An employee feeling out of place at the office can hurt productivity. Every company I work with has them: the team members who don’t quite fit in. But that doesn’t have to be a problem. A study published in the Academy of Management Journal finds you can help “misfits” by giving them more control over their duties, such as how or when they work.
Companies are increasingly obsessed with “culture fit,” seeking employees that are 100% in line with the culture or simply get along with their fellow team members. However, that ill-defined criterion can exclude capable employees who simply don’t buy into a highly-social working environment. It can also lower the productivity of existing misfit workers. “For the individual, if you don’t fit in, it can be a bad work situation,” said Ryan Vogel, from Pennsylvania State University. “You don’t feel like you belong, your work has less meaning, and you may have trouble maintaining performance in that workplace.”
He recommends “job crafting,” allowing employees to adapt their duties and responsibilities to their own interests and skills. Misfits who were given the freedom to make such changes were “significantly less likely to suffer low engagement and performance.” says Vogel.
They still may not come to office social, but they’ll be happier and more productive.
