New research from leading e-learning and classroom-based training provider Activia Training has revealed that – despite a reputation oversea for being unfailingly polite yet somewhat surly and monosyllabic – British workers are a friendly, helpful and above all dependable bunch.
In order to calculate their ‘likeability,’ 1,666 workers were surveyed anonymously. The results showed that 82% would lend money to a colleague or friend, 83% would do a favour for someone they only vaguely knew, and 70% would offer to help a colleague who was struggling.
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The research also identified that the dominant likeability trait amongst British workers is dependability. 44% of British workers are dependable – but, at the other end of the scale, merely 18% are uplifting! Perhaps this explains our reputation for surliness…
However, British workers aren’t complete angels – 46% would tell a lie if it was to their advantage!
This may be a good thing; business coach Zena Everett, who helped analyse the results, says that being likeable at work is not necessarily a good thing. “Successful people are charismatic and people want to follow them, but it’s unlikely the first thing anyone would say about them is that they’re likeable,” she explains. “‘Nice’ people may be passed over for promotion or even let go more readily than difficult colleagues, because the boss knows they’re not going to be given a hard time about it.”
If you’d like to find out how likeable you are – and how this may affect you at work – then try Activia’s free likeability test for yourself.
This article is sponsored by Activia Training.
