job is a job, and an employer is part of that job. If you can listen to instructions, be courteous, not talk back, and not interrupt your boss when they are speaking, you can easily be successful as an employee. You don’t have to like your boss, but you should show them respect, because doing so helps to keep the overall morale up in the office.

3. Show Passion

People who get to work in their dream jobs are extremely lucky, but not everyone is fortunate enough to work in their ideal role.

The good news is that everybody has a passion in life. Whether you enjoy hosting work-related events and parties or like working in a specific department — e.g., accounting versus human resources — you can find areas in your day-to-day job where you can let your passion really thrive.

Showing passion at work will help you be a successful employee because your employer and supervisors will take notice. Your passion can reinforce morale and show others that you care about the success of the company and your career.

4. Show Initiative

There is nothing a boss loves more than an employee who shows initiative. No matter what, there is always something to do at the office — even when you have downtime. Be sure to show initiative.

Be aware of your surroundings, the bigger picture of your job function, and the needs of your company/employer, and you’ll be able to find ways to fill in the holes nobody else can fill.

Showing initiative can be as simple as taking care of backlogged duties that went forgotten. It can also be something like volunteering to handle something that would generally go uncompleted by others at the company. When you show initiative, it shows your employer that you care about the company’s overall success.

5. Don’t Gossip

There is nothing worse than being a gossip. Job sites will always have at least one or two gossips. People who gossip do so because they are bored with their jobs and/or insecure about something that may or may not be related to their careers.

Avoid gossip at all costs. It brings down morale, distracts your from your work, and becomes an encumbrance to the company because it slows down functions. When people are wasting time with gossip, they are hurting others — whether or not they intend to do so. Don’t gossip, and don’t be a gossip. You will find great success as an employee because people will like you and find you trustworthy. No one trusts a gossip!