AUGUST 6 — Every organisation has encountered this person. They may not be the most technically gifted member of the team. Their qualifications may not stand out, and they are rarely the loudest voice in meetings. Yet when a new project begins, colleagues instinctively hope they will be part of it.
And the reason is surprisingly simple. They make work easier for everyone around them.
In today’s workplace, where conversations often revolve around artificial intelligence, digital transformation and technical upskilling, we sometimes overlook one of the qualities that quietly influences hiring decisions, promotions and long-term career success. It is not listed on most job descriptions, nor does it appear on professional certifications. Yet managers recognise it immediately.
Quite simply, some people are easier to work with than others.
This is not about personality. It is certainly not about agreeing with everyone or avoiding difficult conversations. Every organisation needs people who are willing to challenge assumptions, ask uncomfortable questions and present alternative views. The difference lies in how they do it. Colleagues who communicate clearly, follow through on commitments, acknowledge mistakes and respect the time and contributions of others create an environment where collaboration becomes more productive rather than more complicated.
As someone who works closely with employers and young professionals, I have noticed that conversations about Generation Z often focus on digital fluency, flexibility or changing expectations of work. These discussions are important, but they sometimes distract us from qualities that matter regardless of generation. Whether someone is twenty-five or fifty-five, the ability to work well with others remains one of the strongest predictors of professional success.
In fact, I would argue that this quality is becoming even more valuable as workplaces become increasingly shaped by AI.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how work gets done. Draft reports can be generated within minutes. Routine analysis is becoming automated. Administrative tasks that once occupied hours of an employee’s day are now completed with a few well-crafted prompts. As technology continues to reduce the effort required for technical execution, the nature of work begins to shift.
The bottleneck is no longer producing information. Increasingly, it is coordinating people.
Projects still require trust. Decisions still require judgment. Teams still need individuals who can navigate differing opinions, manage expectations and maintain momentum when challenges arise. These responsibilities cannot be delegated to software. They depend on relationships built over time through hundreds of everyday interactions.
This is perhaps why employers increasingly remember not only what an employee delivered, but also how they contributed throughout the process. Was communication timely when problems emerged? Were colleagues informed early enough to adjust? Did the individual take responsibility when something went wrong? Did they give credit generously when things went well?
Professional reputations are often built through these seemingly ordinary moments. Rarely does a single presentation or annual appraisal define how someone is perceived. More commonly, it is the accumulation of everyday experiences that shapes whether colleagues develop confidence in working with someone again.
For younger professionals entering the workforce, this perspective may be particularly useful. It is natural to focus on acquiring technical certifications, mastering AI tools or expanding digital capabilities. These investments are worthwhile, and employers increasingly expect them. However, technical competence alone rarely determines who becomes indispensable within an organisation.
The professionals who leave a lasting impression are often those who reduce friction rather than create it. They respond thoughtfully instead of reactively. They prepare well enough that meetings become shorter instead of longer. They solve problems without creating unnecessary complications for others. Over time, these behaviours build something that is difficult to measure formally but easy to recognise in practice: trust.
Trust, unlike technical knowledge, compounds quietly. Every completed commitment strengthens it. Every honest conversation reinforces it. Every instance of professionalism during pressure adds another layer. Eventually, colleagues stop wondering whether they can depend on someone. They simply assume they can.
This is particularly relevant as organisations become more cross-functional and geographically connected. Teams increasingly bring together people from different disciplines, cultures and time zones. Technical expertise remains essential, but collaboration determines whether expertise translates into results. An engineer, analyst or healthcare professional who enables others to perform better contributes value beyond the boundaries of their own role.
Perhaps this is why I have become increasingly convinced that being easy to work with is not a soft skill at all. It is a professional capability. Like any capability, it can be developed deliberately through habits of communication, reliability, empathy and mutual respect.
For employers, this also presents an opportunity. During recruitment and performance evaluations, we naturally pay close attention to qualifications, experience and measurable outputs. These remain important. But we should also ask a simpler question that often predicts long-term success more accurately: does this person make the people around them better at their work?
For employees, especially those at the beginning of their careers, the same question offers a valuable guide. It shifts attention away from trying to appear impressive and towards becoming genuinely dependable. That change in perspective may seem subtle, but over the course of a career it creates a reputation that no résumé can fully capture.
Technology will continue to evolve, and the skills we prize today may look very different a decade from now. Yet organisations will always value people who strengthen teams, build trust and make collaboration more effective. In an age where technical capabilities are becoming increasingly accessible, being easy to work with may prove to be one of the few competitive advantages that becomes even more valuable with time.
* Elman Mustafa El Bakri is CEO and Founder of HESA Healthcare Recruitment Agency and serves on the Industrial Advisory Panel for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Malaya. He may be reached at [email protected]
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
