Culture-Building Training Has Critical Role in Minimizing Negative Behaviors
- Toxic workplace cultures are pervasive and it is critically important that organizations address workplace toxicity
- Toxic cultures and harassment can lead to turnover, absenteeism, lost productivity, and inability to recruit top talent
- A shift from compliance-only training to culture-building training is key to developing a positive workplace
EVERFI, Inc., the leading social impact education innovator, released the findings of a new survey revealing that toxic behavior, distrust, and resentment, as well as egregious conduct like harassment, discrimination, and bullying are prevalent in today’s workplace. However, survey data also reveals that workplaces in which employees live and support core organizational values, as well as utilize training that includes culture-building strategies and topics, tend to have more positive and non-toxic work cultures.
HR Technology News: HRA Administration Company, Clarity Benefit Solutions, Discusses New HRA Laws Going into Effect
The findings from this survey are startling. Toxic workplace cultures are pervasive and it is critically important that organizations address workplace toxicity, as failing to do so can have far-reaching impacts for an organization,” said Elizabeth Owens Bille, J.D., SHRM-SCP, Head of Impact, Workplace Culture, EVERFI. “Toxic cultures and harassment can lead to turnover, absenteeism, lost productivity, inability to recruit top talent, and the like, so the stakes are high for organizations to act to prevent these damaging behaviors from happening in their workplace.”
The survey shows that many organizations are not proactively building a positive culture, and it turns out this may be partly because management lacks the necessary skills. While 66 percent of respondents agree that managers will listen to employee concerns, far fewer agree that their leaders are good at preventing problems before they begin (20 percent), conflict management (25 percent), having difficult conversations (28 percent), and coaching (31 percent).
HR Technology News: Oracle Expands Innovation Lab to Advance Industries
A positive revelation in the survey is that a shift from compliance-only training to culture-building training is key to developing a positive workplace. Respondents from organizations that educate employees on topics such as civility, respect, and bystander intervention techniques, beyond just compliance issues, are much more likely to view their workplace training as effective and their workplace as positive and non-toxic.
“While these findings are alarming, the silver lining is that there is an opportunity for organizations to improve and promote a positive workplace culture by prioritizing culture-building in their harassment, bullying, and discrimination training,” said Bille. “By moving beyond a legal-only lens to these issues, increasing focus on disrespectful behaviors that harm culture, and giving employees bystander intervention skills to help them speak up and take action when they see them, you are able to not only stop negative behaviors before they escalate, but also maximize the positive impact of the training on workplace culture.”
Finally, the survey found that living and upholding organizational values is vital to a positive workplace environment: the vast majority (84 percent) of respondents who report a positive workplace culture agree that the behaviors and procedures of their organizations tend to be aligned with their core values, while just 5 percent disagree.
EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 30 million learners globally. EVERFI powers community engagement across the spectrum in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities.
Write in to aupadhyay@itechseries.com and psen@martechseries.com to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programs
HR Technology News: reacHIRE Welcomes Gloria Cordes Larson, Former President of Bentley University, to Board of Directors