15+ Unspoken Rules of Professional Etiquette
One of the most important, yet least-discussed, concepts in your journey as a first generation professional is corporate etiquette.
Often rife with unspoken traditional expectations, corporate etiquette can be difficult to absorb without prior exposure (and awkward to navigate even with assistance from mentors). In this Article, we provide a refresher on the basics of professionalism, pose updates to conventional wisdom, and generally advise on how to put your best foot forward at work.
In-Office
Whether you are virtual or in-person, there are certain behaviors you should observe while corresponding with coworkers.
Be on Time
Generally a good practice in any scenario, being on time shows you respect your coworkers schedule and attention. Practicing punctuality also shows you can manage your time well, which creates a positive impression of accountability and trustworthiness.
Observe the Dress Code
Most offices have a dress code, which is usually determined by your industry or area of business. Dress code is often covered during orientation or onboarding, and HR will be able to answer any questions you may have. When it doubt, dress more formally and adjust once you observe how others in the office are attired.
If you meet with clients or prospective clients, dress in more formal business attire. This can help clients feel more comfortable. Striving to copy your manager's style or level of formality can help ensure you dress appropriately. (7).
If HR is not involved in your onboarding, you can always ask your manager or supervisor for best practices. Feel free to inquire via email, even prior to your first official day in the office. If you are unsure about appropriate business attire, ask your manager or supervisor for tip
Check out FGPM’s Attire: How To Follow Dress Code Without Sacrificing Personal Style
Respect Shared Spaces
One of the least-spoken rules of professional etiquette is treatment of shared spaces, both physical and digital. Your shared physical spaces could be the actual office building, conference rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, and lobby area. Your digital spaces could be your project management software or any shared computer drive folders. (2).
Hopefully, you have a work environment that makes you feel comfortable to express yourself and occupy space. That being said, nobody likes a messy roommate - be sure to stay organized, clean up after yourself, put any used dishes in the appropriate place, follow any labeling protocols, and so on. Some of these rules may be outlined in your Employee Handbook so make sure you are aware of any professional expectations.
Say Your Full Name
When introducing yourself to new coworkers, be sure to use your full and complete name. Further, if at any point, your coworkers mispronounce your name, be sure to correct them!
Shake Hands Appropriately
Ah, yes, the handshake. We have all experienced good and bad introduction handshakes, but a good handshake will be brief, firm, and respectful.
If you’re the host or the higher-ranking person, regardless of gender, extend your hand first. Mind that it’s not the greetings only, but also the gesture that demonstrates your confidence level. (3).
When introduced to a new person, extend your whole hand, not just the fingers, grasp their hand for two - three seconds, and make strong eye contact.
Note about names: During this introduction, you will receive your new acquaintances name.
Using someone's name when speaking with them can convey your respect and attention. Always call someone by their preferred name, and refrain from using nicknames unless they ask you to. (7).
While there are many methods to effectively remember names, do not feel badly about asking your coworker to repeat themselves. You can also ask your supervisor to remind you of names later.
Do Unto Others
The golden rule also applies to the workplace: do not behave in a manner toward your colleagues that you would not appreciate yourself. This includes avoiding office gossip and being honest with your colleagues.
All of your colleagues deserve respect, even though they are not always respectful towards you. It's essential to learn to acknowledge other people's religious views, political opinions, and sexual preference. You don't have to agree with them all the time, but maintaining respect is proper etiquette. (5)
Also consider the language you use in your speech. While you should feel comfortable sharing your personality at work, choose your words carefully, limit cursing, reply with grace, and avoid personal comments toward your coworkers. (5).
Another aspect of office respect is accountability. If you have accidentally committed offense against a coworker, take accountability for the mistake and apologize.
This personal accountability is closely related to honesty and integrity and is a vital element in workplace etiquette. Accountability speaks about your character, keeps your reputation high, and builds better workplace relationships. (5).
That being said, if a coworker has offended you in their words or actions, accountability also includes asking them for an apology. If the offense was particularly egregious, or rises to the level of HR involvement, bring in your manager or supervisor immediately.
Know Your Audience
Another best practice for office etiquette is leveraging the communication style of your intended recipient, if known to you at the time of the correspondence. If your office conducts DiSC assessments, or any other communication style exercise, take your recipients style in account when corresponding, especially during your first few rounds of communication.
When you communicate in a style that a recipient prefers, you can increase your chances of a polite and timely response. Someone who typically communicates via work email may not respond if they receive a text message. Others may prefer to speak directly on the phone, as they don't regularly check their email messages. (7)
By considering your recipient, you will build rapport with your coworkers and demonstrate respect for their time and work preferences.
