What makes a great employee at a small business? In today's economy, these traits often are hard to come by, and many companies must turn to in-depth training programs to craft the type of staff member they need the most.

With that said, however, there are still candidates out there that possess some unique skills. Finding these people can be a major boost to any company's financial plan, so they should be looked for during the hiring process.

In order to get started, here are three traits that comprise fantastic employees at a small business:

1. Ambition
This is perhaps one of the most important characteristics for any worker. According to Forbes, ambition is one of the motivating factors behind a desire to help the company grow. If employees don't want to further their own careers, there is a good chance they won't care about the mission statement and the overall goals. So, ambition is what allows them to be creative, work together and share ideas in a productive manner.

2. Honesty
In addition to ambition, small business employees need honesty. Forbes noted that this trait is required in a quality staff member, regardless of whether or not they have an abundance of talent. Honesty will bring with it integrity and honor, which means these staff members are more likely to be kind, polite and good team players. As an added bonus, honest people often do better with clients, which can be a serious benefit to a small business looking to grow.

3. Intuition
Intuition is extremely important for an employee. According to Inc. magazine, this trait will allow candidates to make educated decisions for themselves, and properly evaluate the situations around them. As a result, they could need less coaching and direction, and be ready to perform on their own right off the bat. 

"I've interviewed a lot of people and they sometimes don't realize that it will take me five minutes to get my head in the game," Sandrine Mangia-Park, vice president of marketing at The Grommet, told the news source. "I might have just come from a demanding meeting, another interview or received bad news. They should not throw their best stuff at me immediately."

Intuition will allow a potential hire to gauge a situation like this correctly and respond properly. This trait especially comes in handy during a job interview, when the first few minutes are often spent judging character and building a rapport.