Workplace culture has taken a hit in the past two years, with many employers struggling to develop a remote culture during the pandemic. As RTO gets into full swing, your physical space is not the only thing that needs a cleanse.
We recently conducted a poll of our job-seeker members, which revealed some shocking statistics about the pervasiveness of toxic workplaces.
- 4 in 5 workers (79%) feel their workplace is toxic.
- 59% of remote workers still experience a toxic workplace virtually.
- 78% say they would quit their job if they felt the workplace was toxic.
- More than half (56%) of workers do not feel a healthy work environment free of toxicity and bullying is a priority to their employer.
As you develop RTO policies, whether full-time or hybrid, now is a perfect time to assess your culture and create a blueprint for the type of workplace you want your employees to return to. It’s vital to consider how employees are feeling and the culture they’re experiencing. At the start of the pandemic, many organizations took the initiative to listen to employees. Listening and learning remain critically important in creating an open and inclusive culture at work.
Considering that the top three factors workers cited as creating a toxic work environment are rude coworkers, bosses or clients (68%); a lack of respect (67%); and favoritism (59%); then it becomes critical that you assess your management style, communication processes and codes of conduct. This is particularly essential if you plan to continue with a hybrid or remote model, which can exacerbate proximity bias and permit the loudest voices to dominate the conversation — both online and off.
In fact, workers were clear about what they hoped for from their employers — 57% want employers to discipline workers who bully and foster a toxic workplace. Another 54% want employers to promote open and meaningful conversation. An important note about bullying: Nearly half (47%) of poll respondents have experienced workplace bullying by their boss or leadership, and an astounding 78% witnessed others being bullied. Sadly, a slight majority (55%) of workers feel that the pandemic has only worsened workplace bullying.
In an era of record-setting resignations, creating a great place to work — one that truly reflects your corporate values, mission and goals — is the first step in increasing your retention rate, improving your talent pipeline and strengthening your employer value proposition.
Monster’s mission is to make every workplace happy and productive, and we live that mantra every day as we strive to create a great place to work and a healthy and inclusive workplace culture. It can be a long journey but one worth taking.