Turnover is almost always rooted in culture issues.
The fallout from a toxic culture is staggering. Whether it stems from one person, a team, a whole department or the entire organization, it can make all employees less productive and less effective. Employees working in a toxic culture can be more inclined to health issues and absenteeism.
Toxic cultures are breeding grounds for incivility, injustice and harassment and could lead to major costs associated with turnover, health care and potential lawsuits.
Here are 9 areas that you can review to help improve your company’s culture.
- RESPECT – Treat employees at all levels of your company with dignity and courtesy, and take their ideas and concerns seriously.
- SUPPORTIVE LEADERS – Listen to your team’s concerns and triumphs – encourage and support goals and help to eliminate roadblocks.
- CORE VALUES – Lead by example and act consistently with your company’s core values.
- POSITIVE MANAGERS – All managers need positive attitudes to encourage employees. Negative leaders will poison a culture.
- UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR – Always behave with integrity – and expect the same from your colleagues. HR professionals cannot let lapses in business ethics go unnoticed or unpunished.
- BENEFITS & PERKS – While not a top priority, employees do consider company benefits and employment perks in their assessment of your culture.
- LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT – Recognize employees by offering and/or providing learning opportunities
- JOB SECURITY – Its difficult for employees to perform effectively when there is risk of losing their job. Consistent employee management and transparency are key when job security is involved.
- REORGANIZATION – Constant change can create chaos. Employees crave stability and consistency, so be prompt and upfront with information about change to positions, work time and process changes that might require additional training.