If we check the job ads in the market, 90% include among the skills sought by employers’ attention to detail. You are probably wondering why this is so important for business, but also how these candidates so much wanted by any company are recruited.
We try to answer these questions in the following article:
Table of Contents
Why attentive employees make a difference
How attentive to details candidates are recruited?
How we improve our attention to details
WHY ATTENTIVE EMPLOYEES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Prospects don’t just come from spreadsheets, so whatever business decision you have to make, you will make a wise choice if you know all the details. And no, that’s not a euphemism for something else.
Regardless of the role that the employee has in the organization, attention to details is a key differentiator for any business. Let’s analyze some of the most well-known departments:
In sales…
Sales are about relationships, especially in B2B … The fact that you remember the names of the decision maker’s children or that you know the name of each member of the team you interacted with may be the elements that make the difference in selecting the new provider.
Also, the details of the contract need attention to detail, and the ability to read among fine nuances of non and verbal it will decipher 50% of your prospects’ message.
In Marketing
Although automation has visibly made the work of marketers easier, it can only reduce the number of mistakes, it cannot completely erase them. Campaign typos, erroneous keyword analyzes, question marks reports, and bug submissions…. can have an unwanted impact on the business. So you need a critical eye, a clear head and attention to details.
Human resources
Attention to detail is vital in working with people. Everything – from the correct introduction of the ID to the calculation of their benefits, the way we communicate, the drafting of documents, reporting and analysis – requires attention to detail. An HR without attention to long-term details means unhappy employees fines and, in the ultra pessimistic scenario, lawsuits.
Payroll, accounting and finance
Even the smallest payroll errors can attract attention, and keeping records in perfect order is essential for any audit or forecast in the business.
Therefore….
Located somewhere on the border between a hard skill and soft skill, attention to details is essential regardless of job or responsibilities, moreover, for any level of seniority, whether we are talking about an entry-level or top management job.
Now that we understand the importance of attention to details for business it remains to be seen…
How attentive to details candidates are recruited?
To see how attentive to details is a candidate first on the list is to check the CV. Typing errors, grammar mistakes, inconsistency in the use of fonts both in terms of size and styles … A candidate who submits an application that contains mistakes tells the recruiter that he or she does not really want the job he or she applied for or is not paying attention to details. (PS for candidates: check this material carefully to make sure you are getting the right message)
Then, the attention to details can be tested in the interview. Is the candidate involved, curious to find out details about the job? His position in the interview will help the recruiter to understand how interested he is, but also to see how many details about the job he has retained. But beware: The evaluations in the interview can take various forms: from trivial questions, such as: How do you manage to detach yourself from the noise in the open office?, What methods do you use to check yourself, especially when you have short delivery times?, micro-tests of the type What color was the receptionist’s skirt? to test cognitive skills through complex tests.
So be prepared and get ready!
How we improve our attention to detail
Fortunately, attention to details is a skill we can train (it is important to do it often). Here are some things you can do to help:
- Visit new places
Maybe you try to go for a walk to work or for shopping… This time pay attention to what is happening around you and try to memorize as many details as possible. Sharpen the birds, look carefully at the trees, the plants, pay attention to the movements you make when you walk. You will be surprised to see how many details you will remember.
- Read
What is your favorite book? Try to reread it! This time from another perspective: pay attention to the action, to the motivation of the characters, to the intrigue, read the descriptions trying to widen the sphere of information that you retained at the first reading.
- Take breaks
Many times, caught up in things to do, especially at work you forget to pay attention to yourself. How often do you not drink water or realize after-hours that lunchtime is long gone?
Developing attention to details is primarily about the notice. If you want to be more attentive to what is happening around you, you must first become more attentive to what is happening to you.
- Set the phone aside, turn off the TV
Too much social media, too many temptations to distract you (especially in the context of working from home) can do you a disservice: you will start to miss the details you have noticed so far. You have one more chance: put your electronic devices aside (at least in the morning, on the way to work or before an important test or when driving…)
- Play!
Train your attention to details: look around carefully, close your eyes and try to remember as many elements as possible in detail.
Try Skillz, for example, an application that trains all the skills you want in your CV.
And if you have children around I Spy it can be a fun and useful game for exercising memory and attention to details.
- Divide big goals into smaller goals
For example, if you intend to improve your attention to detail by the end of the year, you can start with objectives such as: remembering the names of people you meet, making more compliments (this means that you notice when your colleague at marketing changed her hair color or the financial colleague changed his haircut), to remember the shopping list more easily….
Now that you know how important it is and, especially, how this skill is important for any organization, train it as often as you can. We would be happy to tell you how it goes!