Where art thou professionalism? Reviving workplace values

(sings) Oh where, oh where has professionalism gone, oh where oh where can it be? Recently, I have been wondering if I am witnessing the death of professionalism. This feeling has been exacerbated by recent experiences with the recruitment and selection processes. In particular, the following situations:

• Candidates not showing up for interviews they accepted
• Candidates running late for interviews and only communicating challenges when contacted
• Candidate accepts an offer, providing references and personal details only to not show up to work on the first day with zero communication about the challenges they are having or that they have changed their mind about accepting the job.

Why is this happening? Are professional values really exiting stage left? Is there a way to rescue professionalism?

What is professionalism?

There is no standard definition of professionalism. Based on this I offer 3 definitions from different sources. One source defines professionalism as

“the state or practice of doing one’s job with skill, competence, ethics, and courtesy.” [1]

The second source defines professionalism as

“conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence.” [2]

A third definition suggests that

“professionalism is a set of behaviours and characteristics of people in the workplace that demonstrate their ability to be respectful, hardworking, rational, reliable and have integrity.” [3]

In essence, professionalism extends beyond the way someone dresses and encompasses an individual’s character as well as their technical competencies. Ultimately, being professional demonstrates that you can be relied on to do your job competently and ethically whilst being respectful of others and maintaining a high standard of performance. It prompts an exploration of professional values.

What are professional values?

Professional values and ethics are

“beliefs and principles that an individual possess to guide oneself to elevate what is right and wrong in a professional environment” [4]

Professional values often reflect an individual's personal values shaped by their culture, environment, religion, and ethnicity. This raises the question of whether the issues being reflected in professional values is a reflection of a deeper issue which is the breakdown of values in society.

I am distinctly aware that each generation has its own experiences. Nevertheless, I would imagine that there are core standards which would be passed on from one generation to the next. For example, respect for others and having basic manners. These days we love to talk about personal brands. I wonder if individuals are aware that the level of professionalism they display, or lack thereof is also a testament to their brand.

How is professionalism displayed in the workplace?

Professionalism can be displayed irrespective of the specific role and industry by factors including:

• Honouring your commitments
• Arriving at work on time
• Speaking clearly and politely to customers and colleagues
• Having a neat and clean appearance
• Communicating well
• Returning from breaks on time

An individual can be the ideal candidate based on their educational qualification and work experience. However, an unprofessional attitude may not get them through the door. Employers want new workers to “be responsible, ethical, and team oriented, and to possess strong communication, interpersonal, and problem solving skills. Wrap these skills up all together and you’ve got professionalism.” [2]

Understanding the decline in professionalism

Four factors have been put forward by Dale Carnegie as contributors to the decline in professionalism [5]. These include:

1. Digital Distractions impacting focus and respect during meetings and conversations
2. Casual Work environments blurring the lines of professional behaviour
3. Generational differences regarding expectations and norms for workplace behaviour
4. Stress and overwork resulting in the neglect of common courtesies and professional etiquette

I hypothesize that additional factors that may be contributing to the decline in professionalism include:

1. Lack of role models from the perspective that children live what they learn. For example, when I was younger, I observed how my mother dressed for work, and this was something to aspire to. I was also encouraged to get a summer job to learn the ins and outs of work. In fact, my first summer job was at the age of 16 when I completed 5th form. This set the stage for teaching appropriate versus inappropriate workplace behaviour. Another example demonstrating a lack of role modelling is the behaviour of some of our professionals who are more accessible via social media. For example, the tit-for-tat of our local politicians on social media, quarrelling in parliament and the senate, and the way we address each other in the workplace.
2. Lack of guidance on career management at the secondary and tertiary levels. Education is not just about academic progress. There is also the aspect of preparing for the work world in the little things from preparing a resume to collaborating through group assignments. Last week, I asked students why they selected the course I was lecturing. Most respondents shared because they saw there was no final exam, and they figured they needed it to complete their studies. However, there was one student who responded and shared that she selected the course because when she leaves university, she doesn’t feel prepared to add value in the workplace. It was quite sad to hear. It demonstrates how much work needs to be done in our education system to make the experience practical and build the confidence of those in our charge.
3. Social media gives a false sense of confidence about the realities of the world. For example, some persons may believe it is easy to build a non-traditional career since there is access to TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram. Therefore, the 9 to 5 is the back-up option and therefore it is treated as such with a nonchalant attitude.
4. Remote work blurring the lines between work and personal life.

?Where do we go from here?

I think that it is important to bring back professionalism and focus on the development of professional values through company culture and partnerships between schools and businesses. It is easy to complain about what we are witnessing. Unfortunately, complaining will not bring about change. Rather action will. The question is what can we do to bring about change if we are dissatisfied with the current status quo? Here are a few of my ideas:

1) Lead by Example

• Model professional behaviour to children: Companies that can afford to, can reintroduce a take your child to work day during the summer holidays. Learning about being a professional, irrespective of role and industry starts from childhood. ?You will be amazed how children observe our attitude and behaviour to work and internalize it as the gold standard.
• Assess our individual behaviours. Are we setting the right examples? What is our attitude to work? Are we setting the right examples for those who are coming behind us?

2) Revamp the approach to Annual Career Fairs at the University. These fairs need to move beyond the mock interviews and place more focus on real conversations about what is expected in the workplace and professionalism workshops based on feedback from companies about their needs.

3) Set clear expectations by modelling our expectations from recruitment. Are we professional when managing the employee experience? Do we respond to potential candidates who apply to work with our companies? Are expectations set on our career pages? Does your company have an employee handbook that includes guidelines for communication, behavior, dress code, and work ethics. More importantly, does it abide by these guidelines.

4)?Provide continuous training and development on professional behaviour and workplace etiquette so that it is embedded in our psyche and displayed when we interact with colleagues, friends and customers.

5)?Engender a culture of respect and inclusivity in our workplaces. Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) is one company that has clearly embedded its values in its culture. Customers, employees, potential customers and employees are aware of the vision of love. The vision of love is a part of the JMMB DNA and anyone who wants to be a part of the environment, is aware of what they expect. The vision of love is important to their recruitment, selection and onboarding efforts. It makes a difference. Is your company living and breathing the core values?

Conclusion

Where art thou professionalism? Can it be resurrected? I believe the answer to that question is a solid yes. It starts with each of us. Will you play your part?

References

1. Professionalism. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/professionalism
2. Professionalism. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/odep/topics/youth/softskills/professionalism.pdf
3. Hutton, Laura. 2022. “Why Professionalism Is Essential In The Workplace.” Australian Institute of Business, December 22, 2022. https://www.aib.edu.au/blog/organisations-culture/3-reasons-professionalism-essential-workplace/
4. What are professional values and ethics? https://www.have.hku.hk/professional-values-and-ethics
5. VerBurg, Steve. The Decline of Business Professionalism in the Workplace and Why It Matters. https://ocdalecarnegie.com/the-decline-of-business-professionalism-in-the-workplace-and-why-it-matters/#:~:text=Stress%20and%20Overwork%3A%20High%2Dstress,their%20rush%20to%20meet%20deadlines.

Yolande Hylton is the Managing Director of Hylton Insights, an HR Consultancy Firm with a mandate to guide businesses from the transactional to the transformational HR realm, thereby enhancing individual and organizational performance. For inquiries or to learn more, you can reach out to [email protected] or visit www.hyltoninsights.com