Workplace deviance behavior (WDB) can be defined as any voluntary behavior by an employee that is counterproductive, violating organizational norms, and harming the organization’s operation. Researchers estimate that organizations lose up to $200 billion annually due to WDB and perhaps as many as 75% of employees have participated in WDB.
Examples of WDB run along a spectrum from less severe behaviors such as using the organization’s Internet for personal use, calling in sick to avoid work, or engaging in workplace politics, to more severe behaviors like vandalism, employee theft, or workplace violence. With the potential loss in revenues that organizations face due to WDB, hiring managers may want to predict a job applicant’s potential for participating in WDB before any hiring decisions are made.
Studies Show Workplace Deviance Can be Predicted
Two recent studies show that perhaps some employees are more susceptible to workplace deviance and by examining their past a tendency toward workplace deviance can be uncovered.
The first study, a 2007 article entitled Predicting the Counterproductive Employee in a Child-to-Adult Prospective Study by Brent Roberts, Peter Harms, Avshalom Caspi, and Terri Moffitt published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that personality traits can play a role in predicting workplace deviance. The two strongest personality traits predicting future deviance were:
Conscientiousness – demonstrated by high levels of thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. Workers who are principled, thorough, and hard working (high conscientiousness trait) tend to be less susceptible to participating in workplace deviance.
Agreeableness – demonstrated by attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors. Workers who have a high agreeableness trait tend to be less susceptible to participating in workplace deviance.
The second study, a 2008 article entitled Student Cheating Habits: A Predictor of Workplace Deviance by Sharron M. Graves, published in the Journal of Diversity Management found that cheating on homework and tests in high school (and to a lesser degree in college) also provide an indicator that employees will be more likely to engage in workplace deviance. According to Graves, “Students who cheat on tests and/or homework in high school and/or college are more likely to engage in property- and production-deviant activities than their counterparts who do not cheat.”
Property deviance includes actions like abuse of employee discounts, employee theft, inflating work hours, and stealing company tools and equipment. Whereas production deviance includes actions like using work internet/email/phone for personal use during working hours, taking long lunches, arriving late and leaving work early, and calling in sick to avoid going to work.
Predicting Workplace Deviance Behavior Before Hiring
Although organizational factors such as treating employees unfairly, poorly developed job descriptions, or bad leadership can lead to increased workplace deviance, these studies show that personal traits and behaviors can also provide some insight into employees with a tendency to engage in workplace deviance.
Employer Reference Checks – can aid in finding out about a potential employee’s past work experience, but alone, reference checks are not enough to gauge potential for WDB.
Professor Reference Checks – can be useful in learning more about a candidate’s academic career and may help to uncover any academic integrity issues the candidate has had.
Personality Testing – can provide insight into an employee's potential for WDB. Paper and pencil personality tests that measure the Big Five Personality Traits can provide a measure of the traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness. However, when using personality testing it is important to realize that without proper training in psychology using the tests as a condition of employment may not quite be ethical.
Consult a Psychologist – as with any employment testing, a trained psychologist can provide ideas of the types of testing available and the best tests for a particular organization. Employment tests range in price and complexity and something is available for all budgets.
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