09 May How can I identify an unacceptable workplace culture as an employer?
Workplace culture is the atmosphere that has been developed at work that is the origin of all conduct and behaviour at the workplace. Workplace culture is comprised of the company’s mission statement, purpose, environment, and attitude of the company.
A poor workplace culture can become the foundation for resentment, reduced productivity, lack of teamwork, and could even develop into a harmful work environment that could lead to cases of harassment or discrimination.
Changing a poor work environment can be very challenging because it forces the employer to question many of their own decisions and how it has negatively affected their workplace. How can you begin to identify what is causing the toxicity?
5 ways to identify toxic workplace culture
Outdated practices
One of the key indicators that a company has a toxic workplace culture is if their practices, policies, and procedures are not updated to what is currently important to employees. The professional industry is constantly evolving as to what is socially important. Employers need to learn to adapt and be open to new routines that are most conducive to the current team.
No Core Values
Core values of a company are the foundation of any workplace. Without the appreciation and respect of this foundational piece, employees can become disconnected from the company and from one another. Outlining what is truly important for the company and openly discussing these values with the team can be a good start.
Establishing core values allows for each employee to envision the same purpose and work together to achieve it. When everyone is on the same page and understands why they are coming into work each day, it establishes unity which is vital in a team setting.
High turnover
Expect that it will be extremely hard to keep employees and promote from within if the workplace culture is inadequate. To fix this moving forward, employers need to be open to feedback from current employees and former employees who have terminated their employment relationship. The more feedback, the easier it will be to uncover the issues.
Lack of transparency between management and employees
If employees find it challenging to understand how they can perform better in their role and improve for the company, there is not enough communication between the managerial team and employees. When employees don’t know how to improve or find success, it can create the desire to be successful somewhere else. As an employer, always be open to explore how an employee can improve in their role and acknowledge when improvements happen.
Gossip and Criticism
Gossiping and criticizing others leads to a company-wide divide. It creates an atmosphere without trust and the opportunity for employees to form preferred groups and not work as a team. This behaviour can circulate quickly, and it is best to act fast as an employer. Figure out which employees are often involved in the gossip and confront the situation with care.
If you have noticed signs of a negative culture in your workplace, please contact KCY at LAW by filling in an online consultation request or contact us by phone at 905-639-0999 to book your consultation today.