In Email
Email etiquette has an entirely distinct set of rules from traditional office etiquette, from acceptable response times, to tone, to content. Check out this list of tips for the basics.
Proofread:
Be sure to proofread your emails for spelling, clarity, and conciseness and leverage any built-in proofreading tools from your email platform. When in doubt, “gut check” your response with a manager or trusted coworker.
Tone:
Be polite and professional. You want to imagine you are conveying the same tone and message content as you would in-person. Be sure to use proper pronouns, salutations, and good manners in your correspondence.
Timing:
Respond to your emails as timely as possible.
Proper email and team communication etiquette means responding to people in a timely manner, even if that means setting up an automatic response for when you’re out of the office. While you don’t need to respond within minutes, aim to respond within one or two business days.
Brevity:
Keep it short. When responding to email, be sure to address the questions posed to you by the sender, provide basic context for your response, and offer to answer any further questions. If you are seeking information from your recipient, be sure to pose questions in an easily-readable format and, if possible, provide any available background information or prior understanding that may aid in their response.
On Video
As we continue to participate in virtual meetings, be sure to observe proper and respectful on-video etiquette.
Be cognizant of creating distractions:
One way to ensure the conversation focus stays with the speaker is to mute your microphone when you are not speaking. This will prevent unintentional distractions and background noise. Further, minimize movements that could distract others, such as eating, fidgeting, or checking email (or texts!) on the side. This also applies to verbal interruptions, such as jokes or side conversation; since the microphone will focus on the immediate speaker, you may distract from the main conversation.
Pay attention:
The same rules of in-person body language apply to video calls; observe positive posture and engage with the conversation through your facial expression. An overly relaxed demeanor may give the impression that you are not paying attention or have your mind on other work.
Through simple gestures or replies, paying attention tells people that you care and value their opinions. Most of the time, showing attention is about your body language. Actively listen to the person you talk to by nodding your head, smiling, or giving gestures that show responses. It’s also about taking turns, where you wait until they finished talking before replying. (6).
Consistent eye contact:
Strong eye contact indicates your attention and interest (and also builds executive presence!). You want to develop a reputation as someone who pays attention in virtual meetings, is respectful to meeting hosts, and engages in the conversation.
Observe proper dress code:
Even though you will only be shown from the waist up, be tidy and professional in your appearance. Even though you may be working from home, attend virtual meetings in clothing you would wear to the office, not pajamas or houseclothes. Also be cognizant of any messages, logos, or background displays that could be deemed unprofessional or inappropriate.
Stay Informed and Practice, Practice, Practice
The practice of corporate etiquette will become easier with time and practice. Challenge yourself to observe the habits of your supervisor or trusted colleagues to emulate their conduct. Further, you can lean on the conventional wisdom of professional organization blogs or resources, which can also offer additional opportunities to practice your skills. Finally, when in doubt, do not overlook a good old fashioned Google search for best practices on individual situations, such as business dinners or more formal occassions. (4). Stay curious and courteous!
Citations
Browley, Jasmine. “Aht, Aht—Don’t Do That! These Are The LinkedIn Etiquette Tips You Need For 2023.” Essence, Essence, 10 Jan. 2023, www.essence.com/news/money-career/linkedin-etiquette-tips-2023-networking/.
“16 Business Etiquette Tips for Every Professional [2023].” Asana, Asana, 18 Oct. 2022, asana.com/resources/business-etiquette.
Dzierzanowski, Steven. “Professional Etiquette Rules Every Person Should Follow.” Medium, Medium, 23 Nov. 2018, medium.com/@Skillroads.com/professional-etiquette-rules-every-person-should-follow-60333cdb27e0.
“Job Success: Business Etiquette.” GCFGlobal.Org, GCFGlobal Learning, edu.gcfglobal.org/en/jobsuccess/business-etiquette/1/#. Accessed 2 Sept. 2023.
Sarma, Susmita. “Workplace Etiquette Rules - 8 Tips Every Professional Should Know.” Nurture an Engaged and Satisfied Workforce | Vantage Circle HR Blog, Nurture an Engaged and Satisfied Workforce | Vantage Circle HR Blog, 27 Apr. 2023, blog.vantagecircle.com/workplace-etiquette/.
Keller, Simon Dwight. “The Art of Professional Conduct: Mastering 10 Business Etiquette Tips for Success.” Everhour Blog, 30 May 2023, everhour.com/blog/business-etiquette/.
Palmquist, Kate. “13 Essential Tips To Follow for Proper Etiquette at Work.” Indeed, 6 July 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/etiquette-at-work.
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