6 Types of Coworkers in Every Office

By Tyler Nicol on August 7, 2018

You may be almost finished with your summer job or preparing to start your career after college. In any job that you have, you will get to know your coworkers pretty well. It is likely that you have seen certain types of coworkers, especially if you work in an office setting. Who knows, maybe even the people you work with may see you as that coworker.

Here are some coworker character types that are present in most offices:

photo via pexels

The suck-up

Every office has that person who constantly tries to make themselves look good in front of the boss. Of course, everyone wants to do well at their job and receive recognition, but this coworker is over the top and quite frankly – annoying. The most important thing to the suck-up is that the superiors witness his or her achievements. In reality, everyone else in the office probably notices it more. Don’t be this coworker.

Instead of kissing up to the manager, let your work ethic do the talking. Forbes reports that “good managers know that their best employees are people who take responsibility for their work, step in to solve problems when they spot them, tell the truth about good news and bad news, and support their teammates.” Your boss is more likely to think highly of you for being a standout employee rather than for how buddy-buddy the two of you are.

The one that is too blunt

While reading this, you probably had at least one person that you work with come to mind. The extremely blunt coworker says whatever is on his or her mind, often with no filter. The blunt coworker may regularly curse, among other things that catch you off guard. This person does not seem to have a care about the possible consequences in regards to professional language in the workplace.

The blunt coworker can be hard to deal with every day, particularly if you tend to keep to yourself. The best thing to do is to not let them get a reaction out of you and continue to do your job.

The gossiper

Some people just can’t function without talking about others, even at their jobs where they have several other more important things to do. Sure, employees talk amongst each other about their personal lives, however, it is the gossipers’ priority. There may be more than one gossiper in your office, which makes things worse.

Gossipers talks to you about others and talk to others about you. Nothing that you say or do is safe. Like the other types of coworkers, the gossiper just seems to keep getting away with their behavior without management noticing.

photo via unsplash

The one from another generation

Do you have that coworker who is 2-3 times your age and just can’t seem to grasp the fact that you, someone in your late teens or early 20s, are working the same job as them? These people still look at our generation as children and they don’t believe that we can get the job done. This type of coworker treats you less than they treat everyone else or they may not even want to interact with you much at all. It is even worse if you quickly enter a position above them in your career.

If the generational differences cause issues, it will create a negative work environment for you and for everyone. When will people accept diversity in the office and realize that times are changing?

The weird one

Most offices have that unusually introverted employee that most people struggle to try to communicate with. Maybe it’s that stereotypical IT guy that understands computers better than people, or maybe it is someone who is new to the job and nervous about meeting others. Nevertheless, the unusual coworker likely causes few issues unlike the rest of them.

Although you may not have an interest in trying to befriend this person, going out of your way to be kind to them can have a positive impact on the office environment.

The office comedian

The office comedian can be a good thing and a bad thing, but every office has one. The office comedian’s goal is to have everyone think he or she is the funniest person ever. They are constantly cracking jokes, which can take some stress off your workday if you share the same type of humor. Laughing can even bring people closer and strengthen how they work together. According to BBC, “laughing together is something that improves team collaboration and stimulates innovation.”

photo via unsplash

Constantly goofing around with the office comedian can make you get behind on work if you allow it to. If you don’t find the office comedian funny, however, then you are likely going to be just as annoyed as you are with the other people in the office.

If you are trying to fulfill any of the coworker types, the comedian is the best way to go. Compared to the other options, you would likely be less hated by your coworkers. Besides, everyone needs little ways to take their minds off the stress of the job.

Whether you are starting your full-time career or working a part-time job, your workplace will have its stereotypical coworkers that get on your nerves. Sadly, in the working world, you can’t do much about it. At times, you will be forced to work with people you wouldn’t particularly choose to work with. The best thing you can do to have a positive work environment is to be yourself and think about how you interact with others in the office. Try not to fall into the category of a typical lousy coworker.

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