And it's not those scruffy trainers you wear to work
Now it’s likely you’ve had or know somebody with a terrible boss, but have you ever thought about being a bad employee? Hundreds of male and female bosses across the UK banded together to reveal what ticked them off most about the people who work for them and - well - they had a lot to say.
In a survey commissioned by instantprint, 500 small and medium business owners were asked about their employees and their worst habits. The best way to really annoy your boss was overwhelmingly having a sour attitude at work, as more than half of those interviewed said it was the worst quality an employee could have (especially around southeast England). Lying about completed work followed closely behind at 34% and lone wolves who couldn’t stand to join the pack came in at third with 22%.
The worst employee habits according to your boss
1. Having a negative attitude 2. Lying about jobs they have completed 3. Refusal to work as a team 4. Poor manners 5. Being disorganised 6. Spending too much time on social media 7. Spending too much time on their phone 8. Poor hygiene 9. Inattentiveness 10. Procrastinating 11. Gossiping 12. Poor grammar and spelling 13. Poor phone communication 14. Making excuses for lateness 15. Poor email communication 16. Dressing inappropriately 17. Organising too many/pointless meetings 18. Constantly asking for help 19. Being a 'yes man' 20. Using the printer/office supplies etc. for personal reasons
Funnily enough, 39% of the interviewed bosses believed an employee had gone out of their way to make their life hell. They also shared what the most annoying thing someone had done to them, which included lying about eating their lunch and buying a birthday cake with their age on it.
On the flip side, bosses were also asked what employee qualities they found most attractive. To contrast the list of negative habits, having a great attitude towards work topped the list at 44%, followed by people who could communicate their ideas effectively. Those who went above and beyond their job description to perform tasks also highly impressed bosses (28%), followed by those who could sort out their work tiffs between themselves (26%).
The whole infographic from instantprint is below:
James Kinsella, the co-founder of instantprint, said of the survey: 'Interestingly, employers care less about issues which traditionally would have caused them a headache in the past...Running a business is hard work and it makes sense that [small to medium business owners] are looking for employees with a positive and proactive attitude who they can depend on when they need to.'
