The Work Zombie: What Exactly Does That Mean?

Work zombies exist in every professional setting. We recognize them immediately because they always seem to be very busy. In many cases this is the case – but it is also in many cases the case that a work zombie merely delegates his responsibilities to other people. These are the work zombies we are going to talk about today.

They are ineffective and bad co-workers but somehow they know how to gain their boss’s trust. Of course, this ultimately results in toxic and unproductive environments in which they manage to survive without any problems.

We can initially imagine that the term “work zombie” refers to a specific group of employees. These are the ones who work long hours or work slowly but surely in an automated way. This is often due to too much work tasks, little motivation and little recognition or compensation.

However, there is a clear difference between workers who are very busy and those who simply walk around the office spaces and give everyone the impression that they are so busy. The difference is in productivity.

Some people think that this lack of achievement stems from a lack of dedication. However, those who have analyzed this kind of behavior ask a different question:  why do companies allow these people to stay?

First of all, we have to point out that work zombies don’t just exist in public spaces. These types of people also work in private companies, universities, factories and other areas of business. How do they survive this? What strategies and character traits make these people what they are?

How to spot a work zombie

In 2004, a survey was conducted by means of a Gallup survey into the  commitment  of various companies in the United States and Europe. The results revealed what the experts described as a “cultural and business crisis.”

Nearly 64% of employees said they feel committed to their work or the goals of the company they worked for. Their only concern was that they were meeting the expectations associated with their jobs so that they would be paid.

According to them, this was due to the small amount of recognition they received and the poor relationship they had with the middle or upper echelon of managers.

Of the remaining 36%, 15% could be seen as work zombies. Companies know they exist. While many consider these people to be “bad apples,” some believe it’s normal for them to exist in the corporate world. Therefore, these people simply accept the work zombies as part of the workplace that can’t be helped.

Kevin Daum – a well-known American author, business specialist and columnist for Smart Business Magazine – describes a work zombie as a neglected character that we should pay more attention to. Sometimes the company itself overlooks that these employees are the ones who have the most influence on productivity and the workplace.

Five Characteristics of a Work Zombie

• They leave before their shift is over. Somehow they always manage to slip away. The working day is not over yet, but they are already busy putting away their work equipment. They do this in peace and joy. They also seem to take pride in the work they have done because they believe this kind of behavior is acceptable.
• They like to gossip. One of their biggest reasons for going to work is to gossip. They devour gossip without thinking about it, and they enjoy the fact that they have the most recent knowledge.
• They always bring bad news. W ork zombies have a special gift that allows them to find out everything. However, this always seems to have a negative effect: dismissal, problems, punishments, and so on.
• They are never in a hurry. Work zombies are never in a hurry. They are often late, take longer breaks than usual and do not hesitate to leave earlier than everyone else, as mentioned above.

• They have no aspirations. The work zombie is not short of talent or skills, but of aspirations. Their sole purpose is to survive their work and let time pass. The attitude with which they “do nothing in the morning and pass everything on to the afternoon” causes headaches in others. They feel uncomfortable with this.

Why do companies let such a person stay?

We said at the beginning of this article that work zombies are in all businesses. However, why do companies tolerate these individuals? First, it must be said that  not all companies allow these people who influence their reputation and productivity to stay in the company for long.

However, a large part of the working groups consists of these individuals because:

• … some companies don’t use the right evaluation system. Many executives simply don’t pay much attention to work zombies. After all, they are nice to everyone and rarely cause conflict.

• … the manager of the company is also a work zombie. Believe it or not, many people stand for functionality rather than innovation. They prefer quiet people who don’t cause problems and just let themselves “exist.” In this sense, they only want people who do not seek a fight, who do not come up with new ideas and do not try to make changes.

In conclusion, we can say that whether we like it or not, work zombies will continue to exist within companies if the policy does not change. So they will continue to exist unless a real commitment to efficiency is achieved.

In the meantime,  you will have to protect yourself from the virus and the attitude that makes people work zombies. So take good care of yourself!