Fostering a positive workplace culture is vital for the success of any business. Employees who feel appreciated and supported at work tend to exceed expectations, thus enhancing overall workforce productivity. In contrast, a toxic workplace culture can significantly damage employee morale and impede productivity.
High absenteeism, employee turnover and worker burnout are just a few of the many challenges organizations could face if they don’t cultivate a healthy work environment. Moreover, detrimental aspects of a toxic culture, such as persuasive workplace gossip or bullying, can damage an organization’s reputation or lead to workplace violence, leaving them vulnerable to employment tribunals.
To lessen exposures, organizations should implement robust measures to prevent a toxic workplace culture. Organizations can consider the following strategies:
- Identify toxic behaviours. Organizations should leverage 360-degree assessment tools and other strategies to gather employee feedback about working conditions. Additionally, managers should inquire about employee well-being within one-on-one meetings and closely monitor their teams for signs of unrest. However, disgruntled employees may struggle to raise concerns with their direct managers or the HR department. Organizations could weigh the merits of hiring an impartial third party to assess workplace culture and identify toxic behaviours.
- Implement robust workplace policies. Workplace policies should detail unacceptable workplace behaviour and what will happen to bullies; they should also make clear that toxic behaviour of any type will not be tolerated. Organizations must communicate implemented policies with all employees and train managers on their use to reinforce a consistent message.
- Gain feedback. After implementing strategies to address toxic workplace behaviour, organizations must continue to gather feedback to monitor engagement levels and prevent problems proactively. One way to do this is to promote the internal whistleblowing hotline through various channels such as posters, newsletters and company communications and reduce any stigma associated with its use.
- Reward employees. Organizations shouldn’t onlyreward employees for technical skills or project successes. They could also reward workers who nurture a positive working environment, reinforcing that workplace culture is a strategic priority.
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