Personal skills
As any other business Asda will expect any applicant to have good personal skills so that they are able to perform their job duties well and improve the performance of the business as a whole. The personal skills that are required from the applicant when completing the job application are:
- Having patience
- Punctuality and high attendance
- Interpersonal skills
- Meet strict deadlines
- Able to apply themselves in stressful conditions
- Negotiation
- Interview skills
The personal skills listed above are of great importance to the business organisation for many reasons. It is important that the applicant has these personal skills so that they can perform their duties well. Having patience is an important element of the job. The job role of being a full time manager will require a large amount of pressure alongside stress. It is important that the applicant is always patient with the employees alongside any customers that they come into contact with. Not having the patience may cause disputes within the business environment, which will then create further more issues to arise. It is essential for this reason that the applicant has the patience so that they a friendly environment is present.
Punctuality and high attendance is also an essential skill. The reason for this is because no employees whether of high profession or of low can attend work with a low attendance and still benefit the business. In order for the business to achieve the full success, the applicant must be attending their job and attending on time to ensure that all work is complete.
Interpersonal skills are those skills that enable us to get on with other people, promote positive relationships in the workplace and so enable the job to be done or more efficiently. In order for the manager to be able to communicate well with the employees they must be able to have good interpersonal skills. This is important and a required skill as it will allow the applicant to encourage other employees to commit themselves to their working environment. Having good interpersonal skills also allows the manager to have good relationships with those working in the business resulting to a good business outcome. Interpersonal skills that are required are:
- Communication skills
- Listening
- Politeness
- Patience
- Building trust
- Empathising with people
- Avoiding conflict
- Accepting responsibility
Communicational skills are a vital process. Having this skill allows the applicant to perform their duties well. The manager as part of their job role will need to explain the duties of other colleagues. Having the correct communicational skills will allow the manager to explain the duties of the colleagues’ well which in return will allow them to perform their job role well. Poor communications skills will prevent this from happening causing role ambiguity. Another reason why it is necessary for the manager to have the communicational skills is so that they are able to understand clearly what is being said to them by their colleagues and those of a higher position than them. They also like their colleagues need to be aware of the job role that they need to perform. Having good communicational skills will allows them to listen well to colleagues and other members of the business.
Being polite and having patience are required. The reason for this is because as being a manager it is important that the manager is able to cooperate with the colleagues. Being polite and having the patience will motivate colleagues to work well to their full potential. If the applicant reacts aggressive towards the colleagues, the colleague may become less motivated to do work. It may also disrupt the relationship the manager has with the colleagues which is why it is necessary that the manager has these interpersonal skills. Colleagues alongside any customers appreciate politeness and contribute towards building a positive relationship by avoiding rudeness and being abrupt with them. Patience when dealing with others makes it likely that they will respond positively.
Building trust is an important element. Both the colleague and the manager should be able to trust each other. When dealing with the issues it appears fairs to employees when there is a sense of trust. This improves the relationship between both the employees and the manager which allows performance to be at the highest level.
To ensure a positive relationship grows it is essential that the applicant has the skills of being able to empathise with people. Empathising with others allows people to understand their problems, opinions and imagine what it would be like to be in their position. Having this skill will show employees that the manager is able to understand them but also improves the business as a whole, which is why it is a required personal skill. Being able to understand the employee’s, shows that the manager values its employees and intends the best for them. An employee will always expect this from their managers or whoever is above them in the hierarchy.
Avoiding conflict is necessary as it avoids conflicts within the business. The conflicts that arise the more issues will arise which will need resolving. A businesses main intention is to promote the business and to ensure that customers receive the service/ product. Having conflict can be extremely destructive in a work environment. If a major issue has arisen a large number of procedures will have to take place which generally will cause disruptions in the working environment. If conflict is avoided, more time can be concentrated on improving the businesses and sales revenues and profits. This is why it is essential for the applicant to have this skill as the business will benefit from it for the reasons explained.
Accepting responsibility is a required skill from the applicant as the job role of the applicant is demanding and requires responsibility. As the job requires so much responsibility it is important that the applicant accepts this. This will bring forth positive relationships within the business environment and improve the work of the applicant.
A person who is employed who lacks this will drive employees away from the business.
It is important that the applicant is able to meet strict deadlines. Work is set to be met at certain deadlines so that customers receive the service/ products at the time requested. If the work is not met at strict deadlines, customers will have to wait. The amount of time a customer is able to wait for a particular service/ product will depend on each customer. A business values the customers, as they are the heart of the business. Without customers a business will be no business. In order for the business to satisfy its current customers and gain new customers they must provide the service/ products on time. This will require the manager to be able to meet strict deadlines so that they are able to provide for their customers.
Being able to apply yourself to stressful working conditions is also important as the applicant will be in an environment which is surrounded by stress. Being able to cope with this will enable the applicant to perform to their best ability. It also will help keep healthy relationships with people within the business.
Another useful skill for an employee is the ability to negotiate effectively. This involves discussing a topic in order to produce an agreement. The manager will be working with others in other departments where it will be necessary that they are able to negotiate terms. Being able to negotiate may lead to better solutions or ideas. This also prevents conflict from arising within the business environment. For these reasons it is vital that the manager is able to negotiate terms with others in the business.
Interview skills will be required from the manager. The manger will be required as part of the job role to take interviews in order to recruit the best employee for the job. For the development of the business, it is important that the potential employees are selected to do the job. Choosing a candidate who is not ideal for the job will mean to the recruitment process will have to be repeated. This can be a waste of time and money. Having interview skills will avoid this.
The job role being applied for will be stressful, which is why it is necessary that
Communication skills
There are a wide range of communication skills that are required. It is important with any business that all employees are able to communicate well in order for the business to work well systematically. Communicational skills can be divided into formal and informal. The communications skills that are required by Asda are both formal and informal. The difference between formal and informal is that formal communications requires appropriate language to be used. This form of communication would be required when in meetings, letters or formal reports. Informal do not follow any prescribed conventions or formats and often happen spontaneously unlike formal communications. These are communications such as conversations, emails and text messaging.
One of the most important communicational skills that Asda expect from employees is listening skills. Listening should be an active process where what is being said is being heard but it is also being thought about. It is said that listening which is just heard and not being thought about is called passive listening, which is not desirable.
According to the specific job being applied for, another communicational skill that will be required is eye contact with customers. All Asda employees working on the shop floor will be expected to communicate with customers if any queries arise. For them to provide the full customer service they must be able to communicate which involves not only listening well to the customers but also giving eye contact to ensure the customer that are giving them their full attention and they are the number one priority. The body language that the employee gives is also an important role in communication skills that are required. If an employing is slouching, the customer will not get a good impression from them and will feel that their issues are of no concern to them. Good body language will show that an employee is interested in the customer and will provide all the help possible.
These skills will be required throughout the employees working hours. They will not only be expected to use these skills to customers only but also to managers and other colleagues.