Why Good Business Etiquette Matters More than Ever

Why Good Business Etiquette Matters More than EverWhy Good Business Etiquette Matters More than EverWhy Good Business Etiquette Matters More than Ever Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterIs your business a place that cultivates good business etiquette?And more to the point why should you care?If you think etiquette is a thing of the past author Barbara Pachter advises you to think again.herbei new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet your Way to Success (McGraw-Hill, 2013) makes the case for why good business etiquette particularly social media etiquette is more important than ever.And as she points out in this interview, its bedrngnis always the employees who commit etiquette no-nos.Monster Your new book covers a lot of territory. Is it geared to a particular audience?Pachter The book is geared to new entries to the workplace and seasoned professionals. Everyone can benefit from staying up-to-date with etiquette, including the new social med ia guidelines.Monster Do Gen Y, Gen X and Boomers all struggle with good etiquette?Pachter We can all struggle with whats appropriate behavior in todays ever-changing workplace. Our mothers couldnt have taught us how to be polite with social media it didnt exist when most of us were growing up.Monster Do Millennials face a bigger challenge, given their level of social media use?Pachter They mayas social media has become their main mode of communication. One young woman said that she looks at her phone the last thing at night and the first thing in the morningpositiv many Millennials started using social media before they entered the workplace and dont realize that they may have to adapt their social media presence/activity for the business world.Monster Should younger workers be held to the same rules around social media use at work as everyone else? Or is that a sure-fire way to create discontent?Pachter Yes, we all need to follow the same rules. Everyone needs to remember that th eir use of social media can impact their reputation and their relationships with others.Monster What challenges has social media created in workplace behavior? How should employers address these issues?Pachter Employers need a social media policy. They need to address issues such as Can employees access social media while they are at work? (This is somewhat difficult to stop as most employees have access via their phones.) What company information is appropriate to post or not to post? And what are the penalties for employees abusing the social media policy?Monster What other challenges are common around workplace etiquette?Pachter People mucksmuschenstill have the tendency to text under the table at meetings. This use of the Smartphone is rude to the speaker. In addition to understanding how to be polite with social media, many employees still need to learn how to shake hands correctly, dress appropriately and stay sober at business-social events.Monster Whatno-nos do employers som etimes commit in the workplace?Pachter Employers have a tendency to set guidelines for employees, yet dont always follow the rules themselves. One boss does not let his employees text in the office, but he will text when he is in a meeting.Monster You mention the importance of good grammar and spelling in communications. Is social media, which is inherently casual and often quickly executed the biggest culprit?Pachter It is certainly one of them. Though the workplace is more casual today, it is not okay for people to be unprofessional when using social media. Your reputation can be affected by the quality/content of your emails, posts, tweets and texts.Monster Should recruiters reject a great resume that includes a few typos?Pachter Whether they should or they shouldnt is not the question. They do Recruiters will reject a resume with typos in it.Consider this One typo may be overlooked, but if there are three, four or more errors, it sends a message that you are not paying attenti on to the details.And why would I want to hire you if you make a lot of mistakes?Monster Is it up to employers to train their new workers in soft skills that may often be missing?Pachter Yes. Employers want their employees to be the best they can be. Having employees who have soft skills have the competitive edge. They can effectively establish relationships, communicate more clearly and interact more professionally and politely (whether on the phone, in-person or with social media) with internal and external customers.Author BioBarbara Pachter is president of Pachter Associates. The Essentials of Business Etiquette How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet your Way to Success (McGraw-Hill, 2013) is her 10th book. She is an internationally renowned business etiquette and communications speaker, coach, and author who has delivered more than 2,100 seminars throughout the world. For more information, visit pachter.com.