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Not only stopping at professional competence, each person needs to pay attention to the way they behave, express themselves, and the type of food they eat for lunch at the office. These are all factors that will affect the path of career development.
Need to educate yourself about workplace etiquette
Business Insider quoted Myka Meier, founder of Beaumont Etiquette, which provides business etiquette courses for companies and individuals.
Meier listed common behavioral mistakes that people, especially Gen Z young people, often make in the workplace.
Gen Z workers who are new to the workplace are still learning the ins and outs of the office, especially after spending most of their time online due to COVID-19, a format that requires little interaction.
Many Gen Zers have been criticized by older colleagues for dressing inappropriately at work, or being too open on social media. Meier recommends educating themselves on office etiquette by reading books on the subject.
"I grew up without being taught etiquette. I educated myself when I realized that there were issues that required certain rules of conduct, and I didn't know that and caused people around me to react negatively to me," she said.
According to Meier, certain rules will always remain the same, regardless of the stage, including arriving early to meetings, dressing professionally, and eating well. But the first and most important rule is showing respect to others, she adds.
“It all comes down to social intelligence. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if your emotional intelligence isn't up to par, you probably still have a lot to learn,” Meier notes.
Invite candidates out to dinner to test their manners.
The female expert shared a famous story about Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab Financial Group (USA). He often invited job interview candidates to dinner to see how they performed at the dinner table.
“Do they treat their servers well? If not, that's how they'll treat their team.
Can they eat properly and respect other people at the table? That's how they'll eat in front of customers. That's his test," Meier said.
Meier said demand for her etiquette courses has been at an all-time high since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The disruption to the workplace has left many people forgetting how to behave in the office.
It’s not just obvious misbehavior like eating smelly lunches and dressing too casually. Several major firms, including KPMG and Deloitte, say their newest recruits also lack key soft skills, thanks to the fact that they’ve spent most of their college years online.
These skills include difficulty with eye contact, collaborating with colleagues, and presenting face-to-face.
“There are certain business practices and standards that remain immutable in certain industries. Gen Z will need to adhere to those standards to succeed in specific fields,” she added.
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