For most people, their workplace seems like a second home. After all, they spend a large percentage of their waking hours there, and their co-workers are the people they interact with most, after their family and friends. For obvious reasons, if employees are not happy with their work environment, the anger and resentment will spill over into their personal life.
And that eventually boils down to low productivity levels. The increased stress of working in a toxic workplace can lead to fatigue, burnout, and depression. This means that your top talent, who you’ve trained and nurtured, will find excuses to jump ship to your closest competitor in hopes of restoring some normalcy into their lives.
It is important to spot the red flags before they become a glaring issue later on. We’ve rounded up our list of the most obvious signs that your workplace is getting toxic.
1. No One Seems to Be in a Good Mood
If no one in the office is engaging in conversation and there’s a general sense of lack of connectivity, you’re probably dealing with a toxic work environment. There is a general sense of dread in the air, made worse by conversations about employees’ unhappiness and frustration. No one seems to be in a happy mood.
2. There’s High Turnover Rate
If people are moving on from your office after only spending a year, then your workplace is probably in need of some serious restructuring. The exception to this rule is that some industries have a high turnover rate, such as software houses. But if your turnover rate is high relative to your competitors, then you need to fix something.
3. Nobody Speaks Up in Meetings
If you set up meetings between employees hoping for insight, feedback, and productive discussion, only a few people speak up. This indicates that employees are unwilling or scared to voice their concerns. They probably don’t feel safe in sharing their concerns and opinions without repercussions, whether it is from the higher ups or certain coworkers. It’s up to you to get to the bottom of things.
4. Employees Are Not Focused on Leadership Positions
If you notice that your employees are not focused on climbing up the corporate ladder and acquiring new leadership positions, it’s a strong indication that they don’t believe in the company. There is a general lack of employee motivation, which is a sign that something is really wrong with the workplace culture.
5. Not a Single Recruit is a Referral
The best workplaces receive word of mouth advertisement from current and former employees. If your referral program isn’t working as it should, perhaps there’s an issue that needs your urgent attention.
How to Fix Things
The most important step is to get your employees to open up. Empower them and let them know that there’s nothing to be afraid about.
Need help in fixing a toxic workplace? The consultants at JS Benefits Group can help! Click here to set up a meeting with our experts.
