Do you remember your first office where you started as a novice? Do you remember the people you worked with? Do you remember all the people you worked with through your entire career? Chances are you may not remember every single person you worked with but will certainly know all the type of characters exist at the work place.
The workplace is a melting pot of ideologies, different thinking styles and beliefs and at the same time filled with amazing and crazy people with different personalities. There are some you will get along with and some that you won’t. You may love them or hate them but you surely cannot forget them as they will always be part of your journey.
Here are 15 characters you will always encounter at your work place. See if you can identify any of them at your work place.
The Talkative ones
Yes, you have many people in the team who can speak endlessly without a full stop. The introverts at work hate these people as they do not like getting their space intruded. These are the nonstop chatterboxes who will not shut up even for a brief bit. Please do not mix them up with the lively ones who are entertaining. There are times when you want to tell them to just shut up and get on with their work.
The Newbies
Newbies are the virgins of every office who are yet to get their foot in on the social & political hierarchy of the work place. They are usually a bit timid and a bit intimidated by their surroundings and people that they try their best to keep to themselves. They feel happy when someone approaches them and strikes up a conversation or invites them to join others for lunch. Though innocent at the start, they eventually turn into one of the below characters over time.
The Chamchas
These people are really good at what they do. They will be the ‘Yes’ men of their bosses and will snoop on all the employees on behalf of their boss. They will be seen hanging around their bosses almost all the time either praising them to the sky or laughing at all their jokes. The Boss will seem more biased towards them than other employees in his team. People often wonder what work these chamchas do other than being the side kick to the bosses.
The Donkeys
These kinds of workers take on more work than they can do and will always be seen burdened by their workload. Though there are two ways of doing work; the hard way and the smart way, the Donkey will always find the most difficult and time consuming way to complete the job at hand. They will always look to reinvent the wheel. Do not confuse them with hard workers who work smart.
The Office Flirt
The Office flirt will be found less at their work station and more around the work station of the opposite gender. One moment you see them at their desk supposedly neck deep in work in two winks you will see them trying to sweet talk some hottie into going out for a date. They really don’t care what anyone thinks about his flirting nature just as long as his boss doesn’t catch him in the act. Most of the other employees are secretly jealous of their flirting abilities and very high scoring rates.
The Gossip Mongers
These are the people who talk behind your back. They know all the latest gossips at work, right from, ‘who is banging whom’, ‘Who ditched whom’, ‘Peoples personal & professional lives, to ‘Commenting on people’s appearance & looks’.
The Jokers
You just love these people! They are the office entertainers who lighten up the mood and bring a smile on everyone’s faces. They crack jokes and fool around while also doing their work. They can neutralize any tense situation with a funny comment that will crack everyone else. They keep the office atmosphere light and people love being around these jokers. Employees who joke and laugh together are the most productive kinds.
The Perpetual complainers
These are perpetual whiners who complain just about anything and everything. They complain nonstop about their boss, their colleagues, the canteen food, the Air conditioner, the security guards, the housekeeping staff, their chairs, their work, their life, other people’s life, etc. They are a walking talking complaint box and spread too much negativity at work. They are never ever happy about anything and will always find faults that they can complain about.
The credit takers
These people (May be work colleagues or the Boss) who will take credit for others work. Though they may have or have not contributed to a project, they will try to steal credit for it. They will portray to their higher ups that they were the ones responsible for the success and will take undue credit for someone else’s work. If you are working with one of these credit takers, make sure you put down your role & responsibilities and work status and success by email to your higher ups so that you can get your dues rather than having them stolen by the credit takers.
The Foodie
They love food, period. They will always have chips, biscuits and chocolates in their bags or desks at all time. They make multiple trips to the canteen or to the chaat wala outside and will forever be seen munching on something or the other. They may or may not share their food with you but will certainly keep you informed of all the new restaurants and hotels opened up nearby. They are usually in charge of food arrangements at an office party.
The Magicians
These employees do a disappearing act every time there is something of importance to be done. They will be there when a large project is being discussed but soon as the roles are being assigned, they just disappear from view. If any work they are managing does go wrong, they will find some way to wriggle out of getting blamed for it. They are master magicians and escape artists of the work place.
The Attention seekers
These are extroverts who want to be the centre of attention and their presence and worth at work. They will always make sure insert themselves in every discussion and make it all about themselves. They believe that the world revolves around them and everyone else is interested in everything they say and do. They are the ‘know it alls’ who have an opinion and judgment about anything and everything. They will never miss an opportunity to put someone down just to prop themselves up.
The Life Savers
They are seasoned, silent and sound people who do not show their presence unless there is a crisis situations. You can depend on them and seek their support when nothing else is working. In spite of their high value, they remain neglected in the organization. It is very important that managers identify such people and recognize them well.
The Disinterested
They are the people who are not interested in anything at work. They come to work just because they are being paid for it. Nothing motivates them and they are considered as lazy and unproductive. It is difficult to handle these guys. Managers are required to put tremendous efforts in keeping them engaged.
The Bully
They are the Office troublemakers, the bullies who have not outgrown their school days. Bullying need not only be physical but can also be verbal and/or emotional bullying. These bullies usually make fun of the mannerisms and nature of other employees and literally push them against the wall. These people may or may not be in positions of power but resort to accusations, over criticisms, and humiliation of others. They strike a fear in their victims and love every moment of it. They impose their superiority and make everybody feeling insecure about their job. The best way to overcome these bullies is to stand up to them and have them reported to your company HR / Boss. If the bullying turns physical then it is time to call the cops.
