Assessing Organizational Skills

Organizational skills—they aren’t as flashy, exciting or alluring as some things you might find on a candidate’s resume, but they should be considered an absolute necessity for anybody in the workforce. Think of these skills as the nuts and bolts that facilitate everyday company operations. People who hone organizational skills create a sense of structure and order for themselves and the people around them.

When searching for new team members, you can seek out candidates who bring these nitty-gritty skills to the table. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of what organizational skills are, which ones you should look for and how to interview in a way that pinpoints these transferrable abilities.

What are organizational skills?

Organizational skills are a set of techniques a person can implement to increase their productivity and efficiency while completing a task. These abilities allow them to make the most out of their time, energy, space and resources.

These skills can be “organizational” in a physical sense—in other words, related to the act of organizing. They might include maintaining a tidy work environment, keeping accurate and detailed records or storing important materials systematically. Habits like this can save time that would otherwise be spent searching for a missing item.

Organizational skills may also be intangibles, such as the ability to manage schedules, multitask, solve problems and make decisions. People with these abilities make the workplace more efficient by juggling numerous responsibilities with grace and composure. Organizational skills are useful when working independently or with a group, as they can be used to maintain focus, overcome challenges and, ultimately, get the job done.

What organizational skills are important for employers?

The list of organizational skills is long. Some people will excel in certain areas more than others. For example, an employee might have a messy, disorganized desktop; however, they never miss a deadline. Which of these two qualities is more important?

The answer is context dependent. As an employer, the particular skills you should seek in your candidates should depend on the type of business you’re running and what position you’re hiring for. Different jobs call for different areas of strength, and you should figure out what skills your team needs before posting your job opening.

Consider these two examples. Let’s say you work in hospitality and are hiring a new server for a busy hotel restaurant. Time is of the essence in this type of setting, so organizational skills such as time management, multitasking and the ability to prioritize tasks are necessary for such fast-paced work.

Now, imagine you work in an office setting and are hiring for a new secretary. Visual organization may be very important now, as this employee’s desk will form the first impression for anyone who visits your business. Also, the new secretary will be responsible for taking phone calls, scheduling appointments and sorting important documents. You’ll want someone who keeps thorough records and pays attention to detail to handle these office duties.

Examples of organizational skills

This list of organizational skills examples is rather fundamental. Many of these abilities come into play regardless of what you do for a living. If some of these skills stand out as being particularly important for your company, don’t be afraid to highlight them in any job descriptions or postings that potential candidates will see.

• Neatness
• Coordination
• Managing schedules
• Documentation
• Time management
• Multitasking
• Planning
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Delegation

How employers can assess a candidate’s organizational skills

When your business has a job opening, you may find yourself looking through application after application, unsure of exactly what you should be looking for in a qualified candidate. Aside from the hard skills required for the position, you can also look for the soft skills that will impact their performance at your company. Though it may not be explicitly stated, you can often identify when a person’s organizational skills have been developed.

Developing organizational skills

While organizational skills should be considered during the hiring process, it’s important to realize that any employee—no matter how qualified—has room for improvement. You can help your team develop organizational skills through specific training or by giving them the opportunity to learn through experience. For example, putting individuals in charge of managing projects or planning meetings gives them the chance to exercise abilities such as navigating schedules, meeting deadlines and delegating tasks.