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An increasingly toxic workplace environment is leading technologists to consider leaving their jobs, and IT workers believe that leadership and senior management are to blame for the dangerous atmosphere.
These are among the results of a TalentLMS and Culture Amp survey of 1,000 US employees working at tech companies, which found that 45% of employees in the software industry plan to leave because of a toxic work environment.
The study found that 46% of employees suffer from burnout due to a toxic work environment, and 43% of employees working in toxic software companies take PTO or sick days just to avoid an unpleasant environment.
While respondents said that leadership bears the greatest responsibility for the toxic culture in their organization, the survey results indicate that leaders are unaware of the toxicity that has occurred.
The disconnect is wide and troubling – half of the top executives surveyed at tech companies with toxic cultures say they believe the company’s culture is healthy, unaware of its toxicity, and living in a bubble. and co-founder of TalentLMS.”What’s more, 43% of employees say management is turning a blind eye to toxic behavior.
Whether leaders contribute to toxicity or just admit it and ignore it, their actions allow toxicity to spread, he said.
Toxic work cultures destroy morale and performance.
The survey data also indicated that workplace toxicity negatively affects employee performance, focus and confidence, and that employees feel powerless in the face of toxicity, which lowers morale and undermines performance.
“Workplace culture is like the deep tissue that holds the organization together.” Tsingos said. “In a healthy and positive culture, people are treated with respect and consideration by holding shared values. This fuels healthy work relationships, teamwork and performance. Toxicity threatens this delicate balance, and can disrupt it if not recognized and managed.”
All of the survey findings show how deep the cost of a toxic climate runs, he said.
There was broad agreement among survey respondents that the No. 1 contributor to a toxic culture is expecting employees to work long hours or weekends without extra pay, followed by a lack of transparency and communication from leadership and management.
Lack of consideration and courtesy, withdrawn behavior, and gossiping or inappropriate comments about colleagues round out the top five contributors to a toxic workplace culture.
When asked Although their company has a policy against toxic behaviors, less than a third (32%) said their company has one and that employees follow it.
At the same time, more than a quarter (26%) has such a policy but no one follows it, while 19% do not know that such a policy exists.
Recognition and reward programs are signs of a healthy work culture.
The employees chose recognition and reward at the top of their list for elements of a healthy and balanced work culture.
“All those programs are about showing appreciation and celebrating success.” Tsingos said. “Having a system to recognize and reward hard work strengthens the bond between employees and the company and makes people visible.”
Finally, training was found to be one of the most powerful partners in building a healthy culture: 48% of employees agreed that workplace training helps create a more positive and healthy work environment.
The most suitable type of training to help is soft skills or people skills training.
“Soft skills training is designed to improve work relationships, develop self-awareness, improve communication and people skills.” Tsingos said. “It allows employees to learn how to recognize and address toxicity.”
New knowledge can change attitudes and adjust attitudes, and the things needed for personal and collective change, he added.
Some examples of helpful training topics:
- Bystander intervention training
- Training on sensitivity
- Awareness of unconscious bias, equity, diversity and inclusion
“Taking these courses can show people how to avoid blaming and resisting and engage in constructive dialogue with the goal of resolving toxic patterns.” Tsingos mentioned. “Formulating and communicating policy related to toxic work culture is a team effort.”
He said the leadership should play an active role in establishing the policy and making it credible.
“Instead of ignoring toxicity and looking the other way, as survey data shows, leaders need to know and follow the rules — just as they want everyone else in the organization to do,” he explained.
About the author
Nathan Eddy is a freelance writer for ITPro Today. He has written for Popular Mechanics, Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, FierceMarkets and CRN, among others. In the year In 2012, he made his first documentary, The Absent Column. He currently lives in Berlin.
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