With reference to the recent outbursts of negativity in our society, companies would want to make sure that workplace negativity is kept to a minimum. That's why it is vital that companies relook their policies to ensure that the mistakes of others are not repeated. It may be very easy to succumb to the easier ways of life, neglecting the things at hand that are tougher than the rest. Though companies do revamp their policies from time to time to better address issues, there are certain policies that flop because of certain reasons, such as they do not meet the needs of the company, they are outdated, or unreasonable to the employees. The consequences of the policies that are not reviewed or renewed with the recent times are dire to the company, such as.
Unhappy employees: this will cause unhappiness in the team because people would be pressured to comply with policies that do not make sense to them. With that pressure, employees would complain, backstab, and gossip amongst each other.
High turnover rate: because of the unhappiness amongst employees, they are bound to leave the company for another that is more accommodating for them.
Unmotivated employees: because of the demanding policies that are nonsensical, people are bound to less motivated to work for a company that is less understanding.
With these consequences in mind, it is critical that companies see the importance of updating their policies to better suit their company and employees. It is also important that companies address workplace negativity to make the company a more liveable place for employees. But how do you know that your company has workplace negativity? The common symptoms of workplace negativity are:
Symptoms are not bounded to just this list, there are many other examples of workplace negativity, and this has to be addressed. So, as an HR recruitment firm, here are some tips that we think that companies can take to minimize workplace negativity.
1. Identify the cause
Oftentimes, things are not what they seem on the surface. There are times where the causes of the issue are deeply rooted in the company itself, as they belong to a competitive industry. Sometimes because the company belongs to a competitive industry, there is a lot of work to be done, but the company might not hire enough people to handle it. With limited manpower, people tend to be overwhelmed, which may cause people to be stressed, as a result, increases negativity in the team.
The most important point in this tip is for employers to sit back, look at the bigger picture at hand, and observe. Another way to identify the cause of the negativity is to receive feedback or survey your employees to understand the situation better.
2. Create Positive Work Culture
It is the employers’ responsibility to ensure that the workplace that they created is employee-friendly, as employers are the drivers of the organization. They set the direction for the employees to follow. If the employers show that they are toxic towards each other, backstabbing each other, complaining about each other, employees are bound to follow suit. Negativity can spread like wildfire and leech on people, and that is why it is crucial for employers to realize that their actions will greatly affect the employees.
Positive work culture in the organization can reduce stress, increase productivity and motivation, and reduce turnover. This produces a chain reaction, seen from the image below!
As you can see, it is a win-win situation for everyone. The company profits from happy employees, and employees feel happy to be working in an environment that they are comfortable in, which will decrease the turnover rate. Now, here are some ways that you can create a positive work culture.
Encourage open communication
A lot of times, one of the reasons why employees feel unhappy at work is because they do not feel heard. They may have a lot of things to say, maybe with regards to the increased workload, being underpaid, the office is filthy, etc, and yet they have nowhere or no one to speak to. By providing employees a platform for them to speak their minds, they will feel valued and begin to have a more positive outlook of the company. Here are some ways that your company can implement to encourage open communication:
Provide a feedback platform: give an option of it being anonymous for employees to express their concerns if they are only comfortable sharing them anonymously
Put an end to one-way communication: make sure that the employers listen to what the employees have to say, and not only the other way round.
Implement an open-door policy: to encourage openness and transparency in the company, as it provides employees opportunities to have open communication and discussion with employers.
Be transparent
Why is transparency an important aspect of positive work culture? This is because a transparent workplace builds an environment that is free from fear and encourages employees to be open about their success and failures. Transparency in company culture would also improve the employee’s productivity because employers and employees trust each other and work together in an efficient and effective manner. There won’t be an innate fear of colleagues backstabbing, sabotaging, or lying to, which results in reaching the goals set by the company.
3. Treat all employees equally
Another tip to having positive work culture is to treat everyone equally, no showing any favoritism over any employee. Any sign of favoritism in the team will cause a loss of motivation and a build-up sense of resentment in the others, directly increasing the turnover rate and negativity in the team and decreasing loyalty for the company. To ensure that employees are all treated fairly and equally, there is a checklist that your company can follow.
You can feel free to add on to this list and make it your own to ensure that your company does not show any favoritism to any employee and treat all equally.
4. Educate the employees
Oftentimes, when people do not fully understand the culture, habits, or needs of another, misunderstandings can occur, and bullying or harassment can occur, purposefully or not. Any form of bullying, harassment, or mistreatment of any employee should not be tolerated. Here at BGC Group, we strive to do our best to provide the best for you and your employees, it is only fitting that you take care of your employees and provide them the best. Another tip to providing a positive work culture is to educate your employees. Here in Singapore, we are living in a diversified society, and we should be thankful for it, for it provides us an opportunity to learn something new about another race or religion every now and then. Companies can plan events or sharing sessions for employees of different nationalities, races, religions, and beliefs to share a little bit of their everyday. By understanding and putting ourselves in the shoes of another, we can then minimize the negativity in our lives and in the workplace.
5. Engage in random acts of kindness
This might be a bit of a stretch, but it is a good example of how we can spread positivity in our workplace. Companies can encourage employees to do little acts of kindness to their colleagues, and even include the cleaner uncles and aunties too. For our daily lives are filled with our hectic schedules, we oftentimes miss the little things in life. By inculcating the random acts of kindness in the office, and seeing most of the colleagues doing it, people would tend to join in the fun as we are social creatures. We would want to blend in, instead of standing out.
Companies can also set an example for their employees and organize events where they can give back to society or the environment. According to this article, Gen Zers are the up-and-coming employees in this generation and are more likely to join a company that participates in social causes and organizes corporate social responsibility campaigns. The probability of Gen Zers applying for your company increases when these CSR campaigns are done from the heart and not just for the company’s profits.
Wrapping up
Positive work cultures are not hard to foster. If the company truly cares for its family of employees, efforts will be put in to ensure that their employees get to work in a comfortable and safe environment. Much like working in BGC Group, where everyone here is treated with respect and kindness because we are like a family. If you would like to join us, click on this link and see how you can contribute to this big family.
Like what you read? Check out our other articles over here!
Read more: 5 Toxic Leadership and Management Traits to Look Out For