Toxic Organizational Culture

The culture of a company is defined by everything that involves the day-to-day and the behaviors of the employees, it is what will determine which behaviors are “right” and which are “wrong” within that organization.

Although HR has a fundamental role in the elaboration and application of values in the company, it is not always easy to apply the cultural values dictated in theory in practice. This is because there are several factors that lead to the construction of culture, such as the posture of leaders and the establishment of unattainable goals.
We all know someone with bad experiences in the work environment and most of the time, these negative experiences are linked to a toxic organizational culture. It is now known that a toxic work environment is closely linked to Burnout Syndrome (mental and physical exhaustion related to work activity). That is why it is so important for HR professionals to be able to identify and act directly on the points that make that company's toxic culture.
Some signs that your company's organizational culture has become toxic and how to address them:

• High Turnover Rate

Turnover refers to the turnover rate of a company's employees, it is a consequence of some negative factors such as employee demotivation or uncertainty about the company's future.

A high employee turnover means loss of human capital, lack of process control, and even damage to connections between people inside and outside the organization, which can mean a loss of business opportunities.

Well-done exit interviews are a good way for HR to understand the reasons for employee departures, thus being able to act on the direct cause of the problem. In addition, it is important that the company has clear talent retention policies.

• Demotivation of Employees

We have already said that employee demotivation can generate a high number of staff turnover, but this is not the only consequence.
Unmotivated employees will have a decrease in productivity, high numbers of absenteeism, lack of proactivity, and will avoid decision making.
Climate and engagement surveys are great tools for identifying this problem.

• Negative Competition 

It is common for companies to work with metrics such as achieving individual and team goals, however, when they are not well managed by leaders, they can become a headache for employees.

So that this does not happen, it is important that the goals, even though they are audacious, are capable of being achieved. In addition, employees must have constant access to evaluation metrics, as well as the career plan and what skills are needed for promotions.

• Intrigue and conflict in the workplace

The corporate environment must provide respect and collaboration among employees. Gossip in the hallways, credit for the work of others and other tensions generated by intrigues are extremely negative for the well-being of employees.

It is extremely important that leaders have good management training so that they do not encourage this type of behavior and are able to act when this occurs.

HR has strategies to promote well-being and good cultural practices, such as, for example, applying climate and engagement surveys, performance evaluations, encouraging constant and structured feedback, training teams and leaders, planning positions and salaries and plans career. It is HR's role to ensure that the company's culture is healthy for all employees.