In a world where notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are so relative, one would agree that when it comes to labor and work, there are some common stereotypes about employees and what makes them as such.
Looking beyond these stereotypes, what does it really mean to be a ‘good’ employee? What are the inherent traits that turn an employee into a valuable asset for their organization? Or, let’s put it this way – what are the inherent traits that can make someone an ideal employee?
Of course, we all know in the back of our mind that productivity, punctuality, professionalism, etc. are some of these qualities. But that’s pretty obvious. So we thought that with the recent Labor Day, it would be worthwhile to dig into this question with a fresh perspective.
With that goal in mind, Startup MGZN recently got in touch with Zain Bahrain and asked them what their version of a good employee was. That is when the telecom giant introduced us to Hussain Haji, a consistent top-performer, one of the remarkable digital natives in Zain Bahrain and one of the “Behind-the-scene” drivers of their zBOT [The unprecedented digital plat that is considered a game changer in the customer experience].
Of course, we couldn’t let go of this opportunity to pick Hussain’s brain for that fresh perspective we were after. Because Hussain didn’t seem to mind, a fruitful conversation soon followed. We have compiled the most interesting bits from the conversation to give you a valuable insight into the question at hand, i,e, what are the qualities of a good employee?
But before we delve into that, let’s first briefly walk you through who Hussain Haji is.
An Awesome Zainer.
Hussain Haji is from Zain Bahrain’s customer care department. He joined the company in 2005 and has since been a loyal contributor to making Zain one of the most customer-friendly telecom operating in the Kingdom.
The top-management at Zain sees Hussain as someone who considers delivering a superior customer experience as something much more than a job it is a purpose. The company expressed gratitude for his role in many vital projects that elevated Zain’s digital edge over competitors.
Some of Zain’s flagship customer-facing services that Hussain helped making popular across the board include the company’s Live chat support, Social care, WhatsApp support, and in-house Chatbot development.
“Today Hussain Haji is leading in handling digital Channels” Live chat, Social care, WhatsApp and Chatbot [zBot].” And we wanted to celebrate him,” Zain Bahrain said in a statement to Startup MGZN.
4 Common Misconceptions about Modern Day Workplaces.
We asked Hussain what he thinks as the most commonly perceived misconceptions about an organization that can hinder one’s ability to become a good and productive employee. He named the following four misconceptions:
- Mistakes are punished, and good deeds go unnoticed. Hussain believes that a lot of modern businesses have long transitioned into a work environment that proactively recognizes and rewards good results. These are the same organizations that generally treat mistakes as important learning curves. Each mistake is then leveraged to build a revamped and enhanced business operation.
- Little to no support from management. Hussain pointed out that a multinational heavyweight such as Zain could not have made it this big had they not provided all necessary support to each internal team and team members.,
“Our approach is dependent to interdependent, It encompasses closer involvement in the daily operation, hearing from internal and external stakeholders, and providing various kinds of support across all operational levels,” he noted.
- Management relies on threats and humiliation. An increasing number of modern day workplaces today rely on coaching, motivation, and encouragement to uplift the morale and productivity of employees.
“The management team is part of the solution and leading by example in creating a positive working environment. And as our culture, coaching is embedded in the language of our organization”
- Revenue is not the only priority. This is probably the most twisted fact about businesses in the 21st century. According to Hussain, revenue not alone, but customer satisfaction is also a top-priority for companies like Zain. “Ensuring Customer satisfaction is highly linked to accomplish any business plan and accordingly achieve the targeted revenues,” he added.
How to Remain Unfazed by These Workplace Misconceptions.
Hussain proposed four solutions to these common workplace misconceptions.
- Self-development. Hussain’s first suggestion was a rather practical one. He says employees should not confine themselves to the predefined training programs facilitated by HR. Instead, they should be constantly on their toes to grab on to any learning opportunity relevant to the field they’re working in. Learning new soft skills is also an important step in that direction.
- Always engage the line manager. Staying in touch with the line manager can be beneficial on multiple fronts. It can help you align job priorities, smoothen out conflicts, accelerate personal development, and garner management support.
- Practice coaching. Proactively participating in coaching sessions with superior and subordinates can facilitate the exchange of thoughts, invaluable insights into your field of work, workplace ideas, ambitions, and visions.
- Putting the customer at the heart of the business. Last, but most importantly, Hussain recommends that employees should learn to leverage all existing technologies and advancements in processes to ultimately smoothen out customer experience.
Hussain also believes that self-awareness, discipline, and regular internal monologues are important when it comes to decluttering all the misconceptions and disinformation.
We’ll just quote him on this to ensure that the message hits just the intended spot.
Hussain said, “The workplace and individual attributes are the ingredients of a successful employee. The workplace provides the support layer to the employee in terms of focus, productive tools, and streamlined executions. The individual is equally required to complete the cycle with self-development, commitment, a balanced mindset, and determination.”
What about you? What are your thoughts on what makes an employee a good one? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts to Startup MGZN through our social media platforms on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
