The Most Important Dependability Skills (With Examples)

You may be wondering: what is dependability in the workplace? Being dependable is a number of traits and skills rolled up together, meaning that what makes someone dependable isn’t just one or two things. It’s a combination of specific soft skills, work ethic, and dedication.

Here are several examples of dependability at work:

1. Punctuality. Being on time is more than just common courtesy. It’s one of the clearest measurable examples of dependability, and it’s a sign of respect for your employer’s time and the time of your coworkers. But in addition to clocking in on time, dependable employees arrive ready to work immediately. They don’t saunter around the office for half an hour making breakfast and stopping by every person’s desk to chat about the movie they watched last night.
2. Communication. Among many other personal skills, dependable employees can communicate with their team, whether that means stepping up into a leadership role and delegating tasks, voicing a concern to management, training a coworker, or any number of examples. Good verbal communication comes from a state of confidence and authority, which are prominent traits in dependable employees. Their ability to provide honest assessments and easy-to-follow instructions to their teammates helps to reduce miscommunication and confusion in the workplace.
3. Time management. While this term has become a bit buzzwordy, it’s an extremely important skill to master. Reliable people make effective use of their time. And this is one of the most important dependability skills, as its effect are fourfold:
   • Meeting deadlines. Getting your work done on time is a major aspect of dependability. If a task is assigned to a reliable person, the expectation is that it’ll be done on time and properly. And, if something does go wrong, you’ll get a heads-up.
   • Balancing workload. An overlooked aspect of dependability is knowing how to balance your workload. If you take on too much, you won’t be able to get it done properly or on time, and therefore you wouldn’t be dependable.
   • Planning. Knowing how to plan out your tasks and your time is a huge aspect of time management. How you spend your time and how much time it takes you to get things done are important to be able to plan for.
   • Responsiveness. You have to build in time to get back to your coworkers. Not only does this end up saving time overall as your coworkers won’t have to chase you down, but they’re more likely to prioritize you if you’re on top of helping them.
4. Self-sufficiency. If you’re a reliable employee, you won’t need to wait for express instructions. You’ll find something to work on or improve, and you’ll be able to diagnose and solve problems on your own. Being dependable also means that you’ll own up to mistakes, or ask for help if something is beyond your capability to handle alone.
5. Being detail-oriented. Dependable employees understand that every piece of a project needs to be done correctly. They’re eagle-eyed and quick to catch errors no matter how small, then resolve any issues immediately. They don’t turn in projects that haven’t been carefully checked and double-checked for accuracy.
6. Following company policies. While dependable employees are often innovators looking for ways to improve efficiency, they’re also respectful of the rules that the company has put in place. They understand that those policies aren’t there just as a suggestion; a lot of time and planning went into the employee handbook. That being said, a dependable employee may notice that a frivolous policy could be negatively impacting the business and reach out to a manager with an idea to reform it.
7. Teamwork. An employer needs to count on employees to not only help customers but also to help each other. Dependable employees are tremendous assets when it comes to training new employees the right way. They also catch and correct mistakes among their coworkers and don’t hesitate to offer a helping hand. At the end of the day, reliable employees recognize that they are part of a bigger team, and when the team succeeds, the individual employees succeed as well.
8. Organization. While this trait is necessary for several of the ones above, it deserves its own mention. Reliable employees take notes, plan ahead, and keep track of their projects. Being organized allows you to follow through on commitments, manage your time properly, react to snags in the process, and keep your boss up to date on your progress.

How dependable employees can benefit a company

Dependable employees can have a large positive impact on a business. Having employees that are engaged and effective makes a huge difference in productivity, as well as how their coworkers behave.

Dependable employees have the benefits of:

• Not needing to be constantly managed. This can save leadership time and money, as you won’t constantly have to be checking in on your employees.
• Being proactive. Reliable employees will search for problems to solve, even if it isn’t something that is immediately obvious. They also aren’t deterred if something “isn’t their job,” so long as it’s within their power to solve.
• Punctuality. While being on time seems like a small thing, the fact that they’re where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be makes managing the company easier.
• Taking responsibility. A dependable employee will take the blame when they make a mistake. They’ll also accept responsibility for their tasks and make sure they’re doing it properly.
• Offering help. Dependable employees aren’t only dependable to management — they’re dependable to their team. They’ll offer help with projects, be responsive to queries, and offer their assistance where they can.
• Following the rules. Rules are created to serve a purpose, and a reliable employee knows this. Even if they don’t agree with every guideline, they’ll work to follow it. Barring that, they’ll be open to discussing altering the rule to make it more effective.

How to improve your dependability skills

• Be on time. Set alarms, tell yourself you need to be there five minutes earlier than you actually do — whatever it takes to show up to work, meetings, and appointments on time. It takes work and organization, but it is possible to get in the habit of being timely.
• Don’t take on too much. A significant part of being dependable is doing what you say you’re going to do, and you can’t do that if you say yes to too much. Keep a calendar and to-do list, and consult them before you take on a project. People will be less disappointed when you say no upfront than when you say yes and don’t do it.
• Organize your tasks. Find a system for keeping a calendar of deadlines and to-dos so that nothing falls through the cracks. This looks different for everyone and may take some trial and error, but it’s worth the effort.
• Write down everything. Carry around a notepad and pen so you can write down to-dos, details for projects, and other information that you don’t want to forget. This will help you ensure you do everything you need to do the way you need to do it.
• Don’t give up. Dependable people don’t throw in the towel when they encounter obstacles: They push through and figure out a way to get it done anyway. Get in the habit of not giving up by practicing this at work and in your personal life.
• Look for things to do. If you have a light workload or a slow day, don’t just sit and scroll social media or distract your coworkers. Organize your files or the supply closet, research new project ideas, or ask your coworkers if you can help them with anything.

Final thoughts

Dependability is, without a doubt, one of the most important leadership qualities you can list on your resume. Noting specific examples with provable metrics of what makes you dependable is going to have a big impact.

When providing references, make sure you carefully consider who may be talking about you and what they might say. If you’re dependable, you’ll want to choose professional references who will attest to that along with your other core competencies instead of listing your old college roommate who would describe you simply as “awesome.”

Choose a colleague or supervisor with whom you are on good terms and are likely to talk about your professional strengths. You’ll want to list a reference who has seen you in action and can not only cite specific examples, but also discuss the impact your actions and attitude had on the company, team, customers, profits, efficiency, or all of the above.

Demonstrating your dependability to a potential new employer isn’t as straightforward as taking a typing test to prove your skill. It develops as part of your track record and reputation. When creating your resume and cover letter, think carefully about what specific traits or achievements make you reliable and how you can demonstrate your dependability in just a few talking points.

Dependability skills FAQ

1. Is dependability a good skill?Dependability is a vital skill. Being dependable means that others can rely on you and that you’ll do what you say you’ll do. It also means that you’ll take care of what needs to be done.
2. What makes a dependable employee?Dependable employees are punctual, helpful, responsible, and honest. They do their assigned tasks without supervision, help others when asked, and consistently meet deadlines.
3. What is dependability on the job?Dependability on the job is doing your job without being reminded or asked, helping your coworkers, and being proactive. That means that you’ll take care of other things that need to be done if you’ve finished your work and that you can be relied upon to help others when they need it.
4. Why are dependability and reliability important at work?Dependably and reliably make projects and workplaces run much smoother. Dependable employees are much more productive, so employees get a lot more out of their salaries. It also allows for projects to be done on time, and for management to not have to micromanage their direct reports.

References

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