TV Meets IRL: What Workplace Shows Most Resemble YOUR Workplace?

Sometimes work feels like a drama, sometimes more like a comedy. Our new “Udemy Snapshot: 2019 Workplace Happiness Report” found that our workplaces can often resemble our favorite TV shows. Turns out, the way you perceive your office culture says a lot about your IRL character. So, are you a Cersei Lannister or a Dwight Schrute? Read on to find out…

Game of Thrones // “The Strategist”

For you, work gives you life. It’s probably hard for you to distinguish where work ends and your personal life begins. You’re more likely to have friends at the office, even if your work environment is more stressful. Perhaps you enjoy hanging out with your coworkers more than other personality types because you most likely consider yourself currently in your dream job. We’re also guessing you’re a millennial or a GenXer. When the going gets tough, the office looks to your enthusiasm and dedication to find the gumption needed to get things done. By the numbers:

• 77% consider their current job to be their dream job
• 84% said it’s important for them to have at least one close friend at work
• 77% would take a pay cut to work for a company whose mission they believe in
• 83% attend company-sponsored events and feel more connected to colleagues and mission as a result
• Game of Thrones was the top pick among millennials at 24%, much higher than other generations
• 83% would leave a company that didn’t invest in their learning & development

The Office // “The Manager”

You’re most likely to be motivated by a great performance review. Like “The Strategist,” you’re willing to make sacrifices in order to get what you want. However, where The Strategist thrives on a convivial atmosphere, you don’t require to work alongside your best friends. You’re so focused on your own work, you’re most likely to be unaware of company-wide initiatives like a diversity and inclusion program. You have no patience for pointless meetings. On video calls, you’re likely the participant who is most anxious about your physical appearance. However, this anxiety stops at home—you typically leave work at the office. By the numbers:

• 22% say personal achievement is what gives their work meaning, higher than other shows
• 17% aren’t sure whether their company has a formal diversity and inclusion program
• 29% cite pointless meetings as their top office pet peeve
• 14% hate how they look on video calls, highest of all shows

Parks & Rec // “The Diplomat”

When there’s chaos in the conference room, you’re the person colleagues seek out to defuse the situation. You believe work should be meaningful to the outside world and be an enabler to your own growth, but not at the total expense of your personal life. You’re probably better than most at balancing how to be present at both the office and home. While you stick around the office longer than the “Worker Bee,” you’re probably home before “The Strategist” and “The Manager” have packed up their computers (and who knows where “The Independent” wandered off to…). By the numbers:

• 95% find meaning in their current work, highest of all shows
• 75% consider their current job to be their dream job
• 44% say work-life balance is what makes their job meaningful, highest of all shows
• Women (38%) are more likely to compare their workplaces to P&R than men (26%)

Silicon Valley // “The Independent”

You probably have a sign at or near your desk warning people you might be too busy to talk. While you do find meaning in your work, you prefer work that enables you some freedom, such as working from home or a flexible schedule, in order to do what needs to get done. You’re more likely to seek out positions that enable you to do both: do work you find meaningful while maintaining your personal freedoms. Sometimes people wonder if you like your job—after all, you’re not always in the office and you’re a vocal skeptic when it comes to workplace diversity and inclusion programs. But during the rare happy hour cameo, coworkers might catch you passing your number to a colleague.

By the numbers:

• 23% don’t feel more connected to colleagues after attending company-sponsored social events or choose to skip such activities
• Among those without a formal diversity and inclusion program, 71% doubt whether such initiatives are effective
• 27% cite IT problems as their biggest office pet peeve, highest of all shows
• 72% would leave a company that didn’t let them work remotely, and 67% would quit if they couldn’t set their own schedules

Not sure which TV environment you identify with best? Take our interactive quiz here to find out!