The Influence of Individual Characteristics and Work Environment on Employee Performance at the Simalungun Samsat Office

When planning for the present and the future of an organization, human resources are an essential component. Human resources are the engine that propels the agency's operations and the execution of its many tasks. The success of an organization depends on its employees giving their all. This can only be achieved by considering the interplay between the work environment and the encouragement of personal qualities. One of the main aims of this research is to look at how different personality traits and work environments affect productivity. Finding out how these two factors influence productivity through interaction is another important consideration. This study employs a quantitative approach, which involves analyzing populations and samples in accordance with established standards. Research methods, such as quantitative analysis, are employed during data collection to test the hypotheses. The results of this study reveal several important things: first, there is no correlation between an employee's character attributes and their output at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office. Secondly, it has been shown that, in the same setting, the office setting has a substantial and beneficial effect on workers' productivity. Thirdly, we found that both personal qualities and the workplace have a positive and substantial effect on productivity at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office. This finding suggests that agencies should put an emphasis on employee performance by giving more consideration to personal traits. Making an effort to create a more supportive work environment will have a positive impact on employees' overall performance.


INTRODUCTION
An organization's human resources are its most valuable asset and foundation,

482
ensuring its continued success in the present and future (Malik et al., 2020).For example, the SAMSAT Office of the Simalungun Regional Revenue Service is very dependent on human resources to work as well as possible in carrying out its main functions.The effectiveness of the management responsibilities of this office determines Regional Original Income (PAD), which is an important component in a region's budget.These public services include tasks such as collecting Motor Vehicle Tax (PKB), processing Motor Vehicle Registration Certificates (STNKB), collecting Motor Vehicle Title Transfer Fees (BBN-KB), and providing mandatory road traffic accident fund contributions (SWDKLLJ).Employees with strong organizational skills and a can-do attitude will be critical to the agency's success in achieving its goals.
Based on the results of initial observations at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office, a quite striking phenomenon of decline in employee performance was seen.Several factors seem to influence this condition, such as decreased productivity, slow completion of tasks, decreased quality of work, and lack of involvement in teamwork.The suboptimal performance of an employee can be seen from the unsatisfactory results of his work.Individual behavioral factors also influence, with some employees tending to be undisciplined, often late and leaving early.At the SAMSAT Simalungun office, employee discipline has a significant impact due to direct interaction with the public who need motor vehicle registration services.Improving service requires a high level of discipline from each employee.Apart from that, cooperation between employees also seems to be lacking, with them seeming more inclined to work alone.In fact, teamwork is an important key in achieving organizational goals.A less conducive work environment, especially due to inadequate space, also affects employee performance.These factors have a big impact on employee behavior at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office.Employee performance is not only influenced by individual characteristics, but also by the environment in which they work.
Employee performance plays a crucial role in reflecting the success of an organization.As mentioned by Mangkunegara (2010), employee performance can be interpreted as work results that include aspects of quality and quantity, in accordance with the tasks and responsibilities given.Nguyen et al., (2020) emphasizes that employee performance, or work performance, refers to the achievement of work results based on ability, experience, dedication, and time spent.The definitions from these experts show that employee performance is not solely about achieving work results, but also about comparing actual performance with standards set by the organization.In addition, factors such as individual characteristics and work environment also influence the quality of employee performance.
According to Rahman (2013), individual characteristics show differences in motivation, initiative, ability to face challenges, and adaptation to environmental changes that influence individual performance.Varying personalities among employees produce a variety of individual characteristics that form their unique identities.How these characteristics are implemented by each individual will influence their performance, both positively and negatively.In the context of the SAMSAT Simalungun Office, it appears that lack of interaction between employees causes an inability to collaborate effectively.As a result, the activities carried out do not run as expected and employees are not able to understand the entire task they are carrying out, especially in the context of the experience of old and new employees.Apart from individual characteristics, the work environment also significantly influences employee performance.
According to Jusdiana and Mappamiring (2022), the work environment plays a central role in increasing work productivity.This includes social, physical, and psychological aspects that exist within an agency and have the potential to influence employee performance.When the work environment is less supportive, this can result in a lack of focus and decreased employee productivity.At the SAMSAT Simalungun Office, the working conditions are not ideal.Located near the city center, the neighborhood is often filled with annoying noise.Apart from that, an unorganized office layout is also a factor that influences employee enthusiasm in carrying out their duties.Both things can have a negative impact on employee concentration and productivity.Therefore, research was conducted to explore the influence of individual characteristics and work environment on employee performance.

