SPRING 2015 | MARINE TECHNICIANTODAY
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and decided to stay home. What??? No call from the employee,
no consideration for the company who hired him, no foresight to
understand that there was a job waiting to be done nothing!
When I was told that this had happened, I was totally floored. I
couldn’t believe that this gem in the rough turned out this
way. Whether this is a generational gap issue, or just plain rude,
it happened.
My thoughts as a result of this experience is now to be sure to
inform all employees exactly what you expect as an employer,
and what they should expect from you as an employee. We can
no longer assume the person being hired knows what you want,
even though it may seem obvious that they should call in to report
sick, or if they are not going to show up for work that day. Most
of us wouldn’t give this a second thought. However, for whatever
reason, younger people may not have this in mind. Whether or not
this type of courtesy is as embedded in their DNA as we may think it
should be, the bottom line is we have to communicate what it is we
want as the employer or manager. This is where the communication
gap needs to be bridged between an older generation that does the
hiring and the younger employee.
Many people today lack the soft skills required for the workplace
environment. The biggest culprit for this lack of soft skills can be
blamed on the internet, with its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
They require no face-to-face interaction. And the constant text
messaging people do on their cell phones and tablets robs us of
the interpersonal skills that are required for growth. Most of the
old-timers acquired these skills this by interacting with family and
friends, and gaining interpersonal skills by interacting with the
world in general.
For young adults who have grown up in a society that celebrates
consumerism and status, the old work ethic seems hopelessly
old-fashioned. When you do find an employee that shows promise
and has the right attitude, perhaps you should consider sending
that person to a communication seminar to help them polish up
what may have been lost in the formative years because of the
aforementioned technologies.
People struggle between “success and self-fulfillment.” We do find
that today’s youth expect much more in way of intrinsic rewards
and immediate reward. Some are simply willing to stay employed
while others are focused on beliefs, values, and principles. We,
as employers, must redefine work ethics to reflect the attitudes,
desires, and behaviors needed if we are going to make meaningful
changes in worker behavior. Work-related social skills and habits
are the most important entry-level skills sought in employees.
Dependability and proper attitudes were ranked highest in a recent
study. Cognitive and psychomotor skills may not be as important for
job survival as is positive work ethics and values.
Can we teach work ethics?
While we cannot undo years of experiences and behaviors that
shape the moral character of the worker, we can demonstrate
acceptable behavior for our business. Worker behavior is learned in
the educational process and in the formative years of development.
Teaching experiences have a direct impact on the development of
work ethics in students, so this is carried over into their employment
years. You cannot teach work ethics effectively if you do not
understand the developmental stages a person went through that
developed their past experiences.
Generally, people today are lacking in areas known as work ethics.
Components of work ethics instruction must include work habits,
values, and attitudes. Certain types of work values and attitudes
can and should be taught. The most frequently taught values and
attitudes are punctuality, dependability, reliability, responsibility,
dedication, honesty, conscientiousness, ambition, cooperativeness,
helpfulness, adaptability, and resourcefulness. If we can express
these values to our employees in what we expect in the work
place, then we have a chance of developing a team to meet these
company goals.
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