8 in 10 employees are likely to search for a new job after just one bad day at work, according to a study by Addison Group, a professional services and staffing firm.
Over 80 percent of workers say poor office culture is the main reason they would look for new job opportunities.
“With the job market being as competitive as it is, those who are currently employed know they can go elsewhere to find something better if they aren’t happy with their current situation,” said Tom Moran, CEO of Addison Group.
“We all have our good and bad days, but what employers can control is how they are treating and interacting with employees, how much they’re investing in their career progression plans, and how they are choosing to accurately match their salary and benefits packages to mirror what their employees want.”
Where Do Office Culture Problems Start?
Research by PwC identified the tones set by the executive team and middle management as the primary drivers of poor workplace cultures. More than 60 percent of directors use gut feelings to evaluate company culture, but only 30 percent of directors believe it to be a useful approach. Hearing from employees through employee engagement survey results, exit interview debriefs, or 360-degree feedback results for executives are the most useful metrics for evaluating office culture.
2 Strategies to Improve Office Culture
Consider Office Culture Fit When Hiring
When new employees are hired there’s an inevitable shift in the company culture as everyone adjusts. Certain personalities work well together and others simply don’t. It’s impossible to determine with certainty whether or not a new hire will be a good fit, but there are a few ways employers can evaluate candidates during the interview process. For example, by including questions for them from the team, or by having candidates spend a few minutes conversing with their potential workers as a part of their interview, employers can get a snapshot of how they might interact on the job.
Limit Focus on Short-Term Results
Excessive focus on short-term performance and hitting performance targets in compensations plans can contribute to poor company culture, according to PwC. Employees can feel pressured and overwhelmed when there’s an excessive focus on short-term performance, lowering their job satisfaction, risking burnout, and potentially causing them to look for other job opportunities. Short-term results are valuable, but zooming out a bit might be a better strategy if it means improving long-term retention.
More on Improving Office Culture:
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Office Culture
You Need to Focus on Improving Retention. Here’s How:
Is Rehiring a Former Employee a Good Idea?