the workspace people
Image by Brett Jordan
Whilst having a tailor-fit office space for your business is a key element in its overall success, productive companies only truly become ‘well-oiled machines’ when harmony amongst employees is achieved.
So what makes the perfect team and which office personality types – in the eyes of the nation – have a less positive effect on the internal workings of organisations throughout the UK?
We’ve carried out a fun, tongue-in-cheek nationwide survey of over 1,500 people to find out just that. Which office personality do people in the UK dislike working with the most? The results are in:
Number 1 - ‘The Office Know-it-all’
With 35% of the public vote, ‘The Office ‘Know it All’ is officially the most disliked office personality type in the UK. The ‘Know it All’ particularly irks people nearing retirement age and workers from Wales. If you work alongside either of those demographics, it might be time to change your behaviour… and fast.
Number 2 - ‘The Office Slacker’
No one likes a lazy colleague, most notably Londoners, who rank ‘The Office Slacker’ as the personality type they dislike working with the most. With 32% of the votes, here’s a message for work-shy individuals across the nation – it’s either time to change your attitude, or cross London off your ideal places to work list.
Number 3 – ‘The Office Suck-up’
Guilty of laughing at every joke the boss makes, ‘The Office Suck-up’ received 17% of the overall votes, with the good people of the North East and Scotland particularly unimpressed with colleagues who try to worm their way to the top.
Number 4 – ‘The Office Tight-arse’
With 8% of the votes, ‘The Office Tight-arse’ is certainly irritating, but in truth the results against this personality type are not too damning. In recent years it has been a time of metaphorical belt tightening for most, so maybe being a little bit of a Scrooge isn’t such a bad thing. Either way, if you are ‘The Office Tight-arse’, it’s probably best to steer clear of people in the West Midlands, who expect their colleagues to display the utmost generosity and goodwill at all times.
Number 5 – ‘The Office Joker’
This one could be construed either way, with only 7% of the votes, the Office Joker comes bottom of our list and is the most liked personality type. Being the office joker can help to raise morale in the team, however we all know that one person who can take a joke a little bit too far. If you’re looking for an audience for your pranks and jokes, then 35-44 year old men in London are not a good place to start!
Image by Thrifty Look
Now it’s your turn – take our quick scenario quiz below and find out what type of office personality you are!
1. For you, the office water cooler is an opportunity to
A) Switch the hot and cold taps around and watch the chaos unfold
B) Tell everyone else in the office who’ll listen that they shouldn’t drink from it due to the dangers of bacteria in the water caused by gradual decomposition of the plastic container
C) Keep the boss hydrated to boost your chances of a promotion
D) Drink 10 glasses at a time. All those toilet breaks shave minutes off the working week
E) Decant the water into your own containers and take it home
2. A new bar opens near the office and a work night out has been arranged, do you?
A) Tell a couple of your colleagues that they have to wear a tuxedo to the night out and they must have missed the memo
B) Attend to humour others, but you’ve already been twice yourself and read all the reviews. You know it’s terrible and can’t believe your colleagues would want to go there
C) Get to the bar before everyone else and buy the boss a drink. A little alcoholic lubrication goes a long way to earning that promotion
D) Use it as an opportunity to leave work early under the pretense of ‘saving everyone a stool at the bar’
E) Peek through the window outside the bar until you see the first round has been bought… then make your entrance
3. A new photocopier-printer has just been bought and installed in your office. Which of the following are you most likely to do?
A) Photocopy your backside
B) Comment that from your extensive research you know it isn’t the most robust model on the market and it’s only a matter of time before it breaks down
C) Tell the boss you’d be happy to monitor and report back on anyone using the photocopier-printer inappropriately. That promotion must be close now
D) Constantly open up the photocopier-printer to check on cartridge and paper levels. It’ll be home time before you know it!
E) Print your personal files and paperwork out at every opportunity
4. A young student is in the office on a week’s work experience, do you?
A) Tell them you’re all out of checkered paint and to go to the hardware shop and ask for a long weight
B) Walk up to them and say “You think youth is on your side, but experience counts for everything in this business. You’ve a lot to learn”
C) Tell the boss you’re happy to spend the whole week closely mentoring the work experience employee, even if it means doing your own work when you get home. You’re that dedicated! Anything to help that promotion along
D) Take the whole week off sick to get out of the training you were meant to prepare for them
E) Offer to take them out for lunch… then tell them you forgot your wallet and make them pay for it
5. You’re asked to go out and buy some doughnuts for an important meeting. What do you do?
A) Buy some plain doughnuts then fill them with mayonnaise. “‘Custard’ doughnut anyone?”
B) Write a 15 page email on the negative health effects of eating fatty foods, including links to medical reports and statistics on doughnut related deaths
C) First, buy everyone a plain sugar doughnut. Next, drive 37 miles to Krispy Kreme to get the most expensive, glorious looking doughnut known to man. Then it’s back to the office to present it to your boss on a silver platter. If this doesn’t get you promoted, what will?
D) Walk the two miles to the shops instead of driving there. After all, it’s a nice day outside and it would be rude not to take your time. That’s shaved a few hours off the working day nicely
E) Refuse. Even though you’ll be given the money back in a few days, there is no way on earth you’re missing out on the 0.001% interest you will earn from keeping your cash in the bank
So, which office personality are you? Find out below:
I answered A to the majority of questions:
You’re ‘The Office Joker’. Always quick to make light of any situation and never miss the opportunity to play a practical joke on your colleagues. You’re the centre of attention at office parties and people look to you to cheer them up. On the other hand, you can be a nightmare in meeting scenarios where you have been known to struggle to contain your energy.
I answered B to the majority of questions:
You’re ‘The Office Know-it-all’. Never short of an opinion or two, you’ve got all the answers and probably even know the question before it has been asked. Keeping up to date with the latest piece of technology or industry news is no problem for you, as you more than likely had something to do with creating it (in your head at least).
I answered C to the majority of questions:
You’re ‘The Office Suck-up’. Always keen to let everyone know you’re working on a Saturday, or fetch your boss a drink, you may not be the most popular figure in the office but your sucking up tactics might just help you to go all the way to the top.
I answered D to the majority of questions:
You’re ‘The Office Slacker’. Working 9-5 is no way to make a living, not in your eyes anyway. You’ll stretch out any opportunity to be away from your desk – from prolonged visits to the water cooler, through to volunteering to go and buy the milk for the tea round. Oh and you’re good at delegating tasks to other people too – very good at it in fact.
I answered E to the majority of questions:
You’re ‘The Office Tight-arse’. Stealing paperclips, taking toilet paper from work to use at home and even refusing to contribute to the company’s charitable cause, you’re the embodiment of the phrase ‘short arms, deep pockets’.
We recommend taking your results with a pinch of salt, as we are aware that no one truly falls into any one category and a healthy mix of behaviours is what makes the world go around.
Once you have your results, feel free to share them for fun with your friends and colleagues on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook, or tweet us directly @Flexioffices using #FlexiPersonality.
