While many employers may assume employees resign for better pay and better benefits elsewhere, that may not be the case — it could just come down to a toxic
According to a survey by job search platform Monster, 78% of employees would quit their jobs if their workplace was toxic. Meanwhile, 79% of workers felt their workplace was already toxic, naming rude coworkers, bosses and clients as the top contributors. To make matters worse, remote work may make it easier for toxic work environments to go unchecked by leaders, says Nichole Viviani, chief people officer at Xplor Technologies, a global payments software company.
“If the team is remote or even hybrid, it's really important that you don't take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach,” says Viviani. “That can lead to burnout, confusion and a lack of connection. You have to be intentional when you're remote.”
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For Viviani, that means always calling out toxic behaviors when they occur and making time to connect with everyone on the team on a weekly basis, noting that toxicity is most likely encouraged by silence more than anything else. But how can leaders tell when a toxic work environment is developing, and how can they stop it? EBN spoke with Viviani to better understand how leaders can identify toxicity in the remote world of work.
How do you define a toxic work culture?
A toxic work culture is when it gets to the point where you as an employee feel like you can't fix the problem. That means there is something getting in the way of you being able to do what you signed up to do. It hinders productivity and you spend time trying to deal with problems instead of doing what you love or whatever you joined the company to do. It’s opposite to the two things that are key to winning work cultures and high productivity, which are employee engagement and belonging.
How can leaders begin to identify a toxic work environment?
Notice if people do not ask questions during a questions session or meetings. That means people are not engaged enough to actually ask questions, fear getting called out or shamed in a meeting, or are not interested enough. Other things to notice are high levels of burnout in the team and people distancing themselves from their coworkers. If you have a team of people that are hesitant to connect with each other, I usually find that there is some toxicity in the culture and that's what is causing them to withdraw. The big thing that drives toxic cultures is behaviors.
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What are examples of toxic behaviors in the workplace?
If you have someone speaking over people who are more introverted and quiet, then as a leader, you have to say something and create a space for inclusion. If there is a cross-functional team meeting and something hasn’t gone to plan, people will jump from what went wrong to whose fault it is, which is another big pitfall you want to avoid. When everything is virtual, it’s easier to look at a screen and say whatever, than it would be if people were sitting next to you. As leaders, it’s also easier to be in the room and say, “I think you've kind of crossed the line there,” than through a screen. Leaders may address the problem privately to the person later, but everyone in the meeting still saw it happen without any immediate acknowledgment or consequence. People let toxic behaviors slide, which is toxic too.
How can leaders better address toxic behaviors?
When someone does step over the line, leaders have to be timely. If not, everyone who experienced that behavior may think, “They did that, so I'm going to try it as well.” At the end of the day, it’s about getting comfortable with having difficult conversations virtually. My advice in those team sessions or big team meetings if something awkward or toxic happens, is to tackle it in the moment.
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You also need cultural connect points, where you interact with each other and talk about things beyond work. There needs to be listening sessions and regular one-on-ones where you can have an open dialogue — that is even more important when your team is virtual than when they're in the office. Companies must set behavioral standards, because when new people join a company, they bring the cultures of their previous workplaces. So it's quite important, particularly in a world where your team is not physically together, to set those standards upfront through a strong onboarding process.
Why do toxic work environments make it so hard for employees to stay?
The reason why people are leaving their current employers and looking for other work is connected to a number of moments throughout their life cycle at that company. Moments where the company reinforced a culture that did not align with their personal values. Those moments matter so much throughout the employee experience, and that is why leaders have to map out the type of culture they want. From the way you attract and select talent to the way you develop and reward them, you have to build the right culture. Ultimately, all those interactions will either create a positive or negative experience for your team.
