Entering a workplace for the first time can be overwhelming for everyone; you’ll start to find yourself in new situations and meeting new people from all roles and rankings. Workplace Etiquette may be something you’ve never even thought of, we all know we should be polite and well-mannered but a little help on knowing what you should and shouldn’t do will go a long way.
Do;
- Sit and stand up straight – keep a good posture, slouching makes you appear uninterested and unprofessional.
- Learn names, learn them quickly – Write them down, keep business cards. Being unable to remember a person’s name may be interpreted as a sign that you don’t value them,
- Shake hands – firmly shake the hand of the person you are meeting/being introduced to, it comes across polite.
- Try to return emails/phone calls within 24 hours, a fast response is polite; you should also always include something in the subject box of the email.
- Respect other people’s space –e.g. knock before entering someone’s office.
Don’t
- Interrupt someone, especially when they are on the phone, you could endanger an important phone call they may be having.
- Send inappropriate emails, or anything that you wouldn’t say face to face.
- Talk down to anyone – show everybody respect and don’t make judgements on peoples role in the workplace, no matter on their level of role.
- Gossip.
- Be late for work or for meetings – it makes you appear uninterested or unprofessional.
- Criticise anyone publicly – no one likes being humiliated
- Get distracted – appearing distracted in meetings or conversations is rude, 27% of CFO’S cited this as the biggest offence!