LITERATURE REVIEW Individual characteristics
Various experts offer different views regarding individual characteristics, including Hurriyanti (2005), Tampubolon (2008), Sopiah et al., (2021), and Rahman (2013).Hurriyanti emphasized that there are differences in individual characteristics which include things such as gender, age, marital status, and length of service.An individual's cognitive, affective, and psychomotor background will influence how they fulfill their psychological needs, according to Tampubolon, even though these needs are physiologically similar.As part of personal characteristics, Sopiah places more emphasis on a person's biography, character, views, and values.Rahman, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of traits such as intrinsic drive, initiative, task or problem resilience, and environmental adaptability in determining one's performance.Based on these different viewpoints, it can be said that it is people's unique traits and characteristics that truly differentiate them from each other, especially in things like drive, initiative, task endurance, and ability to adapt to the environment.This shows that communities face needs and challenges in their own unique ways.

Work environment
Since the work environment affects employees both directly and indirectly, it plays an important role in business operations and, by extension, productivity.The work environment is described by Sedarmayanti (2011) as "all the tools and materials encountered, the surrounding environment where a person works, the way they work, and the work arrangements both as an individual and in a group."On the other hand, according to Mangkunegara (2017), "all physical aspects of work, work psychology and work regulations can influence job satisfaction and productivity achievements, resulting in high performance for employees."Temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, noise, cleanliness of the workplace, and availability of work equipment are factors that shape an employee's work environment, according to Isyandi (2004).According to these professionals, the physical and psychological aspects around employees influence their level of job satisfaction and their ability to get things done.

Employee Performance
A direct English loanword from the verb "to perform," which means to show or carry out an action, is the English word "performa," which is the origin of the word "performance."The term "performance" is used in a professional sense to describe how well an individual or team completes the tasks assigned to them.According to Bangun (2012), performance is defined as "the work results achieved by a person based on job requirements".One of the definitions of employee performance put forward by Mangkunegara (2010) is "the results or work performance both in terms of quality and quantity achieved by an employee in carrying out his duties and functions in accordance with the responsibilities given to him."A person's performance is defined by Rivai (2011) as the result or level of success in completing a task compared to standards, goals or criteria that have been set and agreed upon.To assess the success of an institution in

484
realizing its mission and the positive and negative impacts of its policies, it is necessary to verify this performance with related parties.Bintoro (2017) believes that an employee's performance is the result of his efforts which is measured by the quality and quantity of work he completes in carrying out the assigned tasks.An employee's performance can be determined by punctuality, creativity, responsibility, and quality in carrying out their duties, according to these experts.

