On Time Performance
With an unemployment rate still hovering around 9%, you might think the one thing employers wouldn’t need to worry about is workers showing up on time. You would also be wrong.
According to Monday’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey for August, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, fewer than 2 in 10 manufacturers said they had "no trouble finding people who were punctual and reliable." About the same percentage reported having “great difficulty” finding workers who show up on time. In fact, New York manufacturers reported finding it more difficult to find punctual and reliable workers today than it was in March 2007, when unemployment was far lower.
What gives?
I suspect we can blame all those smart phones and other 24/7 communication devices that have diminished the importance of timeliness in many workers’ minds. Younger employees often ask me, “As long as I get the work done, what does it matter whether I’m chained to a desk at 9:00 a.m. or working at my local Starbucks?”
What many interns, summer associates and new hires fail to appreciate is that employers continue to regard punctuality as a “skill,” one that is increasingly hard to find. If you're starting work, remember punctuality is key.
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