Not everyone has all the same abilities and characteristics, which is the reason an employer goes through the search process to find the right person for a job.

Many job seekers want to know if there are certain characteristics that every employer wants. Actually, there are character traits mandatory for most every job. If the employer does not believe you possess these traits, you are going to face a barrier to being hired.

An important aspect of the process is conveying these attributes to the employer. This can be done through the use of a resume and a cover letter, and in any subsequent interviews.

One of the most essential attributes is getting along with co-workers. Managers frown on conflict in the workplace. A friendly, cooperative attitude makes work an easy place to be every day. It typically results in greater productivity. Greater productivity means upper management is happier, often resulting in greater pay raises and bonuses for everyone, including you.

Similarly, getting along with the boss is paramount. A top reason for being fired is not working well with management, particularly with the immediate supervisor. If your prospective boss believes the two of you won’t get along, you have a slim chance of being hired.

Part of showing respect to both management and your co-workers is to be at work on time. Most employers need their employees to be where they are supposed to be at a specific time for good efficiency. Not having a punctual workforce results in chaos and reduced productivity.

Within the same realm is good attendance. Employers cannot have their employees taking off any time they feel like it. Besides impacting production, it places additional strain on managers and coworkers. A history of this behavior, without a good reason, such as sickness, can also result in loss of employment.

Honesty is a characteristic few employers can do without in their workers. If you have a reputation of dishonesty, your chances of finding a job are not good. No matter what the organization, trust is important to its success. All types of businesses have had instances of failure because of the lack of this characteristic in employees and management.

Part of trust is living up to promises. Trust is something all employers need from their workers. This can mean getting back to customers in customer service departments or meeting deadlines for completion of a project. Do you want to be around a person who does not keep promises? Not keeping your word will often lead to the loss of employment.

Another attribute cherished by employers is the following of directions, of set parameters and of organizational standards. Managers need to know that what they ask for from workers is forthcoming. Their supervisors are in turn expecting the same from them. If everyone makes up his/her own rules and directions, chaos results and little gets done.

Within all of these characteristics is one underlying attribute, and that is productivity. All organizations, no matter how large or small, must have productive workers to survive. Hardworking employees are the foundation of every successful entity. That is why, when looking for prospective employees, hiring managers look for these fundamental characteristics in their new hires. You must let the employer know this is what you are about.

No matter what occupation you are in or seeking and no matter what industry it is in, displaying these characteristics is important to success. The lack of any one of them can mean the loss of a job or not being hired at all.

M.B. Owens is a Nashville-based columnist and journalist with a decade of experience writing on employment topics and business.