Empirical Study
Individual characteristic variables have a positive and significant influence on employee performance, according to research conducted by Rahman (2013) at the Family Planning and Women's Empowerment Agency of Donggala Regency.These results explain how certain individuals can influence output in these companies.The work environment turns out to have a positive and large influence on employee performance, according to research by Lidya and Peggy (2015) at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Sam Ratulangi University."As a result of this, we have gained a better understanding of the impact of the academic work environment on productivity and performance.Furthermore, comparative findings were produced.which examined the influence of the work environment and motivation on the performance of Kotabaru Regency Regional Secretariat employees.Based on these findings, both the work environment and employee motivation have a positive and significant influence on performance.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research method adopts a quantitative method focusing on the development and use of mathematical models, theories, or hypotheses related to natural phenomena.The main goal is to provide a numerically deeper understanding of the observed phenomena.The measurement process is a central element in quantitative research because it establishes a fundamental relationship between empirical observations and mathematical expressions of existing quantitative relationships.The population in this study were employees of SAMSAT Simalungun located in Dagang, Bandar, Simalungun regency, North Sumatra.The employee population at the SAMSAT Simalungun office is 40 people, the number of respondents taken from this research were all SAMSAT Simalungun employees.Primary and secondary sources of information were used extensively in this research.The focus of the research, respondents, provide the first source of information called primary data.Questionnaires were distributed to SAMSAT Simalungun Office employees to collect primary data.Meanwhile, secondary data is facts that already exist.Company records, eBooks, and journals that are relevant to the research topic are secondary data sources that researcher's access.
The purpose of this research is to use analytical methods to test how X1 and Research in this area primarily uses multiple linear regression strategies to determine the relative contribution of individual traits and organizational context to employee performance, the dependent variable in this context.This step involves depicting the relationship between the independent and dependent variables using multiple linear regression equations.The significance of the regression model and each independent variable was assessed using f and t tests, which are used for hypothesis testing in this context.The f test evaluates the significance of the model, while the t test finds a significant influence of each independent variable on the dependent variable.Next, the correlation coefficient is calculated as part of this analysis method to assess the intensity and direction of the relationship between the variables studied.To find out how much variation in employee performance is explained by the variables used in the regression model, such as personal characteristics and workplace, the coefficient of determination is also calculated.

RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Evaluating the validity of each research statement or variable is an important part of the validity testing process.Here the correlation index obtained is compared with the r table value which is a table of predetermined critical values and a predetermined significance level of 0.05 (5%).(Sugiyono, 2013).Each statement regarding individual characteristic variables (X1), work environment (X2), and employee performance (Y) shows a correlation value that is greater than the r table value of 0.312 based on the results of the validity test.
You cannot ignore the importance of testing the reliability of research data.This research uses Cronbach's Alpha, an important instrument for assessing variable reliability.The reliability criteria are outlined by Ghozali (2018) and include a Cronbach's Alpha value greater than 0.6.The results of the reliability test show that the questionnaire used in this research is reliable; Specifically, the individual characteristic value was 0.632, the work environment was 0.968, and employee performance was 0.850.All questionnaire claims have sufficient reliability, in accordance with the Cronbach's Alpha value which sets the reliability threshold above 0.6.The classical assumption testing stage must be completed before the hypothesis is tested.The goal is to ensure the data fits the multiple linear regression model that will be used.Make sure linear regression assumptions such as homoscedasticity, normality of errors, and independence of residuals are met by carrying out this classic assumption test.

486
Data normality testing in this research was carried out using two approaches: graphic analysis and statistical calculations resulting from regression using SPSS software.The results of the normality test can be seen in Figure 2 below:  There are different patterns in the distribution of points in Figure 4.2 that do not fit any particular pattern.This is characterized by the absence of a consistent distribution pattern of residual values compared to the predicted values.The data points are spread evenly without forming a pattern that shows non-constant variance, thereby ruling out the possibility of heteroscedasticity in the regression model used for data analysis.
To ensure that the independent variables of a regression model are not significantly correlated with each other, a multicollinearity test must be carried out.Inaccurate model interpretation can occur due to multicollinearity problems caused by highly correlated independent variables.Strong correlation between independent variables is not included in a good regression model.Table 3 documents the results of the multicollinearity test carried out using SPSS software.1.It can be concluded that the independent variable does not experience multicollinearity if the VIF value is less than 10.00 and the tolerance value is greater than 0.10.If we look at this analysis for example, we can see that the individual characteristic variables (X1) and work environment (X2) have tolerance values of 0.417 and 2.401 respectively, which are greater than 0.10 and smaller than 10.00.This eliminates the possibility of multicollinearity between the two variables in question.
In this multiple linear regression analysis, the author uses the SPSS program to evaluate the influence of individual characteristics and the work environment on employee performance.The results of this multiple linear regression are documented in Table 2 presented below.according to the results of Table 2. Independent variables can be concluded not to experience multicollinearity if the VIF value is less than 10.00 and the tolerance value is greater than 0.10.If we look at this analysis for example, we can see that the individual characteristic variables (X1) and work environment (X2) have tolerance values of 0.417 and 2.401 respectively, which are greater than 0.10 and smaller than 10.00.This eliminates the possibility of multicollinearity between the two variables in question.
Employee performance will remain at a constant value of 12.155 as long as the values of X1 and X2 (individual characteristic and work environment variables, respectively) do not change.With all other variables considered constant, a decrease in the individual characteristic variable (X1) by 1% will result in a decrease in employee performance of -0.370 according to the individual characteristic coefficient.The work environment coefficient is 0.382, meaning that with all other variables considered constant, an increase

