Are you guilty of this annoying habit at work?

In a new survey by staffing firm Accountemps, more than one-third (35%) of CFOs find that lacking attention to detail or sloppy work the most annoying behaviour by coworkers.

Coming close at 28% would be gossiping or engaging in office politics, marking a 5% increase from a similar survey in 2011. Other annoying habits include missing deadlines (17%), being perpetually late (12%) and presenting others’ ideas as one's own (8%).

Commenting on the habit of sloppy work, Bill Driscoll, a district president for Accountemps said: “Staff members shouldn't rely on others to catch their mistakes.”

"Organisations benefit when employees slow down to review a project carefully before submitting because there is less need for revisions later and reduced risk that uncaught mistakes damage the companies' reputation. Hitting the 'pause button' also allows professionals to think about how they work, and whether there are better and more innovative approaches they can take,” he added.

If you've been battling with sloppy workers, Accountemps has the following five recommendations:

1. Reduce their distractions. Get them to set aside dedicated time to focus solely on a task, while avoiding outside "noise" like texts and emails.
2. Simplify big projects. Large and complex assignments can be overwhelming and, mistakes can easily be made if they're in a rush. Try helping them divide work into smaller, more manageable tasks.
3. Ask them to take a break. A short pause during the workday or stepping out of the office can help give fresh perspective when returning later to the assignment.
4. Enlist help from their coworkers. allow them to build time into the process for a trusted colleague to provide a "second pair of eyes" to check accuracy and work quality. Be sure to acknowledge that person's contributions and reciprocate in the future.
5. Take time to assess expectations. Meet briefly with them at the start of a complex assignment to discuss goals and clarify any outstanding issues.