Ireland wins hands down for easily understood workplace etiquette

For new arrivals in a strange land, adjusting to a new workplace etiquette can be a nightmare.

One of the biggest challenges for newly reassigned expat professionals is fitting into an established work culture whilst still trying to adjust to an unfamiliar lifestyle. Those heading for the Gulf States, China or Japan are most at risk of making unintentional mistakes, but even Europe-based companies work in different ways than do those in the USA and UK.

Expats wanting to take the easy way out of this dilemma could well be advised to head for the Republic of Ireland, recently voted as having Europe’s most easily understood workplace etiquette. The customs and traditions practiced in the Republic’s local business culture are almost as highly rated as their counterparts in Singapore, the chart-topping expat destination in a recent survey. A full 70 per cent of respondents praised Ireland’s business etiquette, saying they made far fewer blunders than they’d expected to and are adjusting fast to their posts as a result.

Using Estonia’s third place in the survey as an example, only 60 per cent of newly-arrived expats were getting to grips with the local business etiquette, an 11 point lower rating, and only 54 per cent of newly-arrived foreign workers in UK-based companies found British office etiquette easy to comprehend. Although the survey results didn’t expand on why Ireland’s business etiquette is so much easier for new arrivals, the general opinion seems to be that it’s connected to the positivity of the Irish attitude towards foreigners in general. Whatever the reason, this Irish trend shows up regularly in other expat surveys as belonging to one of the world’s best expat destinations for general friendliness and getting used to the local culture.