Being likeable is now at the top of every company's wish list. It may not be advertised in job positions nor spoken of in performance reviews, but likeability is the X factor capable of winning over workmates, employees and, ultimately, consumers.

With the increasing importance of social media, likeability has become more of an imperative than ever before for savvy companies.

Sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter allow employers to see how well liked potential employees are. With the help of numerous review sites, this extends to customers sizing up the popularity of businesses.

Surveys have found likeable people are more apt to be hired, motivated and be trusted by others. A 2013 survey by online recruitment company TipTopJob found 86 per cent of employees who work for likeable bosses say they are more productive.

And 69 per cent of employers rank teamwork and a positive attitude as the determining factors when looking for new employers, according to a 2013 survey by management app TINYpulse.

The power of being likeable is the stuff of self-help legend.

In his 1936 bestseller How to Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie says being liked helps improve your relationships with co-workers, win more customers and earn a larger income.

Tim Sanders, author of 2005 book The Likeability Factor, defines “likeability” as an ability to create positive attitudes in other people through emotional and physical benefits.

And in his 2011 book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions, tech-guru Guy Kawasaki says: "If a company employs dislikeable people, it will be a dislikeable company. If a company hires likeable people, it will be a likeable company.”

CareerOne chief executive Karen Lawson says likeability is important for employers and employees alike, but it's not as simple as just being nice.

“I think it's key to understand what makes a person likeable,” she says.

“Likeability isn't a one-dimensional word; it's made up of elements so it's the sum of parts.”

Lawson's checklist for likeability:

Trustworthiness – a core value of likeability. Can you be relied upon for upfront honesty?

Authenticity – are you an authentic leader who consistently delivers on what you promise? “People respect and feel protected when communication is clear and consistent,” Lawson says.

Always delivering – are you available when people really need your support? “Whether it's turning up to a meeting, answering an email on time or being personally there for someone when they need it, being able to deliver is really important,” Lawson says.

Emotional intelligence – are you empathetic and good at listening? Can you communicate with others in a way they will understand?

Personality – positivity is attractive and contagious. “You can have all the business skills in the world, but most people will choose to do business with people they enjoy spending time with,” Lawson says.

“Having business skills just gets you to the negotiating table. Building meaningful business and human relationships is an altogether new level but it's where the magic happens.”

Michael Reid, director of Adelaide co-working community Majoran, says well-honed interpersonal skills were essential to getting his business off the ground.

Majoran opened its doors in July 2012 and now has 37 members and hundreds more who attend the company's workshops and seminars.

“We're trying to build a community and a big part of that is being interested in people and trying to connect to them,” he says.

“It's so important in business to be likeable – we wouldn't have got anywhere without it.”

Learning how to be likable is more than just knowing how to say the right things. For employees it's about earning respect, a skill that marketing consultant Christina Lew says goes hand-in-hand with likeability.

“It is equally important to be respected in the workforce as much as you are liked,” she says.

“I think the difficult thing for any leader is that they also have to make the hard decisions and have the hard conversations with their staff when there are business issues at stake such as sales and performance.

“It's a balancing act.”