488
in the work environment variable (X2) by 1% will cause an increase in employee performance by 0.382.Table 4.6 shows the results of the t test which was used to determine whether the partial influence of individual characteristics and work environment is significant on employee performance.As a two-tailed test, this test reveals the relative contribution of the independent variable to the dependent variable at a significance level of 5%.An illustration of the significance of the contribution of each variable to employee performance can be seen from the results of the t test.4 displays the results of the t-test analysis of the regression coefficients, which yields several important conclusions about the impact of certain variables on worker productivity.To begin with, the calculated t value for the variable that reflects individual characteristics X1 is -1.622 and the t table is 2.026.A significance level of 0.113 is considered statistically significant in this setting, exceeding the threshold of 0.05.Thus, the research results show that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is rejected, and the null hypothesis (Ho) is accepted, which states that individual characteristics (X1) have no significant effect on employee performance (Y).After that, striking disparities emerge in the variable X2, which characterizes the workplace.With a significance level of 0.000, much lower than the significance level of 0.05, the calculated t value of 3.968 exceeds the t table value of 2.026.Therefore, we accept Ha and reject Ho, the null hypothesis.This proves that X2 (workplace) has a positive effect on Y (employee performance).
Furthermore, the results of the hypothesis test (F) from multiple regression also provide an interesting picture regarding the influence of individual characteristics and the work environment on employee performance simultaneously with a significance level of 5%.The results of multiple regression analysis show a calculated f value of 10.254.The next step is to compare this value with the f table value at the 5% significance level.In this case, the calculated f is greater than the f table (10.254 > 3.25) indicating rejection of the null hypothesis (H0) and acceptance of the alternative hypothesis (Ha).Thus, it is confirmed that there is a significant simultaneous influence between individual characteristics (X1) and the work environment (X2) on employee performance (Y) at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office.

DISCUSSION
The results of testing the H1 hypothesis in this study show that there is no positive and significant influence on the performance of SAMSAT Simalungun Office employees regarding individual characteristic variables.This is indicated by the tcount value of -1.622 which is smaller than the ttable value of 2.026 and the significance level reaching 0.113 which is higher than the significance level of 0.05.So, in the partial test we accept H0 and reject Hα which confirms that individual characteristic variables do not have a significant effect on employee performance at this institution.Employees' tendencies to work independently and lack of discipline on the job correlate with these findings, according to this analysis.Several workers were recorded as coming and leaving the office outside the specified schedule.This finding corroborates previous research conducted by Runtulalo, Lapian, and Tawas (2018), which found that personal characteristics have a small but negative influence on productivity in the workplace.According to what they say, teams struggle to work together and produce better results when companies can't adapt to the individual needs of their workers.According to the findings of this research, individual characteristics are characteristics that originate from a person's personality and are related to factors such as task variety, quality of performance, and level of responsibility.The importance of aligning employee values and preferences with job demands in the institution can be seen from the strong relationship between individual characteristics and performance.Due to the increased sense of responsibility and ownership they experience, this has the potential to improve employee performance.This conclusion is consistent with previous research which did not find a positive or statistically significant relationship between employee performance and individual attributes (Agustina and Widniastuti, 2021; Runtulalo, Lapian, and Tawas, 2018).
The findings from testing the research hypothesis explain several issues related to the impact of personal and workplace characteristics on productivity at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office.First, at a significance level of 0.05, the tcount value of 3.968 is much higher than the ttable value of 2.026, confirming that work environment variables have a strong positive and significant influence on employee performance, supporting H2.The partial test results show that Hα is accepted and H0 is rejected, this shows that a comfortable, bright, and spacious work environment will encourage optimal performance.In accordance with previous research which found a positive and substantial

