Accepter, Passer, Revealer, which Ideal Employee Are You?

Do you know co-workers who answer e-mails at midnight, return texts at 6 am, and make no distinction between Wednesday and Saturday afternoons? Those individuals who management likes to consider ideal employees. Is it possible you are that person?

In a Harvard Business Review article, “Managing the High Intensity Workplace,” authors Erin Reid and Lakshmi Ramarajan write about their research on how people, in a variety of fields, deal with the demands of a global, 24/7, immediate response required, world of work.

They found three distinct types of behaviors — accepter, passer and revealer. The article then shares the challenges and advantages of each type of ideal employee.

Accepter: We all know these people. No matter what is asked of them they are present and available to put their head down, hop on a plane, or answer that mobile phone on the first ring. I worked with a woman who had a cesarean on a Friday, so she could be in the office for a Monday morning meeting. (You can’t make this up.)

Accepters never complain and give 100% all the time. They are often described as committed and reliable, and are seen as the ideal employee. They have no life outside of work and are proud to say so. Some actually thrive in this environment, giving everything they have to their passion; most are simply workhorses plowing another of the many endless fields.

Organizations honor accepters and often recognize them for accomplishments that are in fact dangerous —“Chris racked up a millions miles — platinum with the airlines and with us.” The problems arise when personal issues occur. These diligent, dedicated individuals have been so busy in the office, they missed out on friends/family, a love life, hobbies, and “me” time.

If the needs of others in their lives arise, they have no backstop. They burnout sooner or later, and often have health issues related to the grind and self-imposed stress. This type tends to hire people similar to them, yet no one can meet their standards. Retention is poor. They have a particularly difficult time with Millennials who believe outside interests enhance their work and are essential to life satisfaction.

I have clients who have forfeited millions of dollars in compensation not to be an accepter, so they could be the person who eats dinner with their kids and take vacations. Did they make the right choice considering their high potential? Only they can answer that question.

Passer: These are employees who keep their career strategies and personal lives under the radar. They often telecommute, so they can handle personal matters such as attending their non-work activities without anyone knowing. They manage to limit the amount of business travel and work the global clock, so they can get things done at times that are best for them.

They deliver quality and meet deadlines but on their terms. The challenge for them is the secrecy. It’s as if they are two people who don’t want one to know the other. They have difficulty being genuine or authentic with colleagues for fear they will be labeled slackers. As employees, they are quick to change jobs, especially if their plan is discovered or obstacles to their way of doing things are placed in front of them.

They only can work this way if they have a team of accepters surrounding them who are enablers — the ever loyal and always available assistant is essential. Could they have been another type? Many of them were and decided to change.

Revealer: These are the people who let it be known in their place of employment that their church activities, political aspirations, athletic successes are very important to them, maybe even more than work. The research shows these employees are given a “substantial penalty” by their employers for making their passions known. While the boss might secretly love to play tennis six days a week and win the club championship, they don’t want to hear another is actually doing it.

It is not to say these highly involved individuals are not delivering their work and at an excellent level. It’s more about envy, resentment, and a nagging question on the part of others of whether they are committed that gets revealers into trouble. As a career strategy it’s a treacherous choice.

So, those are the three types of behaviors and none of them fare very well. How can one create a career strategy when all roads seem to lead to failure? The good news is you can make it work. Here is how I see it.

1. At different times in your career different approaches work. Maybe early on, or when you first join an organization, you have to be an accepter, putting most of your energies into the work and building your business relationships. Then when your personal life (assuming you remembered to squeeze one in) takes precedence, you decide to take maternity/paternity leave or attend family events during business hours. And occasionally, you reveal how passionate you are about your current external activities — but only as something that never interferes with your work.
2. Carefully choose fit. When looking for a new position, or finding yourself being recruited or promoted, spend a good amount of time learning the work ethic of the company/team. Do people brag about their “all-nighters?” How much travel is involved? Do people in the organization mention their lives outside? Cultures come in all shapes and sizes. Choosing the one that is right for you is as important as any other criteria you are considering.
3. Don’t be the perpetrator. Be the solution to this dilemma, not the problem. Give people permission to go home. Reward results not time in the chair or effort.
4. Clarify what you mean by an “ideal employee.” Develop criteria and compare it to what you espouse, demand and/or tolerate for yourself and others. You may be your own worst enemy.