8 Reasons Why Employees Stay In Toxic Organizations

Hello Lovelies! I am learning, let us learn together from Susan Ways, a Human Resources executive and one of my influencers on LinkedIn. By the way, as a young professional and you do not have a LinkedIn account, you are seriously missing out on opportunities to build strategic networks and even job opportunities my friend.

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There is a lot of focus on culture development in today’s workplace. Employees are looking for organizations that foster positive cultures and while this means different things to different people, there are some common traits that highly toxic cultures share such as; poor communication, bullying, lack of accountability, etc.

Every company has a culture and some companies have sub cultures that may or may not align with the overall cultural vision. If left unchecked a culture will develop and without an intentional direction it will most likely develop in a negative form.

Research would indicate that toxic cultures drive employees away, and this is the case in many situations. However, there are toxic cultures that seem to be able to retain people regardless of the negative impact they have on their quality of work life.

There have been times in my career where I have worked in highly toxic cultures where employees stay and I have seen some of these employees leave only to come back. This has left me scratching my head wondering why and how this happens. Although these employees stay, they typically aren’t as engaged. They may not have physically quit but they have mentally quit. Employees can easily figure out how to do enough to get their job done but aren’t performing to their fullest potential.

Being in HR has provided me with a very unique opportunity to gain the perspective of these employees who stay why they leave and why they return.

Below are 8 reasons employees stay in toxic organizations:

1.      Perks. Sometimes employees perceive perks from their job that outweighs anything negative. The job may be close to home, the hours are manageable, there is some flexibility or the pay is suitable to name a few. When employees feel that they may be giving something up that is important to them or they have grown comfortable with it may not be worth the trouble to leave.

2.      Relationships. Employees build strong relationships at work. Oftentimes we spend more time with our colleagues than our family and friends. These relationships can be very important and can influence if an employee stays. There is also the issue of comradery that develops within toxic cultures. Employees can create factions and become very loyal those factions.

3.      Fear. Toxic cultures have a tendency to marginalize employees, uninspired them and render them powerless. This can create a level of disengagement in which employees do the bare minimum to get by. After some time employees are left wondering if they are the problem and will they experience this same outcome in the next organization. It gets down to the devil you know and the devil you don’t.

4.      Trapped. There are many aspects of a job which can make an employee feel trapped. Perhaps they make a salary that they can’t easily replace. Benefits can be expensive and not as robust in other organizations or there can be waiting periods to participate. There may not be many job opportunities in their specific field or they may have a level of work-life balance that works for their particular circumstances.

5.      Marginalization. Employees who have been beaten down for years may have lost a sense of power and feel like they don’t have the skills or personality to make a move. Toxic cultures and the employees who thrive in them are experts at grooming others to believe they can’t find anything better.

6.      Complacency. We are experts at talking ourselves into and out of things. Employees learn to look the other way, not make waves and accept what comes their way. They find a way to muddle through each day. A toxic culture can alter your perspective of “normal” leaving employees thinking, “it’s not that bad” when in actuality it is.

7.      Avoidance. Let’s face it, looking for a job is hard work. There is a resume to update, job boards to comb through, interviews and the potential for rejection. A toxic culture can cultivate a fear of rejection not to mention it is just exhausting. Sometimes it is easier to just keep things the way they are then to begin to invest time, energy and vulnerability into a job search.

8.      Insecurity. In toxic cultures the truth versus perception can be blurred and employees are often thrown off center leaving them uncertain regarding what is real. When they look around and see other coworkers complaining but choosing to stay it can cause them to feel insecure about their decision to leave.

In the end it is up to each individual to make a decision to stay or leave a toxic organization. It is important to consider the personal impact of being a part of a company that does not align with your personal values. These cultures have a tendency to negatively impact the way people feel about themselves and the way they relate to others so it is something that should be carefully considered.

Susan Ways is a Human Resources executive, key note speaker, professional trainer and leadership coach.