The Phenomenon of Arising Informal Behaviors among Employees

This article explores the concept, causes, and impacts of informal employee behaviors in the workplace, ultimately arguing that instead of strictly forbidding these natural tendencies, companies should strategically manage or leverage them to boost morale and long-term effectiveness.

Informal Behavior: What Is It? For the purpose of this article, let’s define informal behaviors as all behaviors that are not a result of formal requirements stated by managers. Some of them may be related to professional purposes, while others may result from laziness or selfishness.

Employees in a company with no informal behaviors at all would spend their time doing the exact tasks assigned to them by their superiors. The purpose of all tasks would be to bring the company closer to its main goals. On the other hand, employees in a company with a high level of informal behaviors would spend a significant part of their time talking, entertaining themselves, building social relations, drinking coffee, or gossiping. Some of their activities would be related to forming good relations within the company; for example, one employee’s task could be organizing a darts competition.

Examples of Informal Behaviors #

During my work in software development companies, I have seen many behaviors that did not seem to be related to the formal responsibilities of employees:

Programmers, who spend 80% of their working time at computers, tend to spend every free minute socializing. One of the most common excuses is making a cup of tea. Programmers usually use text communicators (for example, Slack) to synchronize with their friends from different rooms. Then they go to the kitchen and spend about 20–30 minutes there waiting for coffee or tea to get ready and chatting. The consequence of such behavior is a reduced amount of time spent developing software.
People spend part of their time surfing the Internet.
When new decisions about the future of the company are announced, rooms turn into brainstorming sessions where all possible consequences of these decisions are discussed.
When there are two groups developing two parts of a system that must cooperate with each other, a common behavior is a simple game: people try to find as many bugs as possible in the “opponent’s” code.
Since there was no canteen in one company I worked for, the staff organized themselves and created a system for ordering food.
In every company there are informal groups of friends or people with similar interests. They spend more time together and cooperate more often with one another, even if their responsibilities do not require any contact at all.

Reasons for Forming Informal Behaviors #

People can be considered selfish creatures. We tend to do what is profitable for us, not necessarily what is profitable for the group or company. Most employees perceive work as something less interesting than forming relationships with colleagues, drinking, eating, or playing games with them. It is no wonder that, if not controlled, they tend to spend much of their working time doing something different from what they are expected to do.

There are several common needs that people try to fulfill through informal behaviors:

Need for a social network – People tend to build relationships with colleagues instead of working. This includes speaking, playing games, exchanging messages (Facebook, emails, etc.), and discussing work-related problems.
Need for fun – Many jobs are extremely boring, and people try to do something more interesting to improve their mood.
Need to understand the current situation in the company – People want to understand relationships within the company and the rules by which it operates. They also want information about the company’s financial situation and future changes that managers plan to introduce.

Impact on Effectiveness #

It is easy to notice that many of the aforementioned behaviors can negatively affect a company’s effectiveness. If not controlled, people may spend the majority of their time doing something different from what is expected of them.

However, informal behaviors also have advantages. One important effect is the creation of informal relationships within the group. People become friends, learn more about one another’s skills, and build stronger bonds with the company. The atmosphere becomes more pleasant and fulfills employees’ need to belong to a larger group. As a result, they may be less willing to change jobs.

One of the most important side effects of taking tea breaks is that programming requires a fresh mind. Breaks allow programmers to rest, discuss problems with more experienced colleagues, and find even more creative solutions. It is not entirely clear whether such behaviors actually decrease efficiency.

I have heard several times about companies that tried to forbid all forms of informal behavior in order to increase the amount of time employees spend working. The side effect was a strong negative impact on employee morale. After a while, a significant number of employees decided to quit.

In the long term, every company creates an image in the minds of potential employees, and over time it becomes more difficult to continue forbidding informal behaviors while still attracting new talent. The cost of changing a company’s image is extremely high.

On the other hand, we have all seen that governmental departments do not usually work as effectively as they should. One reason for this situation is ineffective work habits among employees who feel little pressure to speed up their work, and therefore spend much of their time surfing the Internet and speaking with colleagues.

How to Deal With Informal Behaviors #

As shown earlier, many informal behaviors can actually increase the efficiency of a company. The most important factor when dealing with informal behaviors is determining their real impact on effectiveness. If a behavior is actually positive or neutral, it is probably better to leave things as they are.

However, if you notice that a particular behavior has a strongly negative impact on your company, then you generally have three options:

Forbid the behavior.
Change its structure to reduce its negative impact.
Change its structure and use it to the company’s advantage.

Forbidding Behaviors #

When forbidding a behavior, it is important to remember that people tend to try to break limitations and rules. I know of a company where the time employees spent making tea was considered too long. The general director decided to reduce it by ensuring that hot water was always ready in a kettle. What happened instead was that the first thing employees did when going to the kitchen was pour out the water and replace it with fresh water. The additional effort to keep hot water available at all times was wasted.

A good idea is to provide an alternative way of achieving a similar benefit. For example, reading websites could be replaced with reading magazines related to work topics.

Even when efforts to reduce informal behaviors encounter resistance, they may still be worthwhile. A good example is restricting Internet access among clerks. In one department that I personally know, employees do not have direct Internet access. They may use only the local network. If they need information unavailable on the local network, they must use a separate computer that provides Internet access. This solution significantly reduced the time wasted surfing the Internet.

Changing Structure to Reduce Impact #

Smoking gives people an excuse to go out and spend time chatting. Smokers usually go outside multiple times a day. The time spent reaching a location where smoking is allowed can actually be greater than the time spent smoking itself. One possible solution is to provide a special room for smokers inside the building.

Another common issue in companies is the need for employees to handle private matters during work hours. For some people, it is necessary to take breaks during the workday. Such behavior conflicts with the need to monitor whether employees spend enough time working.

Some companies address this issue by introducing flexible working arrangements. In such an approach, employees are not expected to show up at fixed hours but rather to work an average of 40 hours per week.

Thanks to modern technology, it is relatively easy to monitor the time spent on one’s computer. Flexible forms of work are becoming more and more popular these days.

A common need during work is the need for fun. In all the companies I worked for, people exchanged jokes through email. A popular approach is to print short comics and place them on walls, usually in kitchens or other areas where employees spend their free time. Employees who read jokes and comics while waiting for coffee may become less interested in exchanging jokes through email. Humor also makes the atmosphere more relaxing and enjoyable.

Using Behavior to the Company’s Advantage #

Instead of fighting against the natural needs of employees, some companies decide to use those needs to their advantage. One example is using the natural tendency to build relationships by organizing regular training sessions in small groups. Such training not only allows people to improve their skills, but also gives them an opportunity to do something different from their daily work, meet new people, and form friendships.

In programming, a common way of reframing application testing is to introduce elements of competition. Two groups working on different applications try to find bugs in each other’s software. The group that finds more bugs wins the game and receives some form of reward.

Some companies that require a high level of creativity from employees even allow games during work hours. For example, some departments at Google provide billiard tables for employees because it is believed that movement and games stimulate the mind.

Summary #

Informal behaviors in companies have always existed and likely always will, since work is a part of our lives. Only a few employees are willing to exchange a full eight hours a day solely for a good salary. Others prefer to earn a little less while having a fulfilling job that provides meaningful relationships and enjoyment.

Instead of fighting against natural human needs, it is often better to use them creatively and redefine work as something more engaging — a place where social networks are built, friendships are formed, and collaboration becomes more enjoyable.