Editor's note: Happy Hour is an HR immersion column written by reporter Ginger Christ. Follow along as he dives into some unusual HR news.
Let's be realistic; The COVID-19 pandemic, and the social and physical isolation it has brought, has made getting dressed a little strange for all of us.
Now, as organizations continue to bring employees back into the office or move to permanent remote and hybrid installations, these features are re-emerging.
To curb unprofessional and perhaps downright weird behavior, company leaders provide employee etiquette training. A July survey of more than 1,000 executives by ResumeBuilder.com found that 45% of companies already offer courses, while 18% plan to start by 2024.
And managers say the courses are working. According to the survey, those who already offer specialization courses said that the courses were very (65%) but (34%) successful.
The reasons why companies need training range from employees wearing too much casual clothing, to not being able to hold polite conversations like politics or religion at work, to not being able to write professional letters.
Word on the (internet) street was like. When I asked readers on social media what they thought of etiquette classes, they expressed concern that employees wear pajamas to work, take too long to answer emails, and don't respect other people's time. (This is a good time to mention that I used to drop my heels at my desk and walk around the office in slippers from my previous job. I mean, I always wear slippers when I'm on the clock, but now I work all the way to in home.)
However, some online courses question the need for such courses, calling them "an unnecessary waste of time and money" and "busy and important work". Others said such training should be voluntary to avoid micromanaging employees and promote "more open employee development."
Mike Chappell, co-founder and CEO of FormsPal, an online legal document platform, said the courses encourage a "collaborative work environment." The company has improved its offerings to focus more on virtual etiquette, taking into account time zones, managing video call fatigue and communicating effectively online, due to the "curve ball" of working in distance that slips into the flow of daily work. river, Chappell said.
"We believe that training in office etiquette is important, not just for newbies, but for everyone on the team," Chappell said.
10% of managers surveyed by ResumeBuilder.com said training is necessary for Gen Z and graduates, while 60% said training is necessary for all workers.
Yang Pham, co-founder and financial consultant at online business news agency Bizreport, said her company initially offered training to new hires as part of the hiring process, but quickly realized that training in office etiquette could benefit all employees.
"As we observed a decline in interpersonal skills and professional behavior in the workplace, we realized there was a growing need for this type of training," Pham said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly increased the demand for office ethics training. With the shift to remote work and reliance on digital communication, employees have had to adapt to new ways of interacting with colleagues.
