What do companies really need in order to recruit the right employees in the working world of tomorrow, to master new professional challenges and to be successful in their jobs?
The Six Q’s
This is a question not only for companies, but also for students who want to enter the world of work and are looking for a new job to plan their career. What are the future tasks as a boss or HR manager? What are the characteristics of the ideal candidate? What are we looking for, what do we need today and tomorrow? Personnel expert Jeffrey Kudisch answers these questions relatively simply in an article in the Washington Post: with the interaction of the six Qs.
Our summary
IQ 1: The intelligence quotient
This is about nothing other than a clever, critical way of thinking and the ability not to lose oneself in the small, but always to have the big picture and the whole in mind – in other words: to understand complex contexts and to be able to deal with them. This is precisely what is needed in a working world in which more and more threads are converging and interfaces are opening up between areas that have not existed before.
EQ 2: The Emotionality Quotient
If you have a high EQ, you can deal with your own emotions, are not easily out of balance and can empathize with team members – qualities that are enormously important in everyday working life in order to create and/or support a good working atmosphere.
3rd PQ: The Passion Quotient
Not only do employees want a job for which they have a passion, companies are also desperately looking for people who have a passion for it. But how does passion express itself? By showing commitment, being on the ball and not just stubbornly following the timetable – passion releases energy that not only drives you forward, but can also motivate the whole team.
4th CQ: The Cultural Quotient
Yes, you have to be able to do that too – especially in large, internationally active companies: Those who have no interest or sensitivity for different cultural backgrounds and cannot draw on the positive aspects that this brings will not get far. Especially if you want to position yourself as a potential executive, you have to deal with diversity and be able to establish it.
5 CRQ: Courage quotient (courage quotient)
Companies are not only looking for people who can deal with the status quo, but also especially for those who dare to ask unpleasant questions – because outside the comfort zone you can get much faster. It’s about being able to stand up for decisions, even if they are uncomfortable and don’t hide behind a “That’s how it works so far” attitude in order not to have to get out of cover. Courage is good, courage is a motor and courage can be trained.
6th IMQ: The Improvisation Quotient
We can’t all do everything, each of us forgets a detail and we all have to deal with the fact that not everything always goes according to plan A – and that’s exactly when improvisation talent is needed. Anyone who doesn’t manage to get along outside the box and think “out of the box” in professional life will have problems getting far. Free yourself from perfection and don’t be afraid to try things out – finding a solution is always also a creative process that has to follow the trial-and-error principle.
To make a long story short: If you can combine your soft skills, i.e. empathy, curiosity and courage with expertise, you will have no problems getting ahead in your job. But the 6 Q’s are certainly not something to be put into the cradle – it is about a (lifelong) learning process in which professional development is linked to personal development. And exactly this interface is also important, because in the job a good skill set is nothing without authenticity.
Notes on the author
Jeffrey Kudisch is assistant dean of corporate relations and managing director of the Office of Career Services at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business since 2010. He is a clinical full professor and co-founder and principal partner of Personnel Assessment Systems Inc., a human resource consulting firm specializing in leadership development, executive assessment, and talent acquisition.