how to prevent a toxic work environment

To foster a work environment that's both positive and engaging, it takes more than just the leadership's support and commitment. Every team member must contribute and be involved. Consider these actionable strategies to positively affect your work environment.

base policies on actions, not words

Company policies should show zero tolerance for bullying and harassment, and management must offer total support. And while writing it down is easy, following through can be more challenging.

Your employees should be apprised from day one of onboarding that your company doesn’t tolerate bullying or harassment, regardless of the class of employee. In addition, infraction penalties should be handled impartially, whether it’s mandatory training sessions or harsher consequences like suspension or termination.

aim for diversity in your talent search

Studies show that the more diverse an organisation's workforce, the greater its strength and resilience, including the ability to sustain a positive work environment. Therefore, work with leadership to set diversity goals based on your location’s demographics.

To increase diversity in your organisation, you must ensure applications, job descriptions and every aspect of the recruitment process champions rather than hinders it. Use the expertise of an HR solutions partner to help revamp your parameters if necessary.

excel in onboarding

An employee’s first look at their new work environment occurs during onboarding. According to a Gallup survey, employees who experienced a good onboarding process were much more likely (over two and a half times) to engage in and enjoy their work.

What makes up a great onboarding experience? It could include anything from a timely welcome letter to efficient HR processing and IT set up. While many onboarding steps are consistent across companies, you’ll have to adapt others to fit your organisation’s operating model, especially when dealing with remote onboarding requirements.

Providing a mentor is an easy way to help acclimate the new employee to various workday hurdles, like navigating maze-like hallways and finding a lunch spot. Choose positive employees who project the image you want and have a good history with the company.

gather feedback

It’s much easier to stop a downward trend than to figure out how to fix a toxic work environment. Through the mapping of your employee’s journey, you can discover what your employees are thinking at each stage of their employment journey: applying for a job at your company, onboarding, career development and separation.

Employees who have experienced bullying or harassment may be unwilling to point fingers. To support accountability in the workplace, your organisation should have a process in place by which employees can report misconduct confidentially and with no threat of retaliation. Creating a ‘safe channel’ makes it easier for employees to express concerns.

If you’re not holding exit interviews, start now. It’s one of the best ways to discover why employees are leaving and your last chance to leave a good brand impression. It’s even more important if the cause of resignation is due to a toxic work atmosphere.

In addition, consider assigning a team member to track company reviews on public job sites. Both positive and negative comments can be helpful as you look for ways to improve working environments.

use people analytics

By comparing who is leaving with why they’re leaving, you can maximise the benefit of your employee intelligence. People analytics lets you use employee data to understand their likes, dislikes and behaviours, so you can identify if a toxic work environment is contributing to turnover.

For example:

if new employees are leaving, you might have a flawed onboarding process
if you're losing long-term employees, they may feel undervalued or unsupported
a loss of some of your more diverse employees may point to a problem with harassment or an exclusive work culture
attrition among high-level employees may indicate lower-than-average salaries or a lack of promotion opportunities

Once you’ve gathered your data, review it with an expert to ensure you’re interpreting it correctly. Only then can you make practical suggestions to improve the company’s working environment.

invest in your people

While a pleasant work environment is important to employees, our employer brand research found that pay and work-life balance remain the primary incentives. By identifying and meeting employee needs, you will be able to maintain productivity and job satisfaction while also saving on recruitment and turnover costs.

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