Employees do not leave the organization to earn more; they do because of an unhealthy workplace. Negativity in the workplace can harm your company’s work environment. It can affect employee morale and lead to more wasted time on unwanted things, resulting in low productivity.
Unhealthy work culture is counterintuitive to employees’ creativity and hence they hesitate to take on new responsibilities.
The company’s growth is affected if it cannot find new ways to reach organizational goals. Negativity can cause significant administrative losses and lead to strained relationships at work.
What can you do to foster better working environments?
The first step to reducing workplace toxicities is finding the root cause. You can check in with your employees to find out how your employees feel. Few of these causes are-
- Loss of autonomy or confidence
- Work overload or too-tight deadlines
- Unheard or misunderstood at work
- Underpaid, unrecognized, or not appreciated
- Unable to settle down disagreements with employees
- Negative gossip or rumors
- Unfulfilled resources or support
The above list is not exhaustive. But these are the most common causes of negative emotions in employees.
Let’s find ways to regulate the negativity so that we can foster better working conditions.
1. Conduct Regular Feedback From Both Sides
Feedback should always be two way street regardless of whether it is about work or any other issues that affect your workforce. Team leads must provide regular feedback about employees’ performance. Employees must have a forum to express their opinions and ideas about their work-life or overall organization.
Regular meetings with employees are also a good idea to address their concerns. Encourage them to talk about how they feel about their job, what they would do differently, and what they can do to improve the workplace. Encourage all employees to voice their concerns. Employees’ opinions are essential to successful businesses. This covers everything, from working hours and salary to overtime and dress codes, the working environment, and other company policies.
2. A Systematic Approach To Solve Problems
Let’s say you notice negative behavior among employees or groups of employees. Start by talking one-on-one with employees who have negative feelings about work. Then, try to understand why. These issues should be addressed from a positive perspective for your employees.
You cannot neglect critical issues such as harassment or discrimination in your workplace. You must ensure that your workplace policies have been followed by conducting disciplinary reviews, if required and taking corrective action when necessary. No matter what the situation, you should not criticize your employees in public.
3. Recognition And Rewards Always Help
Reward and recognition are two powerful tools an organization can use to keep employees motivated. Be aware that employees who feel their hard work is not recognized can become harmful. Your employees will feel valued and connected if given the proper reward and recognition. You will see more dedication and commitment with higher performance if you invest in recognition and reward programs.
4. Clear and Consistent Communication Solve A lot of Issues
Uncertainty can lead to anxiety, which then leads to negative feelings in the workplace. HR professionals believe it is essential that clear communication be maintained between all levels of an organization. Employee confidence is increased by consistent communication and messaging from the top. For seamless operation within teams, it is essential to have employee engagement between groups.
Employers should still be cautious about how they communicate with employees. Communicate with employees consistently and with the same tone. A good leader always encourages open-chair conversations to improve the work quality of the team.
5. Foster Better Work Environment
You must know how important it is to create a strong organizational culture. Employers must ensure that employees are regularly reminded of the company’s vision, mission, values, and other important information.
We recommend that you should also conduct birthday celebrations and festival meetups. It sets a tone of the culture of the organization.
Research shows that hiring employees that matches your organization’s beliefs and values is very important to build a great work culture. Therefore, you should focus on hiring candidates that can add more value to the company and significantly impact the company’s growth. An inclusive work environment that gives everyone a voice will promote positivity.
6. Give The Chance For Growth
If employees feel like their jobs are not allowing them to grow, it can lead to de-motivation, which is the last thing you’d want from your employees. An organization’s commitment is reflected in its ability to offer growth and career development opportunities. Investments can be made in leadership, soft, managerial, and technical skills.
Positive employees are more likely to be engaged at work and optimistic about their future. It is essential to ensure that employees have opportunities for growth in their careers and roles. This increases employee satisfaction and retention rates and encourages employees to be involved.
7. Transparency Builds Trust
If you appreciate and value your employees’ work, they will trust their leaders more and remain committed to the company. Employees lose faith in their workplaces when there is not enough transparency. Employees should be kept informed about the company’s latest updates and significant decisions. This will let them know how important their contributions are. They will also be motivated to find solutions to problems.
Employers should always include their employees in important decisions and help them implement their best ideas. If they feel left out, then employees don’t trust their employers. This can lead to dissatisfaction, de-motivation, and unable to perform to their best.
8. Micromanagement
Your employees should feel authorized to take control of their work. Employers should abandon a paternalistic approach to their employees. Employers should treat employees as adults capable of making their own decisions about what they do.
If workers’ opinions and inputs are not valued, it can lead to feelings of negativity. It can harm workers if the supervisor does not consider workers’ information when making important decisions. Encourage your team members to work in collaboration (even if they are working remotely) and independently.
9. Treat All Members Equally
Everyone wants fair and non-judgmental treatment in the workplace. Not only is it your responsibility, but they also have the right to receive non-discriminatory treatment. Employers must be careful not to encourage favoritism. It can lead to a loss of motivation because humans want to be treated fairly and equally.
Employees are happier and more productive when treated fairly and given equal opportunities. Recognizing that workplace negativity can be addressed by ensuring all employees are held accountable and rewarded with the same system has been proven effective.
10. Work overload Causes Harmful Effects
Psychological research has shown that excessive work can lead to a barrier in employee engagement and decreased productivity. Managers must realize that encouraging their team members to work harder can lead to burnout. Managers should clearly define their priorities and set realistic goals to avoid burnout.
Job burnout is the main reason behind workplace negativity. To avoid such situations, companies can organize fun activities from time to time or team-building events to support team members. A great workplace consists of work transparency, kindness, appreciation, inclusion, and much more.
Conclusion
Negative workplaces are not suitable for anyone. This can affect productivity and cause employees to leave sooner than they would like. If this happens, then you can consider a negative work environment that dominates your work culture.
However, by adopting the right approach, you can turn your working culture into a more happening and friendly environment. Always remember if organizations offer a friendly and good working culture, they will be able to build a strong team which takes ownership of their work and brings out amazing results for your customers.
CitrusLeaf has a very happy and amazing working environment. We have a culture of growth, but in a more humane way. This means that we want our team members to grow but not at the cost of their personal lives.
The approach that we follow is simple-
People > Product > Profits
In simple words, we are a people first organization. If you are looking for a great team and a positive working environment, good news! We are hiring across the roles. Checkout the latest openings on https://careers.citrusleaf.in or send your CV at careers@citrusleaf.in today!