At its most basic, employability is defined as being capable of working and being available for hire. It is also a management philosophy developed by Sumantra Ghoshal, an organizational theorist, professor at the London Business School, and founder of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad.
This management philosophy states that employment and market performance is based on the skills and creativity of all employees, not just upper management. Employees must recognize that career environments are constantly changing due to technology and globalization and commit to continuous learning and professional development that add to their employability.
The focus today is on what employability means to someone who is seeking a new job, promotion, or is transitioning to a new career. As a job seeker, you must have a knowledge base and a level of expertise that employers are seeking. Without these basic and specific skills, it will be difficult to move forward in your chosen field.
Big Picture and the Bottom Line
Along with verbal and written communication and teamwork skills, employees must be aware of the larger picture. Every organization, no matter how large or small, is seeking employees who understand the bottom line – budgets, deadlines, and external economic factors affecting the company.
Develop Skills that Make You Employable
• The ability to analyze and investigate, gathering information to use as the basis for decisions is necessary. In a job, you may be given leeway to use your initiative and make strategic decisions, but you must have facts and figures to back up your thinking.
• Drive, the determination to get things done, is a highly coveted skill by hiring managers, but employers need to know that each employee is working hard to get the right things done. Working extra hours to accomplish something that will not add value to your team or department is not drive. Identify those projects that will add value to the company and make them happen.
• One of the most important employability skills is flexibility – the ability to adapt easily and quickly to changing goals and management expectations. If you are the employee who uses the phrases below in meetings, you are not flexible:
We’ve always done it this way.
We’ve never done that.
We tried that and it won’t work.
Promote the Company – Promote Yourself!
To increase your employability, work to develop appropriate skills and make sure that your current and future managers know that you USE these skills in promoting the welfare of the company. As a job seeker, be able to demonstrate to prospective hiring managers that you have added value to previous employers and you can do the same in this new opportunity!