Is Your Employees' Lack Of Business Manners Hurting Your Company?

A conference interrupted by a Lady Gaga ring tone. An unprofessional photo from the department holiday party published on YouTube. An employee who shows up on "Casual Friday" sporting ripped jeans. The obvious lack of office manners among certain staff would certainly make Miss Manners embarrassed. Here are some office manners faux pas that might be ruining moral and business:

Cell phone etiquette - For numerous businesses, cell phone communication helps staff members communicate effectively. The catch is that, for quite a few employees, these ringing mobile phones take precedence over just about anything else that could be taking place. A good way to eliminate mobile phone disruptions is to advise employees to shut off phones at the beginning of a meeting.

Social network etiquette - A few staff may not recognize that what's put up on his or her personal Facebook or Twitter account might be seen by other individuals, such as current as well as prospective employers, work acquaintances, vendors, or customers. Employees can safeguard themselves by switching user profile settings to another privacy level. That includes adjusting settings to prevent friends from "tagging" the employee with a embarrasing picture taken after a wild shindig.

Writing manners - Some of us have become accustomed to making use of acronyms and emoticons, notably in emails and texting. The problem is that this is not appropriate workplace conduct, in spite of whether or not the content is actually meant for a colleague or maybe a client. Employees should send out a acceptable message by spelling out every single word, using full sentences, and leaving the emoticons for personal tweets. KWIM?

Proper apparel - Clothes that seem to be more akin to club night than "casual dress" are an additional example of inappropriate workplace conduct. Casual tops, worn jeans, and too-tight outfits may well make colleagues and customers feel uncomfortable, which requires that supervisors may need to write dress policy recommendations.

When workers are violating office manners on a routine basis, does this mean that you should send them to etiquette classes? Surprisingly, industry experts say that business manners programs are a lot more widely used across all age ranges. Yet sending your employees to office etiquette class will not be feasible for many organizations! Despite how you may choose to handle it, whether via workshops or a company-wide policy, place the main focus on how good office manners help employees work together easily. What's more, note that appropriate workplace behavior shows a high quality image that will help build connections with all staff, from the boss and the media to vendors and clients.

Most administrators and Hr professionals would probably think that their job is not to be the workplace manners maven, however when employees don't play by good business etiquette guidelines it can be damaging for morale and lousy for business. Begin considering whether standard business etiquette guidelines will help your workforce be more cohesive and present much more like the savvy employees they are.


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Dianne Shaddock is an experienced HR consultant to small businesses who need sound management tips. Need more advice on management skills?