Hiring an employee is one of the single largest investments companies have to make. Employers can maximize their investment by hiring people who can handle varying tasks, rather than those who specialize in one area. It’s no surprise that productivity and versatility are quickly growing as important traits to consider in the screening process.
Smart learners understand the importance of structured learning and time management. One study shows that French people work an average of 20% less hours than the rest of the world, but make about the same amount of money. How is this possible? Productivity.
Productivity goes deeper than knowing when to answer emails or stay off of social media. It’s rooted in the desire to maximize your working hours. The best way to do this? Start learning deliberately.
Don’t throw things at a wall to see what sticks. Figure out the exact information that is necessary to help you with tasks you may be unfamiliar with. This will prevent you from wasting time learning about things you will never use. And this is exactly what smart learners do.
1. They focus
They understand it’s better to work on one task at a time. Trying to multi-task stretches your mental capacity for learning. When smart learners have a task, they focus on it until it’s completion. This allows them to put more effort into single tasks, and as a consequence, enables them to become better time managers.
2. They learn efficiently
This goes deeper than just focusing. Understanding deliberate learning allows smart learners to take advantage of their working hours and learn only the most essential information as it is required. They spend time becoming knowledgeable where it is important, and at the correct time.
Smart learners prevent themselves from becoming pre-occupied with non-essential information. Focusing on just the essentials allows them to conserve their energy and learn as much information as necessary. When they learn this way, they are often able to put their knowledge directly into action. This in turn helps to solidify what has been learned.
3. They filter information
With the internet we can search and find almost any information we want. The problem is, not all of the information is great. One strategy smart learners use, is only choosing to learn from the most credible sources. This ensures that the information is reputable and worth learning.
Filtering information to utilize only the most credible resources will boost learning productivity. As a consequence, a smart learner will learn to recognize high quality writing. Once you know what high quality information looks like, it is easy to skip over the fluff.
4. They are lazy.
This is actually a compliment. Lazy (smart) learners find the quickest way to do things. This directly falls in line with the concept of life hacking. Find the path of least resistance and get your task done quicker.
Being lazy allows learners to expend the least amount of energy possible. In turn, they are able to conserve their energy for when they really need it. Productivity is enhanced and energy is saved for only the most important information.
5. They are humble
Smart people are generally highly educated in structured environments. Smart learners have a greater ability to learn independently.
Not being given a structured environment forces learners to seek out the information on their own. Many mistakes are usually made in the process. This can be helpful for those who learn from their mistakes. Smart learners understand that they don’t know everything – and are generally less averse to risk and not afraid of making mistakes.
Hiring a smart learner enables companies to increase productive working hours. Smart learners not only seek out information on their own, but they focus on learning only the most essential information as it is required. This allows management to spend less time managing, and employees more time to focus on their tasks.
It is critical to filter information and decide on what is immediately important. Most employers can’t afford as many employees as they need. This is where hiring versatile people who can learn on their own comes in.
Hiring for the versatility and productivity that smart learners afford can save employers a lot of money. Paying one slightly higher salary is a lot better than paying three or four slightly lower salaries. Going forward, we will see employees taking on more responsibility and working in several roles.
It’s not enough to simply manage your time. You need to know how to use it effectively.
Featured photo credit: Girl and a laptop in the park via shutterstock.com
