A recent study by a South African recruitment firm has revealed that many professionals are applying for new jobs out of frustration at toxic workplace cultures.
The survey by Robert Walters South Africa says 62% of professionals, particularly those working in the administrative sector, are “rage-applying” in search of new jobs as frustrations at work reach a peak.
“Rage-applying” is when professionals file multiple applications for new jobs after getting fed up at work.
The study covered about 2,000 South African professionals and found there had been a spike in this phenomenon since January.
Why is this happening?
The survey found 51% of the professionals covered in the survey left their jobs due to a toxic workplace culture, while 22% blamed unmanageable workloads.
Robert Walters senior consultant Caley Hill said “rage-applying” was a problem for the employer as it created more vacancies than people available.
“Interestingly, the aspects of pay or progression are not the issues creating this knee-jerk reaction but the work environment itself, something which is well within the control of the employer.
“Toxic workplace culture can very much be invisible but the knock-on effect to employees’ happiness is significant. Consequences include the detrimental effect to staff members’ mental wellbeing, physical safety in the workplace, productivity levels, ideas generation and innovation,” Hill said.
Hill said being in a company with a healthy working culture was becoming a priority for employees.
She said this was an important discussion point during the hiring processes for both employees and employer.
The study found professionals were attracted by inspiring company culture and with equally inspiring leaders.
Here are tips for creating a healthier workplace culture:
- Prioritise team morale and a positive work environment — ensure that managers are aware that team morale and a positive work environment are their core responsibilities. Business leaders should regularly raise these matters in management meetings and ask managers what types of activities or initiatives have taken place to encourage inclusivity.
- Launch anonymous feedback surveys — this is a fairly basic initiative that not enough employers do. Find out how your employees feel and ask open-ended questions on culture to gain extra insight. Take time to read and understand the answers to get a handle on what is going wrong and allow this to guide the manner in which you take action on the points raised.
- Invest time and money — culture does not come for free. The workplace is made up of a group of people brought together because of their varying skill sets and not necessarily because they would make good friends. Companies need to put more effort into helping to create a respectful, friendly, social and inclusive environment as these things seldom result by chance.
Source: TimesLive
