The #1 Factor Causing Employees to Resign in Droves

The days of employees putting up with a toxic work culture for a sizable paycheck are over. A study published in MIT Sloan Management Review found that toxic workplace culture was 10x more likely to be the reason for an employee leaving an organization than their compensation.

So, what defines a toxic workplace? There can be many definitions; poor pay, lack of recognition or reward for outstanding performance, customers being prioritized over employees, failure to provide internal mobility, employees being denied a voice, violation of trust, or blurring the line between professional and personal lives, which prevents employees from truly unplugging. One of the biggest indicators of toxicity is a work environment where employees do not feel safe, supported, or heard.

On the flip side, the most important factors for employees to stay were lateral career opportunities, remote work arrangements, company-sponsored social events, and offering predictable schedules.

How L&D can help

L&D can impact company culture through the provision of lateral career opportunities. By working with employees to identify learning needs, companies can initiate the proper upskilling and reskilling desired or required. LinkedIn research found that 45% of employees left their previous jobs due to a lack of advancement opportunities. If your workplace is suffering from toxicity on top of not offering your employees these opportunities, you’ve got a recipe for disaster on your hands.

Prevention and solution

One key way to prevent a toxic culture is to be deliberate about increasing input from your team. If you want to collect honest, direct feedback from your team, consider a system that allows for anonymous employee feedback. This will help you gauge their feelings on implemented policies and allow them to report any misconduct seen or heard in the workplace. When you make changes, be sure to clearly communicate them so no one is surprised or unaware of the new standards and expectations.

Simply creating a nontoxic workplace isn’t enough, though. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference, and an indifferent or neutral workplace isn’t much better. The goal should be a healthy, positive workplace culture where leaders listen intentionally to their customers, as well as their employees and stakeholders.

To build this kind of culture requires effort and follow-through. The management teams in organizations will need to continually improve and strive for a better workplace environment. Actions speak louder than words here. They’ll need to not only initiate the change but actively work at putting it into motion.

As employees continue their search for healthier workplace environments and better opportunities, it’s critical that you’re offering both in order to keep your team from jumping ship.

Interested in learning about increasing employee retention? Curious about how leadership development can help your organization reach its full potential? Get in touch now.

Vayability is a leadership development platform built from the ground up to accelerate the development and business impact of emerging talent. Combining more than 20 years of executive learning, Vayability focuses on impactful leadership skills, personalized learning, live coaching, and measurable growth. Find out how top companies embrace success at vayability.net.

Stay up to date on all things L&D by signing up for our Learning & Development Insights newsletter! We include L&D thought leadership pieces, the latest news, and invites to exclusive events.

Written by Rachel Strysik