Detail-oriented people are much valued in the workplace, as they are able to pay close attention to both major and minor details when completing a task.
Being more detail-oriented is a major skill you should add to your CV to attract more attention from the hiring team.
According to Work Chron, a career-related online page, being detail-oriented and efficient at work not only helps you perform your job functions well, but also endears you to your boss and your colleagues.
Diane Ingabire who works as a translator at the United Nations, says that a detail-oriented person is more productive and gets less stress from an unorganised working system.
"A detail-oriented person is that person that prioritises their work and manages well their tasks, because that is a skill that allows a person to give their undivided attention to given tasks. It is important because they pay more attention to details and are able to spot mistakes before they turn into bigger issues,” she says.
Ingabire stresses that lack of being detail-oriented, can sometimes make mistakes go unnoticed and create bigger issues later.
"I have seen this a lot in many businesses and companies, due to having employees and employers that don’t give much attention to their work, some end up with a workload. And if it is in service offering sectors, they start failing their objective because of not paying attention to minor details,” she adds.
Dan Nsengiyumva, a Digital Marketing Coordinator, says that having detail-oriented individuals is important for the workplace and also the individuals’ growth.
"Every workplace requires a person that delivers on time and that delivers good quality. individuals that have a keen eye for small mistakes or details, that can hinder the growth of the company are able to provide solutions that are immediate and also able to suggest possible solutions, they prioritise their task delivery and therefore are always productive because they want to excel in their position and want their company to meet its objectives and mission,” he says.
How to become more detail-oriented
According to Ezra Mugisha, a communication specialist, some people can be detail-oriented naturally, and have skills of paying attention to details naturally. But there are some that need to learn how to become detail-oriented. He shares a few tips to start with:
Work on your communication skills first
One of the first things you can do to improve your detail-oriented skills is to work on improving your communication skills. Good communication skills involve actively listening to people, being a good listener helps you understand more the tasks you are given instead of rushing to do them without listening first, he says.
Keep detailed records
You can have an agenda where you note every task assigned to you or every comment given out in the meeting in a detailed manner, this helps you to improve efficiency by reducing the amount of time you spend looking for the information you need, and also it helps you be more detail-oriented.
Time management
Time management is crucial to everyone, but it also helps a person to be more detail-oriented, scheduling your time for every task you have can help you to be more organised and avoid stress. If you have many tasks that need attention, give them much time and push the less crucial task to another time. If you try to perform them at once, it can result in missing mistakes or even making them.
Proofread your work
Proofreading is very crucial for a detail-oriented person. Before handing in the final product of your work, it is important that you check again and be more attentive, read carefully your reports to see if there are no missed points or if there are mistakes to be corrected.