Accountemps Survey: Most Employees Say Workplace Etiquette Affects Career Prospects, But People Grow Less Courteous as They Rise to the Top

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Aug 05, 2014, 08:11 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- They say it's lonely at the top, and poor manners might be at least partially to blame, a recent Accountemps survey suggests. More than eight in 10 (85 percent) survey respondents said being courteous to coworkers has an impact on a person's career prospects. However, 70 percent of workers think people become less courteous as they climb the corporate ladder.

Accountemps research shows the impact of workplace etiquette on your career. Survey also reveals top workplace etiquette breaches in an open office space. (PRNewsFoto/Accountemps)

Among the rank and file, open office spaces also may give rise to bad manners. When employees were asked to name the biggest breach of workplace etiquette in this type of office environment, using a speakerphone or talking loudly on the phone topped the list (36 percent); loitering or talking around a colleague's desk ranked second (23 percent).

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 450 employees 18 years of age and older who work in an office environment in the United States.

Workers were asked, "In your opinion, to what extent does being courteous to coworkers positively impact a person's career prospects?" Their responses:

Greatly, it can accelerate advancement	44%
Somewhat, but skills play a bigger role	41%
No impact at all, it's who or what you know	14%
Don't know	2%
	101%*

*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

Workers also were asked, "In your opinion, do people become more or less courteous as they climb the corporate ladder?" Their responses:

More courteous	21%
Less courteous	70%
Don't know	7%
Refused	2%
	100%

Workers also were asked, "Which one of the following do you consider to be the biggest breach of workplace etiquette when working in an open office space?" Their responses:

Using a speakerphone or talking loudly on the phone	36%
Loitering or talking around a colleague's desk	23%
Eating foods that have strong odors	15%
Keeping a messy or cluttered workspace	14%
Leaving the phone ringer on loud	8%
Don't know/can't choose just one	4%
Something else	1%
	101%*

*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of the full research findings.

"Workplace etiquette is about being aware of how your actions affect those around you," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies^® (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "Time constraints and external pressures aren't excuses for bad behavior. While it takes more than just good manners to rise through the ranks, displaying professional courtesy will only help your career."

Added Messmer, "Open office spaces foster better collaboration, but employees should make sure their actions aren't keeping others from doing their jobs."

Robert Half, parent company of Accountemps, has produced videos illustrating poor workplace etiquette as part of the firm's ongoing video series, "Don't Let This Happen to You."

About Accountemps
Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 340 offices worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140804/133373

SOURCE Accountemps