The No. 1 reason people leave their jobs, according to MIT’s Sloan School of Management, is due to ... [+]
The rise in incivility and bad behavior in the workplace increased so dramatically that the United States surgeon general Vivek Murthy had to weigh in on this disturbing toxic and cutthroat trend, as it negatively impacts your mental health and emotional well-being.
The No. 1 reason people leave their jobs, according to MIT’s Sloan School of Management, is due to toxic workplace culture. The research found that a toxic environment is 10.4 times more likely to contribute to attrition, ranking higher than a person quitting because of compensation.
How To Tell If You’re Engaged In A Toxic Environment
Humans are very adaptable and can get used to almost anything. People learn how to live in the frozen tundras of Siberia. They also learn how to accept harmful treatment in the workplace.
Like a romantic relationship, a person being abused or taken advantage of may come up with excuses to justify the situation. It’s not easy to walk away.
To gain a perspective if you’re overreacting or actually dealing with a hostile and cutthroat corporate culture, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the management style based on fear, intimidation, high pressure or verbal abuse?
- Do you see routine acts of backstabbing colleagues, gossiping and spreading rumors without management intervening?
- Has the company conducted layoffs, rescinded job offers or put a hiring freeze in place without telling the staff what is going on and when it will end?
- Do you feel a not-so-subtle threat that you must do whatever the boss tells you to, or else you’ll be the next to get downsized?
- Is your immediate supervisor taking advantage, harassing or discriminating against you?
- Are you required to work long hours and weekends without any consideration for your personal life?
- Does your boss micromanage everything you do or place invasive snooping software on your computer?
- Has the company offered choices of work styles, including remote, hybrid or flexible options or are you bullied into going to the office five days a week?
What You Need To Do If You’re Mired In A Toxic, Abusive Work Environment
Being trapped in a dead-end job with a toxic culture can ruin your self-confidence and make you miserable and sick. You have two basic options on how to proceed. First, be proactive and speak with your boss and human resources.
Let them know how you are feeling and what is going on. Provide specific examples of the behavior of your manager, senior executives or co-workers. It’s a good practice to keep track and document examples of abusive and predatory behaviors that happen to you and others within the organization.
If your manager, executives and HR don’t take action or demonstrate a lack of caring, it's time to move on. The longer you stay, the more your self-esteem and morale will be wounded. You’ll become bitter, angry and resentful.
You'll most likely bring these pent-up feelings home and lash out at your loved ones. At first, your family will be empathetic and understanding. After a while, they’ll become concerned about the type of person you have morphed into.
This is a sign that a clean break is needed. You have to get away from the inexorable stress of your dysfunctional situation to improve your mental health and emotional well-being. Be prepared, as it won't be easy.
You Need Time To Heal
The unrelenting abuse and stress have likely stolen some of your self-esteem and confidence. You need to start focusing on yourself. You’ve been through a traumatic experience and need time to heal and practice self-care.
Find ways to rebuild your confidence. Engage in sports, hobbies or activities that you enjoy or are good at. Build up small wins to regain your self-esteem.
Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed. It's not your fault. If you can’t shake off the experience, reach out to a therapist or mental health professional to help you recover and rebound. If you ignore what occurred, you will bring baggage everywhere, including the interview process, as you seek a new job.
What To Expect When Your Start Your Job Search
Interviewers want a person who possesses the right skills for the role and has confidence, enthusiasm and motivation. It will come out in the interview if you are still harboring ill will against your former employer.
Without thinking, when asked about your last job, you’ll start complaining about the boss, the toxic culture and how horrible everyone was. While this may all be true, it will scare off the interviewer.
They don’t know if you are telling the truth or not. The hiring manager may believe that there is a chance that it’s you and not the company that is the problem. When you badmouth people from your prior companies, it’s a big turnoff.
Human resources, hiring managers and internal recruiters will think that you will talk trash about them when you interview for a job in the future. It's reasonable for them to believe you will do it again if you talk badly about people. The folks involved in the hiring process don’t need this and will move on to the next applicant who doesn’t have any baggage.
You won't perform well during the hiring process if you haven’t worked on yourself and still carry around the hate and anger. Think of it like dating. A potential partner would like a person who is positive, confident, considerate and excited about the future.
If the person comes across as bitter, angry and carrying a chip on their shoulder, it’s a turnoff. The same thing happens in an interview setting. A person with a winning personality and attitude will fare better compared to someone who is downcast and brooding.
Practice Interviewing To Overcome Your Battered Psyche
The key to bouncing back and finding a new job, in addition to healing yourself, is to practice interviewing. Carefully read the job advertisement. Think of everything you’ve done that match the specific job requirements.
Then, prepare an elevator pitch. This is a 30-second to one-minute sales pitch in which you concisely share why your background, experiences and previous jobs are a perfect fit and how you can add value to the organization.
Find someone to practice with you. Have them ask some basic questions, such as “why do you want this job” and “please tell me about yourself.”
The more you know about the company, your confidence will increase. Research the company to learn about its mission statement, products or services, C-suite leadership and any new developments. Check out the interviewers on LinkedIn and social media to get a vibe check about who they are, where they went to school and other activities that you can use as an icebreaker and way to bond.
