Important Team Building Skills That Employers Value

important Team building skills employer value

Important Team Building Skills That Employers Value

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Table of Contents

Updated September 22, 2020

When a group works well together, it achieves the best results. That's why employers want to hire people with team building skills. Good team builders are able to help groups work together well and meet their goals.

Being able to build and manage a successful team is a qualification for many different types of jobs. If you’re being considered for a position that requires managing or being part of a team, you will need to show that you have the team building skills necessary for the job.

The best way to do that is to share examples of your skills and how you used them in the workplace in your job application materials, and during interviews.

What Are Team Building Skills?

What is team building? Team building is knowing how to help individuals work as a cohesive group where all members feel invested in the direction and accomplishments of the team. All members have input towards developing goals and defining the steps to take to reach those goals. Everyone is able to work together to achieve the group's objectives.

Employers believe that highly collaborative teams will achieve greater productivity, higher morale, less counter-productive conflict, and better customer relations.

Even though companies want all of their employees to have team building skills, they are particularly important for managers, supervisors, and outside consultants that oversee groups of employees.

Types of Team Building Skills

Communication

If you are helping to unite a team, you need to have strong communication skills. Using both written and verbal communication skills, you will have to explain company goals, delegate tasks, resolve conflicts between members, and more. It is important that you are able to clearly express ideas in ways that others can understand.

In order to problem solve and make sure every team member feels heard, you will also have to listen. You will need to understand the concerns of every member so that they each feel that they are being considered and appreciated.

Clarity
Specificity
Facilitating Group Discussion
Interpersonal
Active Listening
Reading Body Language (Nonverbal Communication)
Written Communication
Verbal Communication

Problem Solving

When team building, you will need to solve problems. These might include issues related to the group’s goals. However, these might also include interpersonal problems between group members.

A team builder must help to resolve both. He or she needs to be a mediator who can listen to two sides of a problem and help everyone come to an agreement. The goal of a team builder is to solve problems in a way that helps the team achieve its goals and keeps its members working well together.

Brainstorming
Achieving Consensus
Conflict Resolution
Mediation
Negotiation
Problem Sensitivity
Analytical Skills
Flexibility

Leadership

Being a team builder often requires assuming a leadership role for a team. You need to make decisions when there is conflict, establish group goals, and work with team members who are not producing their best. All of this requires leadership and management skills.

Aligning Team Goals with Company Goals
Decision Making
Establishing Standard Operating Procedure
Hiring
Management
Firing
Talent Management
Consistency
Integrity

Teamwork

While being a good leader is important in team building, so is being a good team player. You can help build a strong team by showing the team what it means to work well in a group.

You will need to collaborate and cooperate with team members, listen to their ideas, and be open to taking and applying their feedback.

Ability to Follow Instructions
Adaptability
Collaboration
Cooperation
Reliability
Responding to Constructive Criticism
Proactivity

Motivation

A team builder gets other team members excited about setting and achieving project goals. This kind of motivational energy can take many forms. Perhaps you come to work every day with a positive attitude, or maybe you encourage your other teammates with positive feedback.

Another way to motivate team members is to provide incentives. These might range from bonuses and other financial rewards to extra days of fun group activities. A team builder can think of creative ways to inspire the team to do its best.

Mentoring New Leaders
Developing Relationships
Encouragement
Persuasive
Recognizing and Rewarding Group Achievements

Delegation

A good team builder knows he or she cannot complete group tasks alone. Team builders clearly and concisely lay out each team member’s responsibilities. This way, everyone is responsible for a piece of the group goal.

Good delegation leads to project efficiency, and it can help a group achieve a goal on time or even ahead of schedule.

Assign Roles
Defining Objectives
Scheduling
Setting and Managing Expectations
Time Management
Project Management

More Team Building Skills

Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
Human Resources
Customer Service
Assessing Group Progress
Coaching
Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses of Team Members
Training
Creativity
Creating Mission Statements
Creating Milestones
Coordinating
Evaluating
Goal Oriented
Resilience
Innovation
Empathy
Imagination
Passionate About Diversity
Interviewing
Integration
Versatility
Concision
Confidence
Process Management
Ongoing Improvement
Presentation

How to Make Your Skills Stand Out

ADD RELEVANT SKILLS TO YOUR RESUME: In your work history and summaries, use the skill words above where your job descriptions required you to work with others. Note especially those jobs where you led teams or groups, even if only temporarily.

HIGHLIGHT SKILLS IN YOUR COVER LETTER: Mention one or two of the skills mentioned above and give specific examples of instances when you demonstrated these traits at work.

USE SKILL WORDS IN YOUR JOB INTERVIEW: Keep the top skills listed above in mind during your interview and be prepared to give examples of how you have used them.

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