Nine traits of an ideal employee (and how to attract them to your company)

As millions of employees leave their jobs at record rates, companies are desperately looking for top talent to join their teams. As companies seek to bolster their workforces, they must also find the best ways to attract the ideal candidates.

While there is no shortage of talent in the workforce today, there are a few ideal qualities that leaders hope to find in an employee. Below, nine members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share some of the qualities they look for in their ideal employees and what companies can do to attract them.

1. Self-sufficiency

There is no greater strain on a team's energy (an opportunity cost measured in time) than employees who need a significant amount of cajoling, handling and /or active management to run and unblock. The ideal team member applies research, critical thinking, and inquiry to find solutions and answers to the toughest problems with minimal reliance on their manager or co-workers for "give" the answer. Look for talent who has spent time doing successful freelance work (where there's no one to give you the answer) or has notable freelance side projects. Both signal the ability to perform independently and be creative. - Jake Goldman, 10up Inc.

2. Adaptability

One thing that remains constant is that everything is constantly changing. Having an adaptable employee is important for finding the rhythm and balance of the business. It's much easier and more valuable to ask someone to say, "Okay, here we go!" Let's go,” than someone who says, “Well, that's different and I don't like that. Adaptability is the key to finding solutions and moving on from problems. Without it, it's all too easy to get stuck in a no-progress zone. -Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo

3. Integrity

My ideal employee has integrity. By "integrity" I mean that the person is ethical in their business and personal affairs, that they are realistic about their abilities, that they have the humility to admit their mistakes and that they have the intelligence to learn from it. To find employees with integrity, during the interview process you can ask potential recruits to describe past mistakes they have made on the job and what they have learned from those mistakes. A person of integrity will readily admit fault and will not try to shift the blame onto other workers. They will always praise their former employers, even if they were fired. Without exception, anyone who talks about a previous job or employer lacks integrity. - Kyle Michaud, Carolina Dozer

4. Dedication

My favorite type of employee is a...