Nina Hendy

What Aussie workers are really like.

Deborah Burt says we're no longer a nation of bludgers.

Australian workers are shedding their reputation of being a bunch of laid-back bludgers hanging out for beer o'clock. These days, we're ambitious and we don't brown nose to the boss.

A new survey challenges the stereotypical Aussie reputation that we're a bunch of laid-back workers that like to bludge when the boss isn't watching. Aussie workers actually prefer to work for managers who will push their limits and support them in their professional endeavours.

The 2013 Kronos Boss's Day Survey also found that 77 per cent of Australian workers who have managers have not dished out compliments to get on the good side of their bosses if they don't mean it, meaning we're not brown noses.

The online study, commissioned by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated, also found we have strong career ambitions. Given the choice between a manager who is a high-achiever but demanding and a manager who is nice but ineffective, 71 per cent of employees want to work for the high-achiever.

In other feedback, Aussie workers rate honesty (76 per cent) as among the most important attributes of a good manager. Overall, the majority of employees who believe their manager demonstrates honesty alongside other attributes such as ethics, collaboration, creativity, empowerment, innovation, dedication and trustworthiness (89 per cent) believe their manager does this on a regular basis.

“The results from this survey challenge the stereotypical Aussie reputation of being a 'relaxed' nation. Results indicate most Aussies actually prefer managers who will push their limits,” Peter Harte, vice president, Asia-Pacific, Kronos says.

But managers that use an office jargon frustrate Aussie workers. As long suspected, staff hate it when managers use phrases such as "I don't care, just get it done", "think outside the box", "at the end of the day" or "I need you to be more proactive".

“It's fantastic to see the majority of employees view their manager as honest, collaborative and dedicated – all very positive workplace behaviours. But it comes as no great surprise that the common phrases we use at work really don't establish rapport between co-workers; in fact, they create tension. Employees want to work with people who can achieve great results, even if their management skills are a little rough around the edges,” Harte says.

Aussies workers may have been pigeonholed as bludgers in the past, but that label is completely undeserved in modern workplaces, says Deborah Burt, chair of the Execution Connection. Burt has held HR roles across various industries and says the conversation around the water cooler in Australian offices is very much about what makes a good boss and what makes a bad boss.

“My experience tells me that respect isn't something you automatically get just because you're in charge. You have to earn the respect of Aussie workers,” Burt says. We care about doing decent work and we expect managers to support our growth and development, she says.

“I also know that salary is not the most important part of a job for many workers. They actually want to get more growth and knowledge out of their workplace and make a bigger contribution where they can. Workers also want to get a feeling of motivation and drive from their manager,” Burt says.

In terms of recognition, 45 per cent of employees prefer individual praise from their manager to their face, while 28 per cent would prefer to be praised in front of their peers, while 27 per cent want praise to come from their manager's manager.

When asked whether they'd prefer a manager who invests in their professional development or one who invests in programs to make the work environment more fun, Aussies are more balanced in their response, with 56 per cent opting for professional development programs, while 44 per cent want more fun. Interestingly, once we've clocked off, we don't necessarily want to talk to the boss. If we see our boss outside of work, 34 per cent of young employees (18-24 years) will avoid them, compared to just 8 per cent of mature workers.

The survey was conducted online in Australia by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kronos between September 24-30 among 1041 adults aged 18-64, among whom 583 are employed and have a manager.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/finance/were-ambitious-and-we-dont-brown-nose-20131021-2vvlc.html#ixzz2iO9s8Sq5