With the football season in full swing, competition is straying off the pitch and into workplaces nationwide, with over a third of the UK’s employees (38%) surveyed claiming that they work with colleagues who are very or fairly competitive in the workplace. According to the new research published today, over a quarter of those surveyed (28%) also admitted that they actually find themselves competing with people they work with. 

The research, conducted by YouGov for Investors in People - the organisation that works with companies to improve performance - also reveals that 45% of those employees who work with competitive colleagues believe it can destroy team spirit and a further 14% say it leads to mistrust. Only one-fifth (20%) of employees see competition in the workplace as a positive thing. 

Employees surveyed also reveal the tell-tale signs of a competitive colleague, with 60% saying it’s someone who is always trying to get the attention of senior managers and 52% believing it is someone who only picks up work when there’s something in it for them. Employees surveyed also point to someone who brags about their achievements (51%) and to colleagues who claim other people’s work as their own (48%) as signs of an employee who is competitive rather than collegiate.

When questioned about the cause of competition in the workplace, over a third (36%) of employees point the finger at their bosses, believing that managers play colleagues off against each other. Other reasons cited include poor communication which leads to misunderstandings (35%) and lack of structure (23%) which means employees don’t know where they fit in the organisation.

 Simon Jones, Acting Chief Executive, Investors in People said:

“Employee ambition can have a positive impact on the workplace, driving both personal development as well as business performance. Managed effectively, such ambition can create healthy competition – a quarter of employees we surveyed said that workplace competition can lead to others upping their game and a further quarter said it can improve productivity.

 “But, there is a balance to be struck between personal progress that supports the business and excessive competition that can undermine it. Left unchecked competition amongst employees can be divisive, damaging team spirit and breeding a culture of mistrust in the workplace. Managers need to be alert to the symptoms, particularly those that suggest employees only have their own interests at heart. Agreeing clearly defined objectives will help managers ensure that employee ambition and energy is channeled into delivering for the business, rather than wasted on watching what colleagues are up to."

When asked about the best way to manage competitive people, employees felt managers needed to set clearly defined roles and responsibilities (29%), help create a culture of team spirit (28%) and ensure transparency around promotion and development opportunities (15%).

Other interesting findings:

• Male employees are more likely to see competition in the workplace as positive (24/%/14%). They are also more likely to believe they need to be competitive to progress their careers (46%/34%).
• Nearly half (43%) of 18-24 year old employees often or sometimes see themselves competing with colleagues as opposed to just 16% of employees aged over 55.
• Employees working in the finance sector are most likely to see competition in the workplace as positive (31%), compared to employees in the public sector (education, health and Local Government) who are least likely to see it this way (15%).
• More than half (51%) of London’s employees think they need to be competitive to progress in their career. This compares to 30% in the North East.

Notes to editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 1,986 UK adults. Fieldwork was undertaken 14th - 25th June 2007.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have not been weighted.