26 Nov
What is employee behavior?
Behavior, in simple terms, refers to the way a person acts or reacts to a stimulus or a situation. Every individual has their own behavioral traits based on physical, mental, and environmental influences.
Workplace behavior or employee behavior is a set of behavioral traits that an employee demonstrates at the workplace or while in a formal/official setting. In other words, employee behavior is how an employee reacts to various situations at work.
Read on to know why employee behavior is important, the factors that influence it, and how organizations can benefit by recognizing positive employee behavior that are important .
Why is an employee’s behavior a matter of concern?
There was a time when the only employee factor that mattered was productivity. Right now, though, the expectations and ideologies have changed. Employee attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and expectations matter as much as employee productivity.
Experts believe that employee behavior at workplace has a direct impact on the business and its success. The right kinds of behaviors act as a foundation on which the company can grow.
What influences employee behavior at work?
There are a lot of factors that influence employee behavior at work. A few of them are mentioned below.
- Work responsibilities
- Communication at the workplace
- Work culture
- Physical workspace
- Relationship with the management and peers
- Tools and technology the employee is provided with
- Kind of leadership at the workplace
- Family
What can be gained by recognizing employee behavior?
There is so much that positive employee behavior can achieve at the workplace. Here are a few key benefits.
It lowers employee turnover
When an employee behaves poorly in the workplace, it affects not only them, but also the others around them. Picking up the right employees and retaining them is challenging in all organizations. Hence, it is unfortunate if the behavior of a handful of employees affects those who are assets to the company.
Imagine spending a lot of time, effort, and money on hiring someone with a specialized skill only to find that the person is quitting because of an unpleasant work environment and negative peer behavior!
The right employment behavior at workplace can improve employee experience and bring down employee turnover rate. So, start appreciating employees for demonstrating the desired behaviour at workplace.
It increases employee engagement
There are a lot of expert definitions of employee engagement, and most of them revolve around positive behaviors and attitudes. When employees show positive behavior at work, it is easier for teams to work together. A team that works together is more engaged and can be more productive.
The importance of employee engagement is multifold. Starting from retaining top talent to encouraging learning and development, improving relationships within the organization, and developing trust, an organization where employee engagement is taken seriously and practiced grows holistically and consistently.
An employee’s behavior determines how open and how welcoming the individual is to the various employee engagement activities proposed by the organization. You could be doing an excellent job in trying to keep employees engaged. However, unless the employees are adaptable and ready, these might not make a huge impact.
Here is a list of employee behaviors that lead to increased employee engagement.
Identify employees who proactively participate in employee engagement activities and give them a place of recognition. Let them know that their attitude is something the management welcomes.
It improves employee performance and productivity
An organization runs with the combined efforts of all employees. Therefore, even if just 1-2% of your employees exhibit poor behavior, this is going to bring down the overall productivity and performance levels. Here are some problems that can arise from poor employee behavior at the workplace.
- Inability to come to a consensus
- Constant disagreement and conflicts
- Disrupted workflow when employees don’t perform at the same rate
- Lack of proper internal communication
- Dissent and spite amongst team members
Now, all these can play havoc with organizational performance. One spiteful member in a team can effectively bring down the overall team productivity.
In contrast, healthy employee behavior at workplace can boost the morale of everyone and improve both individual and team performance and productivity. In addition, having positive and friendly people to work with can keep employees satisfied with their jobs and improve the employee experience.
It improves culture
Work culture is one of the most important factors that affect employee experience. Work culture is an amalgamation of ethics, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that define the organization. The employees, together, create the work culture and carry it forward.
Have you seen workplaces where everyone is friendly, ready to help, and are cordial to one another? These are workplaces that boast a great work culture. People wait for years to get into one such organization, and the employee retention rate here is organically very high.
Such a positive workplace is a result of well-defined and good employee behavior.
Here are some examples of good behavior creating a positive work culture.
- Employees lifting one another up
- Praises and endorsements shared socially with everyone in the organization
- Practicing clear and transparent rewards and recognition practices
- The management welcoming conversations and feedback
It’s a good way to make a statement about the company’s values
What is the easiest way to make a public statement about your company’s values? Build a work environment filled with happy, cheerful, and well-behaved individuals. Your employee’s behavior is a direct reflection of the company’s values and abilities.
Employees who treat their stakeholders and peers cordially and with respect uplift the company’s image publicly. In an age where even the smallest of mistakes get blown out of proportion, it becomes imperative for organizations to hire and work with the right employees.
Employees who exhibit poor behavior internally may act out the same way with clients and customers. This is a risk that organizations need to avoid. Amicable employee behavior will help retain existing customers, get new clients, attract the right talent, and grow organically.
Conclusion
As part of the management, it is time you started recognizing and appreciating positive employee behavior at the workplace. Any behavior that is identified and recognized gets repeated. This is basic human psychology.
When you start talking about positive behaviors, your employees feel recognized and appreciated. Organizations that effectively acknowledge the right employee behaviors end up with more engaged, productive, and committed employees.
In contrast, you can also identify poor behavior at the workplace and find out ways to eliminate them. Both changes, when done together, can bring about remarkable results.
