Yes. Take a second look at the title of this article. It is a word in the dictionary. In business etiquette terms, it refers to one of the most irritating habits that a work colleague, or even an employer, can have. In fact, as I describe the characteristics of The Hoverer, the face of someone in your office suddenly looms unto your picturescape, and it dawns on you…… that you actually know a Hoverer!
The Hoverer is the person who believes that when he or she approaches your cubicle, desk, office, or station, you are supposed to immediately get off the phone because he or she needs to talk to you at that very minute. The Hoverer believe it or not, is not only a colleague……he or she can also be your boss! Yes. Your Boss. And dear reader, that is not the only kind of Hoverer. What about the colleague who finds some inanity to do, some blivit to fiddle with or pretend to be fixing, while you are on the phone, or at your computer? He or she definitely qualifies for the focus of this article too!
It is not good manners to stand up waiting around a colleague’s desk, while he or she is on the phone, no matter how patient you are trying to seem. You don’t know whether the call was about to be concluded. You don’t know if your colleague just placed, or just received this call and needs to develop this conversation properly to achieve results. When someone waits around for you to come off the phone, they are essentially saying “Hi. I am here; end that call because it is not as important as what I have to tell you.”
Now, this question of Hovering is a very dynamic one. You see, you and I both know that what might seem like bad business etiquette – waiting expectantly for someone to finish a call in a workplace – might actually be helping us save some taxpayer dollars at work. You and I know that many employees abuse the phones at work, talking for hours on end, to relatives, friends and lovers, about issues that have nothing to do with the work they are being paid to do!
It can also be argued, by those upstanding citizens (who nary a minute spend on personal conversations on their company’s phones), that it is possible to gauge the nature of somebody’s conversation, and thereby determine whether to hover or not. On approaching a cubicle, or a desk, or a station, you can tell by the surreptitious body language, the guilty smiles, the whispers into the phone, the stifled laughs, and, when you approach – the hurried mask of professionalism that is put on, whether an employee is having a personal conversation, or whether it is work related. I concur with that view too, because I must confess that there have been situations where
I practice Hovering. For example, I refuse to be an interruption to a receptionist who seems to be having a personal conversation. I will ‘hover’ at that front desk, until someone comes up to attend to me. It is only proper customer service. You see it all the time: The office was empty until you walked in, so the receptionist maximize the company’s time by calling her girlfriend in another business place. You take your fastness and walk in to the people’s conversation, trying to get some business done. Well, what do you expect to happen? Girlfren’ tells her phone companion, “Hold On”, covers the phone with her hand and looks at you with an irritating enquiry on her face, mumbling a hurried “Can I help you?”. I have to confess that in a very brazenly offensive situation, I have said absolutely nothing and just let the young lady get the point. Most times, I just nod politely and say “Yes”.
But that is an extreme situation (smh!), and so we return to the topic. If your colleague is on the phone, when you come to see him or her, don’t wait around. Slip the person a note, or signal to the person that you want to see them and that it is urgent and leave. If it can wait, and in ten minutes the person still has not contacted you, go back to check on them to see if they forgot your note, or whether they are still on the phone. Most times that kind of subtle pressure will send the hint, especially if that colleague is on a personal call. If you realize however, that your colleague’s phone convo seems very serious and important, take a rain check, stop coming by to check (as this can be very stressful on a colleague) and resolve within yourself to come back in a few hours.
What do you think of this column? This article? We’d appreciate your feedback! The email address is [email protected].
All the talk seems to be about employees what about the supervisors who hover around and then even comment on waht you were talking about ont he phone??Imagine that? I believe proper ettiqutee should be put in place for both parties..
A lot of the employees use the business phones to talk to family & friends and forget that they are being paid to work. I think a code should be given to employees, so you can make them pay for calls that are not rlated to work, because the business is responsible for paying that bill, while the employees are being paid to work but not working.
Some employees even have BAD attitude while you are awaiting on them to finish their personnal calls.
In the Casualties at our some of our hospitals, some of the nusres having their personnal conversation going on, forgetting that they are being paid from the tax payers contributions and don’t care about patients that are their waiting to be served.
A very interesting aryticle . Sometimes it is practiced subconsciously but one needs to take note and know when hovering should be done
I have experienced front desk employees/gate keepers chewing gum, filing their nails, playing crossword puzzle or reading a gossip magazine rather than their primary focus to Customer Service…and being proactive.
And playing solitaire
Or on facebook.
A very interesting article.
There are cases when “hovering” is necessary, for example, as a manager, when you notice that an employee is on a personal call instead of working, hovering can force that person to end the call and get back to work, which is what they’re being paid to do. In this case, the manager should have a conversation with the employee, reminding them of the company’s policy on abusing the phone.
Employees need to reminded that they can be disciplined for such abuses. Now, in today’s world of cell phones, companies must also have a policy on use of cell phones in the work place. Because an employee is on a cell phone does not make it okay. Some employees believe that if they are on their personal cell phones they are not doing anything wrong, however, that is not true. They are robbing the company of valuable time.
Again, there is need for a policy on excessive use of non-work related phone calls.
Now, the “hoverer” must be sensitive to the person on the call. Don’t hang around the person’s office or cubicle expecting them to get off the phone. The person on the phone could be having a confidential work related conversation, and you should not hang around listening to their conversation, with an impatient look that says “get off the phone.” If the person on the phone does not acknowledge you, and you notice they’re in a deep conversation, slip them a note and walk away. Then go back to check on them if you needed a response to a question. Don’t hang around, because it is rude.
Both “hoverers” and the “hovered” must be sensitive to others who may be needing some attention. The “hovered” should not pretend to be on an important call if they’re simply fooling around on the phone. And the “hoverer” should not barge in on someone who is on the phone.
Employers should not take for granted that all employees have phone etiquette. This should be included in the new employee orientation, and be repeated periodically, particularly as technology has introduced cell phones in the work place.
Spending a lot time texting in the work place is also robbing the employer of valuable time.
i guess most of us if not all are guilty of being hoverers… anyway i know these people very well… some people actually use the phone knowing u will be attending to them any minute now and when u arrive then u got to wait on them… some use it as a way to ‘ignore’ u… if waiting on a supervisor to finish a convo… well yes i have been a hoverer for once as far as i can remember…. don’t forget about the ones who pick up a call in your presence and some how ‘forget’ u all were discussing some business related material… i remember quite well when i was hovering in my supervisors office… but won’t go into details… but when people continuously ignore u time after time and business have to be done… customers have to be served… and u are in a setback then it can really get on your nerves and somehow it seems the only way to get urgent attention is to march in this office and “wait”… they’ll get the message
from a managers perspective; if i come to my worker and he/she is on the phone they have to get off, because im not going to make small talk, most likely is something muy important, so get off the phone/BBM/facebook/youtube vid of cats dancing!!!!
if is me on the phone on a work related call, i would never take you on.
oh please stop acting like thats all employees do… u managers always want to make workers look bad.. give the person some space to do wat u paying him to do and stop breathing down ppl’s necks…
You seem to be a culprit. LOL
…and what happens if your employee is on a call with an important client trying to broker a deal that will net the company a heap of dinero?
I guess you must be a supervisor whose employees are always wasting time on facebook, youtube, etc. If that is the case, you should put measures (disciplinary action if necessary) in place to ensure that they become more productive, and stop wasting valuable time. Telling them to put down the phone when you arrive at their cubicle is not addressing the bigger issue. When they see you coming, they will get off the phone and shut down the internet. However, as soon as you leave, they will return to their unproductive vices…That’s not smart leadership…