Work ethic, culture and

environment questionnaire
Work ethic sounds like an old school idea — one where the
adults in your life are all lecturing you about how hard you’ll
have to work in order to get ahead.
While it may seem old school, a good work ethic is still
important to understand and demonstrate. Having a good work ethic involves being supportive of
your company’s goals and values, and the best way to be supportive is to show up to work on time,
have a good attitude while you’re there and do the best job you possibly can.
Understanding your work environment and fitting in with the work culture is also important. Fitting in
doesn’t mean you have to give up your personal beliefs or values, however. Rather, it means making
an effort to get along with your workmates and get involved in work activities (like meetings) and
events (like end-of-week socialising).
Here’s a questionnaire to help you get an understanding of your strengths and development areas
around work ethic and fitting in with the work culture and environment. When you’re finished, check
your results to see where you stand.

QUESTIONS

1 How would you describe your work ethic generally?

a) A bit slack. I tend to be too chill about work.
b) Could be better. I don’t like putting myself forward, so I tend to stand back
and watch. I prefer to be clearly invited or asked to do something.
c) It’s OK. I tend to do what’s required, but not much more than that.
d) Pretty good. I know my job, I work hard and I have a pretty good attitude.
e) Very good. I work hard, and I’m always looking to do more than just the
basics. I make extra effort and make a good impression with the boss.
f) Other.

2 A job can be a lot more fun if you have friends at work. Making new friends
takes time and some effort, especially when you start off as strangers.
Do you think this is worth the effort? How much effort would you make?
a) No, I would not make an effort. I don’t believe in having friends at work.
b) I would make some effort, but I would find it a big challenge to make new
friends with people I don’t know. I would try to be friendly.
c) Yes, I would make an effort. Always more fun to have some mates at work.
I would make an effort to be friendly, have a few laughs and join in with
whatever is going on.
d) I would make a big effort to get to know people at work, get involved,
make friends, join the social club, have coffee break and lunch with my
workmates.
e) Other.
3 Employers expect you to arrive at work on time, stick to your breaks and
even work overtime when needed. Would you describe yourself as being
good with time management?
a) I have problems with being on time. I’m always running late. I don’t wear a
watch. I don’t like being dominated by time.
b) I try to be on time, but I often get held up because of stuff happening at home.
I sometimes take longer breaks than I mean to because I’m not organised;
like whenever I go out for lunch, it always takes longer than 30 minutes.
c) I am usually punctual. It depends on a lot of things, like how busy we are at
work, whether the is boss around, whether I’m tired, etc.
d) I’m pretty good at being on time. If I’m late, it’s usually only by a few minutes.
I’m fine with staying late to work longer, as long as I’ve had some warning.
e) I’m great at managing my time! I aim to show up early, and if I’m ever late,
I’ll make up the time by skipping a break during the day. Happy to work
overtime if needed.
f) Other.

4 If the boss asks you to work unsupervised, or if you know they’re going to
be out for part/all of the day, how does this impact on your work output?
a) I tend slack off when no one’s watching. I don’t see the point of ‘overdoing it’
for someone else’s profit.
b) I like it when I’m not being watched. I can relax a bit and not worry about being
yelled at for doing something wrong.
c) I try not to let it affect my work but, to be realistic, everyone slows down when
the boss isn’t looking over their shoulder. It’s normal.
d) I work the same way whether the boss is there or not. The only difference
might be that I take a bit longer on breaks or perhaps leave earlier at the
end of the day.
e) I still work hard when the boss isn’t there. I want to get ahead, and I want
the company to do well, because that means we all do well. Maybe we’ll get
a pay rise, a bonus or even just a shout at the end of the week.
f) Other.
5 You work at a shearing shed. Your job is to keep the pens filled with sheep.
How important do you think it is for you to know about and understand
your co-workers’ roles and responsibilities?
a) Not important at all. I don’t need to know what they do or why. I just keep my
head down and do my own job.
b) Not that important. I need to focus on doing my own job well. I can’t afford to
get distracted by what the others are doing.
c) A little important. It would probably be useful to know what everyone else
does, even if just for interest’s sake or to make conversation at smoko.
d) Fairly important. It’s important I know the others’ roles so we can be a team.
e) Very important. Knowing the others’ roles means I can lend a hand when
help is needed, which means we work better as a team. It would also make
me work more effectively, like understanding that the shearers waste time
if they have to chase down the last few stray sheep. That motivates me to
keep the pens full for them.
f) Other.

6 Staying with the shearing shed, how important would it be for you to know
what the boss values (e.g. health and safety, animal care)? For instance,
they may expect the shearers to work carefully so as not to hurt the sheep
and to take breaks to stretch their backs?
a) Not important at all. I’m not really interested in their values. I do my job and
keep my head down.
b) Not that important. I’d want to know what’s expected of me so I don’t get
into trouble but that’s about it.
c) A little important. I’d want to know what is expected. If the boss want us to
work carefully, even if the extra time costs money, that’s their choice and I
would support this.
d) Fairly important. By knowing their values I can make sure my behaviour
meets their standards.
e) Very important. I want to do a great job and would like to earn a promotion
one day. To do this, I need to understand what the boss values and gives
priority to. If they want nice, slow and tidy, that’s fine with me. It’s important
to stay alert to the little things that the boss sees as important.
f) Other.
7 When offered a job, you should receive a job description and a legal
contract. The job description tells you about your role and responsibilities.
The contract sets out your work conditions (hours, break times, pay rates,
etc) and what your employer and you can expect of each other. Would you
read through these documents carefully, and would you feel comfortable
to negotiate any of the details?
a) Nah, I wouldn’t waste time doing any of that. I would just sign it.
b) I probably wouldn’t read them very carefully as I would be too shy / whakamā
to negotiate. I would just take what’s on offer.
c) I’d just give them a quick skim through so I would know what’s expected of
me, what my pay is, hours of work and holidays and that.
d) Yeah, I’d read them carefully so I could be clear on what the offer is. I would
ask questions to make sure I’ve got a good idea.
e) Yes, I would read very carefully and maybe get someone else I trust to read
them as well. I’d find out what others in my sort of role get paid and what
other things they get (e.g. work gear). I’d make a list of questions or concerns
and discuss these carefully with the boss. If I felt the pay was too low or if I
knew others got work clothes provided, I would respectfully discuss it.
f) Other.

