Brené with Dr. Donald Sull and Charlie Sull on How Toxic Work Cultures Are Driving the Great Resignation
Mar 7, 2022
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Dr. Donald Sull and Charlie Sull discuss how toxic work cultures drive the Great Resignation. They explore the 'toxic five' aspects leading to attrition, toxic leadership traits, and the impact of COVID on work environments. Insights on remote work, employee well-being, and leadership advice are also shared.
Toxic corporate culture significantly drives the surge in employee resignations, emphasizing the critical need to address and mitigate toxicity in organizations.
Aside from toxic culture, job insecurity is a primary predictor of increased attrition rates, underlining how organizational instability adversely affects employee morale and retention.
Employee turnover is influenced not only by toxic work cultures but also by factors like lack of recognition, job insecurity, and poor COVID responses, highlighting the importance of promoting psychological safety and addressing these issues.
Deep dives
Toxic Culture Driving Employee Turnover
The podcast episode delves into the impact of toxic corporate culture on the surge in employee resignations. Research by Dr. Donald Sull and Charlie Sull reveals that toxic culture is the primary predictor of increased attrition rates across different industries. Their study, based on Glassdoor reviews, identifies five key features of toxic culture: non-inclusive, disrespectful, unethical, cutthroat, and abusive managers. These toxic elements significantly contribute to negative employee experiences, leading to a myriad of health and productivity issues.
Innovation and High Stress Levels Impact Retention
The episode highlights the paradox where innovative companies like SpaceX and Tesla experience higher turnover rates due to the high stress and workload associated with innovation. Job insecurity, reorganizations, failure to recognize performance, and poor COVID responses also influence employee turnover. Interestingly, job insecurity emerged as a top predictor after toxic culture, emphasizing how organizational instability significantly affects employee morale and retention.
Strategies to Address Toxicity and Retain Employees
Managers are advised on short-term actions to reduce attrition rates. The podcast emphasizes the importance of addressing toxic corporate culture as the primary factor driving employee turnover. By identifying and mitigating toxicity, organizations can create a more inclusive and respectful environment. Additionally, acknowledging job insecurity, improving recognition of employee performance, and providing stability during reorganizations are crucial steps to enhance employee retention and overall well-being.
Research Findings on Toxic Company Cultures and Employee Retention
Employees tend to leave companies where they feel hard work is not acknowledged and Slack is overlooked, indicating a possible link to top performers feeling undervalued. In toxic cultures marked by fear and uncertainty during reorganizations, emotional well-being is significantly affected, revealing the emotional toll of workplace dynamics and the proliferation of negative stories. Additionally, promoting psychological safety by encouraging candid communication emerges as a key component in creating remarkable company cultures.
Addressing Employee Attrition Through Job Moves and Remote Work Options
To reduce attrition rates, offering lateral job moves and remote work options can be beneficial, providing employees with opportunities for learning and job variation without the stress of constant promotions. The shift towards hybrid work models, with a predicted mix of onsite and remote work arrangements, poses challenges in maintaining organizational culture and cohesion among different employee groups, highlighting the need for strategies to adapt to evolving work environments.
I’m talking with Dr. Donald Sull and Charlie Sull about an article I came across in the MIT Sloan Management Review titled “Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation.” As we know, between April and September of 2021, more than 24 million American employees left their jobs, an all-time record. Donald and Charlie researched what’s driving the Great Resignation. It is both revealing and confirming to hear how their research connects with the work that we do with Dare to Lead, and it is exactly what we’re seeing in companies all over the world. We dig deep into the definition of toxic culture, how it shows up, and what it costs individuals and companies.