490
influence of the work environment on employee performance, such as those conducted by Nurazis, Rismansyah, and Hendri (2021) and Inggiana and Amalia (2023), a good work environment can influence employee performance.performance improvement.In addition, when testing H3, which tests how personal characteristics and the workplace environment impact productivity, we found that the Fcount value of 10.254 is much higher than the Ftable value of 3.25, and the significance level is 0.000, which is much lower from the Ftable value.0.05.These findings refute H0 and support Hα, thus indicating that staff performance at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office is influenced by several factors at once.A work environment that is pleasant and encourages productive employee activities is the result of a harmonious combination of personal traits that enable good cooperation between employees and superiors.The research results show that the independent variables have a significant effect on employee performance.

CONCLUSION
From the results of the research that has been carried out, several important conclusions can be drawn regarding the factors that influence employee performance at the SAMSAT Simalungun Office.Employee performance is not partially influenced by individual characteristics.Evidence such as this suggests that in this situation, factors relating to employees' personal traits have little influence on their productivity.In the same context, the workplace, to a lesser extent, has a positive and significant impact on productivity.These results show that employees will perform better if they are in an environment that is conducive to comfort, which includes sufficient lighting and a spacious work area.The most striking finding is that there is a positive and significant relationship between employee performance and personal and workplace characteristics.The results show that the SAMSAT Simalungun Office achieves its peak performance when the combined influence of individual traits and the quality of the work environment is taken into account.As a researcher, there are a number of suggestions that can be submitted to the SAMSAT Simalungun Office based on the results of this research.
First, it is necessary to pay more attention to aspects of the individual characteristics of employees.Although the findings show that individual characteristics do not have a significant impact on employee performance, increasing understanding of the unique characteristics of each individual can provide advantages in building efficient teams.Recognizing each employee's strengths and weaknesses and providing appropriate support can optimize their contribution to overall goals.Furthermore, further attention is needed to the work environment.Providing a comfortable work environment, both in terms of room lighting, adequate facilities, and support for employee welfare, is an important factor that can increase employee motivation and performance.Efforts to create a supportive atmosphere, including identifying and improving areas that require further attention, will have a significant positive impact on overall performance.Another suggestion that can be proposed is through further research by adding new variables and expanding the research sample.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Framework of Thought

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Normal P-Plot In Figure 2 the p-plot depicting the distribution of data shows a pattern that follows a diagonal regression line.Data points scattered around this line indicate compliance with the assumption of normality in the regression model.Scatterplot graphs can be used to visually diagnose heteroscedasticity.Heteroscedasticity does not occur if the distribution of residual values does not show a discernible pattern relative to the distribution of predicted values, such as a sharp upward or downward slope.

Table 1 .
Reliability Test Results

Table 4 .
Coefficients a

Table 6 .
Correlation and Determination Coefficient Test ResultsModel SummaryThe Correlation Coefficient (R) value of 0.597 is displayed in the table provided based on calculations carried out using the SPSS program."According to these figures, the performance of SAMSAT Simalungun employees is positively influenced by 59.7 percent of personal characteristics and the work environment."In addition, the Rsquared value of 0.357 for the Determination Coefficient shows that work environment variables and individual characteristics contribute around 35.7% to the variance in work performance at SAMSAT Simalungun.The remainder, around 64.3%, is influenced by additional factors that have not been identified by researchers.