8 How important is it for you to know about your company’s values, branding
and purpose? Does it matter to you whether the company stands for high
quality and a great reputation or is focused on being cheap and having
quick turnaround times?
a) Not important. I just go to work, do my job, then go home.
b) A little bit important. My priority, however, would be doing my job well and
not getting side-tracked with what others are doing. Values and branding
are issues for the boss, not me.
c) Somewhat important. I need to understand what the boss expects of me.
For example, do I stack shelves fast without worrying about how they look,
or do I take the time to make the shelves look tidy and appealing?
d) Fairly important. I’d be interested because I want to do a good job, so focusing
on what’s important to the boss is the smart thing to do.
e) Very important. The values provide signposts for what is important and
what is expected of me. If I want to do well and get ahead, I need to know
the values of my workplace and work in harmony with them.
f) Other.
9 Work culture covers the rules and norms of a workplace, such as how to
dress (a uniform, a suit, etc) and how to talk (friendly, formal, etc). It can
also be about routines and rituals, like having karakia at the beginning
of the day or taking breaks together for lunch, or perhaps joining in work
events like a fun run. Understanding all of these things helps people to
fit in at work. How much effort would you put into fitting in?
a) I don’t like the pressure of having to fit in. I wouldn’t bother. I don’t need to
have friends at work.
b) I am shy / whakamā, so having to fit in and get on with people I don’t know is
really stressful.
c) I have mixed thoughts about fitting in. I am my own person, so I don’t think I
should have to change to fit in. However, I would make an effort to be friendly
and follow the rules.
d) I am a team player, so I would make an effort to fit in. I don’t want to feel like
an outsider. I would watch and work out what was expected of me and go
with the flow.
e) I would make a real effort to fit in, get on with people, work out what was
expected of me and do the best I can.
f) Other.

10 You’ve got a job as a salesman. The boss expects you to do ‘hard sells’ to
get people to buy your company’s products even if it looks like they might
not be able to afford them. The boss likes to make racist / sexist jokes that
you find offensive as well. It’s clear the values of the workplace don’t line
up with your own. How would you handle this situation?
a) I’d just ignore it. Doesn’t bother me.
b) I’d find it difficult but wouldn’t say anything. I’d just stay in the background.
c) It would depend on whether it was right in my face or not. If it was in my
face, I’d speak up. If I got shut down, I would withdraw and probably start
looking for another job. If it wasn’t in my face so much, I’d just deal with it.
d) I would talk to my supervisor and see what could be done. If my job made me
feel unsafe or disrespected, I would leave.
e) If I felt my values and beliefs were being disrespected, I would talk to a friend,
mentor or someone I trusted at work about it. I’d check that I wasn’t just being
overly sensitive. I would try to address the issues myself with my boss, but
if this didn’t work, I would get help to make a formal complaint.
f) Other.
RESULTS
Now take a few moments to look back over your answers. Do you notice any patterns in
the way you responded to these questions?

If you mostly chose As

You can be a bit slack at work and tend to only do what is needed and nothing extra. If you want
to look like a great employee, try to develop a good work ethic and make more of an effort to fit
into your work environment. Be more interested in the roles of your workmates and the values
of your boss because they impact you and your job. When everyone knows what’s expected of
them and works as a team, getting the job done is easier. Also, your boss will like that you made
an effort and could reward you for this. Check out the videos and resources to see how you could
improve your work ethic and fit in better with the work environment.

If you mostly chose Bs

You struggle with being a bit too shy at work. This makes getting to know people and speaking
up about things you don’t agree with quite hard for you. You may also find it difficult fitting in to
the work environment because you’re so shy. Improving your confidence at work will help you a
lot. Your boss will like that you are asking questions and getting more involved. Your workmates
should see your efforts as a positive, too, and they may want to engage with you more. Take a
look at the resources to see how you could put more effort into developing a good work ethic and
getting along in the workplace environment.

If you mostly chose Cs

You’ve got an OK work ethic and do all right at fitting in at work, although you could be making
a bit more of an effort and not be so focused on yourself. Perhaps try thinking about the bigger
picture more. Think about the team as a whole, and how your actions can affect them, rather than
only focusing on your own role. When your boss and workmates see that you care about fitting
in, being part of the team and doing a good job, they will respect and like you for it. Have a look
at the resources to see where you could improve your work ethic and how you could get better at
participating in the work culture.

If you mostly chose Ds

Well done! You’re doing a pretty good job at keeping a good work ethic and fitting into the
work environment with ease. You understand that it’s good to be interested in your workmates’
roles so you can feel part of the team and help where needed. You also know that it is good to
understand your boss’ values and expectations so you can deliver good work. If you’re like this
all the time, you will go far at work. Take a look at the resources to see if there are any areas you
could improve on.

If you mostly chose Es

Awesome work! You have an excellent work ethic and not only fit in to the work environment but
have fun in it too. You are supportive of the goals and values of your boss, you show up to work
on time, with a good attitude, and you work to the best of your ability. Keep up the good work
and keep getting involved in the workplace. The resources still might be able to give you some
pointers, so check them out if you want your skills to get even better.