What is work ethic?

Jul 02, 2021

Work ethic is a crucial element to any successful employee's career. Having a good work ethic entails the effective self-discipline and persistence an employee applies to their every day work to allow them to stay motivated, finish tasks on time and impress employers. A dedicated work ethic is a skill everyone has the potential to tap into but takes time. It is about forming positive habits surrounding your own focus, professionalism, honesty, reliability, punctuality and time management.

Focus 
Having a strong focus and reducing the amount of procrastination you do is also a key facet of having a good work ethic as it allows you to work harder and more effectively for longer. Whilst no employer expects you to work for 10 hours with laser focus, they do expect you to be focused for a couple of hours on end and this can be hard for beginners in the hospitality industry. To stay focused, make sure you are well slept, fed and hydrated as well as utilising the breaks you have to relax and cool off after a hard couple of hours. If you feel you are losing your focus in the middle of a shift, take a minute to step aside and breathe, letting you get back into the flow of things. 

Professionalism 
Being professional refers to your demeanour in the workplace. Being respectful and tolerant of others, both workers and customers alike, in the way they act, the work they produce (to a degree) and the views they hold. Being a professional in the workplace will elevate your reputation, the way you are treated and your employability. 

Honesty 
Honesty in the workplace does not only refer to making note of your mistakes so they can be fixed but also to voicing opinions, disappointments, frustrations, or general ideas to modify or change a company's operating procedure. This not only will improve the general dynamic of the business for the better but will ensure you are feeling validated and heard. 

Reliability
Reliability in the workplace primarily surrounds being able to complete the tasks you are given on schedule and at the best quality you can produce. It is all well and good producing a great piece of work every now and then but reliability ensures that you are consistently performing well and can be trusted to get work done.

Flexibility 
Being flexible to change is incredibly important. Unfortunately, your manager cannot predict every issue that is going to arise in a shift and your flexibility in accepting and dealing with an adverse event shows how well you act under pressure. 

Punctuality
Punctuality is another sign of a good work ethic and is especially important in order to make a good impression on your employer. Many people struggle with being punctual or find excuses as to why they were late such as traffic or weather, however, in a work environment this will not cut it. If you are prone to being late to commitments, set out to leave 10 minutes earlier than usual or check google maps to see how long the journey is predicted to take.  

Time Management 
“Time is money” is a popular quote often thrown around in a workplace. In the hospitality industry this is particularly relevant as you are being paid on an hourly basis and as such need to utilise effective time management strategies to achieve as much as possible in the least amount of time to impress your employers and earn your income.  In order to properly manage your time in the workplace, tackle tasks that come your way immediately if possible to avoid them piling up and especially do the tasks to the best of your ability to avoid possibly redoing them and wasting more time. Furthermore, if there are a variety of tasks to achieve in the course of a shift, utilise a priority-based system so the tasks that are critical to the running of the business are achieved first.