Are You in a Toxic Workplace? with HR Professional Kayla Moncayo
Dec 10, 2024
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Kayla Moncayo, founder of Let There Be HR and an employee relations expert with over 13 years of experience, offers invaluable insights on recognizing toxic workplaces. She guides listeners through subtle signals of toxicity beyond obvious bullying, emphasizing the importance of awareness and self-care. Kayla discusses strategies for navigating these environments, including communication with management and vetting potential employers. The conversation also touches on Gen Z preferences in the workplace and the critical role of mentorship for personal growth.
Identifying subtle signs of toxicity, such as condescending communication and cliques, is crucial for employees entering the workforce.
Proper documentation of incidents helps employees clearly articulate their concerns, separating emotional reactions from objective facts during discussions with management or HR.
Assessing a potential employer's culture during the interview process can prevent future toxic workplace experiences by evaluating their leadership diversity and conflict resolution practices.
Deep dives
Understanding Toxic Work Environments
A toxic work environment is characterized by negativity, dysfunction, and bullying, which can significantly impact employees' mental health. Identifying subtle signs is crucial, as toxicity can manifest in less obvious ways, such as condescending communication or the presence of cliques. This environment leads to feelings of anxiety and discomfort, and can be caused by individuals, teams, or entire cultures within an organization. Recognizing these signs is essential, especially for those entering the workforce, as it enables them to assess their work environment more critically.
Documenting Workplace Issues
Documentation plays a vital role for employees who may be experiencing toxic behavior in the workplace. Keeping detailed records of incidents, including dates, times, and descriptions, allows employees to provide clear evidence when addressing concerns with management or HR. This factual approach helps separate emotional responses from objective observations, making it easier to articulate issues effectively. Timely documentation is key, as it ensures accurate recollections and strengthens one's position when seeking resolution.
Navigating Conversations with HR
Approaching HR or management about workplace concerns requires careful preparation and strategy. It is beneficial to initiate informal discussions to frame the conversation as a collaborative effort to address issues rather than a formal complaint. Employees should express how the situation affects their work experience while being ready to provide documented evidence if required. Following up with a recap email after discussions is crucial to maintain transparency and accountability, ensuring that all parties have a shared understanding of the conversation.
Empowerment through Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy is essential for navigating toxic work environments, especially for individuals from marginalized communities who may face additional barriers. Employees are encouraged to seek outside perspectives, such as trusted friends or mentors, to gauge the normalcy of their experiences. Understanding one's rights and protections against retaliation is critical, as it empowers individuals to pursue necessary actions without fear of negative repercussions. Building a network of support can enhance resilience and facilitate informed decision-making in challenging situations.
Job Search Strategies for Healthy Work Cultures
When searching for a job, it is vital for candidates to evaluate the potential employer's culture to avoid toxic environments. Assessing leadership diversity and the company's willingness to engage with candidates in meaningful dialogue during the interview process can provide insights into the company's values. Avoiding phrases like 'fast-paced' or 'work hard, play hard' in job descriptions can signal potential red flags. Additionally, asking interviewers about their experiences with conflict resolution and apologies can reveal the company's approach to maintaining a healthy workplace culture.
When you’re early in your career, you might not be able to recognize the signs of a toxic workplace. Like yes, yelling and bullying are obviously not okay, but what about subtler signals? And if you are working in a toxic environment, who can you turn to for help? In this episode, Gianna and Jamé chat with employee relations expert Kayla Moncayo about how to navigate these situations.
Do you have any burning questions about work? We want to hear them! You can email us your questions at letstalkoffline@linkedin.com.
And thank you to Kayla Moncayo for joining us this week! Follow Kayla on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylamoncayo/).
For more, follow Gianna (http://linkedin.com/in/giannaprudente) and Jamé (http://linkedin.com/in/jamejackson) on LinkedIn and subscribe to Gianna’s weekly newsletter: https://linkedin.com/letstalkoffline.
Credits Gianna Prudente - Co-host, Early Career Development Editor, LinkedIn Jamé Jackson - Co-host, Community Manager, LinkedIn Sabrina Fang - Producer, Western Sound Maya Pope-Chappell - Director of Content & Audience Development, LinkedIn Jessi Hempel - Chief Content Officer, LinkedIn Savannah Wright - Senior Producer, Western Sound Sarah Dealy - Associate Producer, Western Sound Alex MacInnis - Engineer, Western Sound Courtney Coupe - Head of Original Programming, LinkedIn Dan Roth - Editor in Chief, LinkedIn Ben Adair - Executive Producer, Western Sound Katrina Norvell - Executive Producer, iHeartMedia Nikke Ettore - Executive Producer, iHeartMedia