Employee behavior is defined by the actions and behaviors exhibited by an employee on the job. This includes how employees engage and interact with others, how rules and procedures are followed, the particular manner in which they complete work, and how they handle or meet stress and deadlines. Positive employee behavior reinforces cooperation, contributes to enhanced levels of morale and respect, and promotes a greater level of workflow and productivity; whereas negative employee behavior produces a poor experience, performance issues.
When organizations understand employee behavior, they put themselves in a greater position to implement work policies, advocate for the advantages of maintaining a positive workplace culture, and redirect employee behavior in a positive way. Managers are also in a more effective place to manage their teams in a supportive manner that will help them build a successful employee experience for the employees and the organization. Employee behavior also impacts the organization at various levels, including how employees communicate with each other and demonstrate attitude, to their reliability and commitment.
Employee behavior is what an individual does while in the workplace. An employee's behavior consists of how they act, their words, their attitude, and how they interact with situations, tasks, and other individuals at work. Employee behavior is usually observed in the manner in which an employee interacts with other team members, follows company protocols, manages their emotions under stress, meets deadlines, and demonstrates accountability. For example, an employee who demonstrates professionalism, is respectful to others by listening, follows through, and always completes their tasks on time, all while supporting their coworkers, has positive workplace behavior. Clearly, on the opposite end of the spectrum, an employee who is consistently late for work or consistently late on cooperating in their duties, wants to argue with others, and avoids work aimlessly, has negative workplace behaviors.
Employee behavior is important because it has a considerable impact on the workplace environment and can affect other employees' morale and the performance of the organization as a whole. The glory of positive behavior cannot be underestimated. Positive employee behavior encourages trust and builds teamwork while developing a positive working culture. Good employee behavior can help managers identify which employees are reliable, responsible, and ready to take on arises for organizational growth. Each behavior, from how employees speak to each other or how they solve problems, can affect the overall productivity and success of a workplace.
In summary, employee behavior is more than doing the job for most jobs; it's about how the job will get done, and how interpersonal relationships are maintained in the process of doing so.
Employee behavior directly influences a company's culture and values. Positive behaviors such as positively contributing, being respectful, offering help, and staying engaged create a positive culture and support trust and teamwork, which enables growth.
On the other hand, employee behavior with a culture of arguing, lack of acceptance of responsibility, laziness, or disinterest presents a negative work culture, and employee motivation is affected, which encourages stress and brings down the energy, spirit of the organization, and drives employees away. Therefore, it is important to shape positive behavior to build a healthy, strong, and supportive company culture.
1. Work Culture
Employee focus and engagement increase when they are in a safe, clean, and organized work culture. Poor working cultures, unsafe cultures, and/or disrespectful cultures apply stress and are less productive.
2. Managerial Style of Leadership
Generally, managers who are fair (i.e., agreeable, supportive) with respect to employees can positively influence employee behavior. Conversely, managers with poor managerial style can inhibit employees from acting in a way that is clear, confident, and frustration-free.
3. Policies
When employees in an organization have clear standards and policies, expectations for behaviors are clear. When the rules or policies are ambiguous, that can lead to going through the motions and disengaged employees.
4. Rewards and Recognition
When employees are rewarded for "acceptable" and "desired" behaviors, the employee feels valued, and that fosters active, positive work behavior. Without any rewards and recognition, nothing fosters demotivation faster.
5. Peer Influence
Employees widely systematically mirror or copy behavior. If coworkers use positive behavior, it will show others that there is positive, acceptable behavior in the workplace. Negative peer influence or behavior can quickly become a bad habit in the workplace.
6. Personal Life and Emotions
Stress or problems in life could easily affect an employee's behavior at work. How the management, leaders, or administrator use their visible understanding to support could make a difference for an employee.
1. Provide Regular Feedback
As feedback and suggestions arise, provide them immediately. Acknowledge well done and point out dangerous habits tactfully. Frequent feedback keeps everyone on track.
2. Verbalize Expectations
As previously discussed, show the employee, 1:1, the behavior you expect from the employee. An example may vary from punctuality, behavior, respect, and collaborative teamwork. If they understand the expectations, you will usually see a behavior change.
3. Engage, Train, and Develop
Train employees on communications and teamwork. Once the organization takes the lead to teach the broader topic and issues, the employees will change their behaviors not only due to the company but also help the new employees learn classroom topics.
4. Engage Open Communication
Encourage employees to provide ideas, feedback, and voice concerns. It is common in the workplace that an environment that allows people to voice ideas creates less stress and produces more productive employees.
5. Model Acceptable Behaviors
Management should not only tell people how to act but also show it through their conduct. People often do what they see more than what they have been told to do.
6. Engage in Recognition and Rewards
When employees feel acknowledged and valued, whether it is a small contribution or a big contribution, they have positive feelings about the work they are doing and are more likely to stay the course. An employee hears "thank you" and feels encouraged or motivated to repeat the same behavior.
7. Engage in Mental Wellness Support
Help people out during hard times and be compassionate and patient during difficult times. If an employee is stressed or emotional, let them know you can see that they may be struggling. Your calls and emails will mean a lot to them.
Some indicators of employee behavior that can be measured may include punctuality, cooperation with colleagues, completing the work within a specified period, and following procedures as described by the organization. The necessary behaviors that can contribute to a healthy workplace experience are cooperation and honesty. Whether someone may operate in a manner that appears disrespectful/dismissive or is routinely late can lead to an unproductive atmosphere, and perhaps moral issues.
Each behavior, positive or negative, sends a message. The more positive behaviors employees show, the more productive and happier the workplace becomes.
