What is Workplace Deviant Behavior or WDB for short? The term can be defined as any voluntary behavior by an employee that is counterproductive to the goals of an organization, violates organizational norms, and harms the organization’s ability to operate. Examples of WDB run along a spectrum from less severe behaviors such as using the organization’s Internet for personal use, calling in sick to avoid work, or engaging in workplace politics, to more severe behaviors like vandalism, employee theft, or workplace violence.
Strong HR Management Promotes Decency
Researchers estimate that organizations lose up to $200 billion annually due to WDB. What is even more surprising is that they estimate as many as 75% of employees have participated in WDB. With the potential loss in revenues that your company could face due to WDB, hiring managers need better to predict a job applicant’s potential for WDB before any hiring decisions are made.
A recent study showed that perhaps some employees are more susceptible to workplace deviance. By examining their past, this tendency usually can be uncovered. The 2007 article entitled Predicting the Counterproductive Employee in a Child-to-Adult Prospective Study was presented jointly by Brent Roberts, Peter Harms, Avshalom Caspi, and Terri Moffitt. Published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, it shows that personality traits can play a role in predicting workplace deviance. The two strongest personality traits that when missing tended to predict future deviance were:
1) Conscientiousness – High levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. Such hard working employees tend not to participate in workplace deviance.
2) Agreeableness – Attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, and other positive social behaviors. Workers who have this trait tend to be less susceptible as well.
Prevention Is Essential
Total HR Management wants to provide our clients with a positive methodology; specific steps to take during the hiring process to help predict potential Workplace Deviant Behavior. Although organizational factors such as unfair treatment and poorly developed job descriptions can lead to increased workplace deviance, an understanding of personality traits can help to reveal employees with a tendency to engage in workplace deviance.
Five Steps That Help Predict Potential Workplace Deviant Behavior
1) Basic Background Checks – Such checks have become a necessity to find out any criminal history and antisocial behaviors that have been put on record in the past.
2) Employer Reference Checks – By finding out details about a potential employee’s past work experience, employer reference checks can reveal past trends and uncover resume omissions.
3) Academic Reference Checks – A look at a candidate’s past academic career often helps to uncover any academic integrity issues the candidate has had in the past. In addition, such behaviors come out more freely when a candidate is a student as opposed to an employee.
4) Personality Testing – Used for years by the government, these tests can provide insight into an employee’s personality. Paper and pencil personality tests that measure the Big Five Personality Traits can provide a measure of the traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness.
5) Consult a Psychologist – A trained psychologist can recommend the best tests suited for your particular organization. Employment tests and consultations range in price, but something should be available for all budgets.
By helping to ensure the integrity of your business and the reliability of your employees, Total HR Management helps to improve your bottom line and increase productivity.
