It’s a workplace dynamic that many professionals will be familiar with - that one colleague who needs to show off their productivity, instead of just putting their head down to get the work done.
While this type of occurrence isn’t unique, it appears to become more commonplace, so much so that it’s been given a name – “loud working.” It can manifest in boastful posts on social media about what the employee has accomplished that day, or the person who updates in the Slack every time they’ve completed a task.
While this behaviour could be described as annoying at best — and distracting at worst — some professionals say it’s a reflection of a time when many younger people don’t feel a sense of security in their professional future.
Anil Verma is a professor emeritus at the Rotman School of Management and former director of the Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources at the University of Toronto.
In a phone interview with CTV News, he said while generation Z didn’t invent self-promotion, it becomes amplified, as a result of the reality that younger generations currently face.
“This generation is facing a lot of uncertainty and (an) uncertain future, there’s a lot of competition,” he said. “There’s a question of scarcity of jobs, and so this is their world that they inhabit. It wasn’t like this for us boomers, when the economy was expanding, and there were plenty of jobs.”
He added that the growth of social media may be a big part of what’s pushing this workplace trend, where ”you make your voice known, not just at the water cooler.”
How to address ‘loud working’
Cal Jungwirth, director of permanent placement services at employment agency Robert Half, said that there’s no problem with making sure your contributions are recognized. However, it may depend on how that messaging is articulated.
“I would say that the distinction is whether someone is either communicating something meaningful around their accomplishments or just drawing attention to themselves,” he said.
Jungwirth said that too much self-promotion by an employee can have a broader impact on workplace culture, which could lead to retention issues.
“If it gets to a certain degree, it would absolutely need to be addressed,” he said, suggesting this be done “one on one” and behind closed doors. .
“Give open and transparent feedback to the individual so they’ve got an opportunity to reflect and hopefully change their behaviour.”
Verma said one thing organizations can do is communicate certain norms around this type of behaviour. When new ways of communicating in the office were first introduced, whether it was email and Slack, some people might not have realized they were being rude or impolite in the way they used it.
“In the beginning, we tend to use it in various appropriate and inappropriate ways,” he said. “What happens over time is that some group norms develop. And you start to say, ‘well, this is acceptable.’”
Jungwirth added that there are many ways to positively contribute to a workplace, without resorting to “loud working.”
“Putting up your hand and volunteering to be part of a project is always a great way to be noticed,” he said. “When appropriate, give others their due credit. That tends to create a positive culture, and others in turn will hopefully give you due, when you do quality work.”
