Tips on how to be successful at work

Being successful and productive at your job

If you’re ticking all the boxes and getting through your to-do list then you’re doing your job. But do you know what else you could be doing to make yourself even more successful and productive – and on the path towards a promotion?  
 
Being successful and productive at your job requires more than just participation – it involves being proactive about your own performance. How you are doing your job is just as important as what you are doing. 
 
A successful organisation is one where employees are continually evolving, learning and contributing toward overarching strategic objectives. Encouraging continual improvement through ongoing communication, information sharing, assessments and rewards can help both individuals and organisations move towards their goals. 
 
Yet you can also be totally unaware of your own strengths and weaknesses. It can be easy to identify these attributes in other people you work with but it's always harder to gain introspection on ourselves. 
 
If you're having trouble figuring out how you can improve at your workplace, ask a close co-worker or your manager for honest feedback. But be prepared to hear the truth as you cannot change a habit or behaviour if you’re not prepared to see it. 
 
Feedback will provide you with valuable insight about what people expect from you, any areas for growth, and what you need to work on. Remember, the grateful acceptance of critique shows your commitment to growth and invites productive discussion.  

Want to achieve more from your current role?

Watch these practical tips from the experts at Hays on how to become more successful at work.

Eight tips to achieve success at work:

1. Understand your employer's expectations

Make sure you understand your company’s culture. Your cultural ‘fit’ with the organisation and your working relationship with your supervisor or manager are very important.

Familiarise yourself with the values of the organisation you’re working for and consider how you can demonstrate those values in the work that you do.  

2. Be a team player

Those willing to set aside their personal goals for the overall goals of the department or company are valued by organisations. You are not the only person who can solve problems for a particular task or project, have the self awareness to get the team involved when needed. Teamwork is one of the most valued skills an employee can possess, and team players get noticed. 

3. Willingness to take on extra duties

Whether it's overseeing a major new project or offering to learn a new process, volunteer for extra responsibilities where appropriate and if time allows. Proving your worth on tasks that may not be part of your job description is an opportunity for you to throw your own voice into more conversations, building your own skills as well as strong working relationships with team members you may not interact with otherwise. This may be a given, but people who excel in their workplace often go above and beyond what they're asked to do.

4. Be considerate

If you’re sharing a work environment, respect the space by being aware of your volume whether you’re on a call or just talking to a co-worker. 

Take advantage of face-to-face interactions as much as possible to nurture stronger working relationships.

5. Be on time

Most employers are prepared to be flexible and each environment has its own rules on timekeeping. Find out what they are and stick to them. 

6. Meet deadlines

Keep your word. Consistently meet deadlines, recognising the ripple effect that missed targets may have. Talk to your boss far ahead of a deadline if you believe that you won't be able to complete an assigned task on time and always present at least one potential solution, demonstrating your problem-solving skills. 

7. Pay attention to career advice

Take note of how successful, more senior employees, spend their time and focus their expertise. When they show you a new skill or process, utilise active listening to understand what they're saying, respond and reflect on what's being said, and retain the information for later. But don't just focus on their work, you can also pay attention to body language and nonverbal cues when more senior employees interact with clients, management, and your team members, to see how successful people present themselves. Learning from experts is a key skill that sets you up for career success. 

8. Maintain a positive attitude

Keeping your self motivation high is key to being successful at work. A positive mindset not only fosters a more enjoyable and harmonious work environment but also has a profound impact on one's growth in both their personal life and professional life. 

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