As an employer the key thing I look for is common sense. The problem with common sense is it’s not very common.

But as a seasoned employer, the first thing I want to be sure of is the person who is working with me has common sense and can take the initiative if required. If something goes wrong they will see the problem and act on it.

If there is someone senior to them nearby, they will alert them to the problem. If not they will take action to limit the damage.

I can be confident they will step up to the plate if needed.

This applies whether there is a fire in the warehouse, an unhappy customer or client, a phone ringing unanswered or a sales opportunity about to disappear.

I need to know they will step in, act on their initiative and then step back when someone else appears whose responsibility this problem is.

And that they don’t need watching and prodding into action every day-they have the sense to see what needs to be done, and just quietly and effectively get on and do it.