According to the third annual professionalism poll
conducted for the Center for Professional Excellence, professionalism is more
prevalent in existing employees than in new hires. Consistently, managers were
less likely than the HR respondents to report a lack of professionalism. When
managers specified the employee segments that most lack professionalism, they
pointed to younger employees. The generation gap in behaviors and expectations
discovered in earlier studies continues with this study.
Despite the apparent generation gap, the majority of both
managers and HR respondents feel that the definition of what is professional
should not be subject to change. The attitude appears to be that young
employees should learn to conform to current standards of professionalism
rather than the standards being modified in response to larger societal
changes.
The predominant qualities associated with professionalism
are: interpersonal skills, appearance, communication skills, time management,
confidence, being ethical, having a work ethic, and being knowledgeable.
The quality of Interpersonal skills involves several
dimensions. It includes etiquette, being courteous, showing others respect, and
behavior that is appropriate for the situation. Similarly, time management
encompasses being punctual as well as using one’s time efficiently.
The differences that exist between HR and manager
respondents are predictable. Managers more often than HR respondents name work
ethic (managers, 32.7% vs. HR, 14.2%) and time management (managers, 27.2% vs.
HR, 20.8%) as qualities of the professional. Managers are more likely to see
these qualities in existing employees than HR professionals are to experience
them in the interview process.
The qualities that define being unprofessional tend to be
the mirror image of the qualities of the professional. Again, managers name the
same qualities as do the HR respondents. The qualities named most often as
unprofessional by both types of respondents are: inappropriate appearance, lack
of dedication, poor work ethic, sense of entitlement, disrespect, poor communication
skills, unfocused, and a poor attitude.
Again, the differences that do exist between HR and
manager respondents are understandable. Managers are notably less likely to
mention sense of entitlement (managers, 9.1% vs. HR, 22.7%) and communication
skills (managers, 11.2% vs. HR, 21.0%). A sense of entitlement is probably more
apparent during an employment interview than once the person is hired. Someone
with poor communication skills may get no further than an interview.
State of Professionalism
For a sizable percentage of respondents, the state of
professionalism in employees has decreased over the past five years. A third of
the HR respondents (33.1%) and a fifth of the managers (21.2%) feel this way.
The good news is professionalism has increased for 16.0%
of the HR respondents and 27.2% of the managers. This could be one good result
of a bad economy. When asked why they believe the presence of professionalism
has increased, respondents most often observe that the poor economy and
consequent downsizing has increased the pool of applicants from which to
choose.
IT Abuses
After two years when nearly 40% of the HR respondents
indicated that IT abuses have increased, the percentage feeling this way has
increased to 51.8% this year. About a third of the managers (34.3%) report an
increase in IT abuses. Comments by the managers suggest that, while this
problem encompasses most of the workforce, it is still the younger employees
who are most likely to be engaging in this behavior.
The IT problems being witnessed are similar for both HR
and manager respondents. The most common abuses are excessive
twittering/Facebook (managers, 79.4%; HR, 82.5%), inappropriate use of the
Internet (managers, 86.9%; HR, 78.1%), text messaging at inappropriate times
(managers, 79.4%; HR, 81.9%), and excessive cell phone usage for personal calls
(managers, 64.5%; HR, 65.0%).
Worst Problems in New Employees
Managers were asked about the worst problems they see in
new employees once they are hired and working. The four mentioned by a fifth or
more of the managers are: lack of urgency in getting a job done (32.6%), a
sense of entitlement (27.2%), poor performance coupled with a mediocre work
ethic (23.0%), and poor attendance (22.2%). Often cited with the lack of
urgency was employees exercising poor time management.
The final set of
mistakes examined was activities or shortcomings that can lead to an employee’s
dismissal. For both HR professionals (50.7%) and managers (43.6%), the most
common factor that causes an employee to be fired relates to attendance. Poor
attendance includes being tardy, leaving early, and numerous absences.
