We were very interested to read the 2012 report on Professionalism in the Workplace which was based on a survey conducted by the Center for Professionalism at York College of Pennsylvania. According to the report, professionalism is more prevalent in existing employees than in new hires. This year the survey was sent to HR professionals and also, for the first time, managers and supervisors. The focus of the survey is on recent college graduate hires.
Nearly a third of the 309 HR professionals and a fifth of the 312 manager/supervisors responding to the survey felt that professionalism had decreased in the past five years.
There was general agreement among both the HR and manager groups that the predominant qualities associated with professionalism are:
- Interpersonal skills
- Appearance
- Communication skills
- Time management
- Confidence
- Being ethical
- Having a work ethic
- Being knowledgeable
The qualities named most often as unprofessional by both groups were:
- Inappropriate appearance
- Lack of dedication
- Poor work ethic
- Sense of entitlement
- Disrespect
- Poor communication skills
- Lack of focus
- Poor attitude
According to managers, the worst problems associated with new employees in terms of professionalism were:
- Lack of urgency in getting a job done and poor time management (cited by 32.6 percent of managers surveyed)
- A sense of entitlement (27.2%)
- Poor performance coupled with a mediocre work ethic (23.0%)
- Poor attendance (22.2%).
We encourage you to read the full survey, which has very interesting findings in a number of areas. The 2013 report, which was just released, was conducted just among HR professionals, but notes similar findings.
We welcome you to contact us, as well. We have extensive experience working with issues around professionalism in the workplace. While the behaviors may have roots in multiple factors, in many cases organizations do not have policies in place that support and encourage behaviors that lend themselves to greater professionalism at work. We can help with policy formulation as well as helping you find the right way to address lapses in professionalism among your employees of all ages.
For more information about VITAL WorkLife, our well being solutions for organizations, including our EAP, contact us anytime, day or night.
