Everyone in the workplace agrees that truly great employees are rarer than the proverbial hens teeth. It makes no difference if you are an employee yourself, or if you are a manager who is wondering how to actually find a great employee to fill a role, you know that great employees are at a premium.

What exactly is it though that makes an employee great? These top ten traits give some ideas to employers looking to hire and of course to employees who want to operate at the top of their game:

1. Dependability: Great employees are always dependable. They do the job they are supposed to do every time, and no one has to worry that they don't deliver the goods. A great employee can be counted to always have their work done right, when it is supposed to be done - it is a forgone conclusion that they will, and no one else has to spend any time worrying about it.
2. Team Spirit: Great employees are team players. They don't constantly seek out attention or hogs the limelight. Rather, a great employee works with others to make sure that the things that need to get done do get done, for the good of the company.
3. Taking Direction: Great employees know how to take direction. They know how to take criticism, direction and advice gracefully and make it work for them when doing their job.
4. Trust: Great employees don't spread office gossip and they don't dish company dirt. Likewise, they always tell the truth to their employer, even if it lands them in hot water.
5. Confidentiality: This of course is strongly linked to number 4. Great employees always guard the confidential nature of their business dealings and protects everyone's privacy.
6. Participation: Great Employees participate in the day to day life of the office. They don't bow out of meetings or skip the office birthday celebrations. These things may not be a fun part of working life, and everyone involved knows that everyone else has some place they would rather be - but a great employee wouldn't be any place else.
7. Likeability: Great employee get along with other employees. Every office has one person that is in everyone else's business and talks to loud on the phone and generally stirs things up and gets under everyone's skin. This kind of employee zaps office morale - a great employee is a good co-worker to everyone.
8. Competence: Great employees have good working skills. It may sound obvious, but a great employee has the abilities needed to do their job, and they constantly seek ways to improve, like going to training seminars or seeking further education. Great workers have great skills.
9. Tact: Great employees have tact and decorum. If there is a problem in the office, a great employee doesn't make a scene in front of everyone else. A great employee will deal with such issues with privacy and diplomacy. Further, a great employee doesn't tell tasteless, political or religious jokes, nor do they send emails that tell these kinds of jokes.
10. Attitude: Last but certainly not least, great employees have a great attitude. Bad attitudes bring everyone down. A great employee helps make work great for everyone else by having a good spirit about their job.

That's a lot of good traits to try and acquire! Don't be dispirited if you fail to match up on a number (but hopefully not all!) of them. Just work on them one at a time and you'll find your career progressing faster than you would have ever believed possible.