Friend: Ajay, I need your advice.
Ajay: Sure.
Friend: The churn rate at my company has spiked recently and I cant identify where the problem lies. We offer great salaries, great perks, and provide all kinds of amenities at the office. Yet, something seems to be wrong.
Ajay: What about the workplace culture? Have you checked if there are bullies in your office?
Friend: Bullies? Like those kids who grabbed our lunch boxes and teased our appearance when we were in school?
Ajay: Yes.
Friend: I thought we were past all that when we graduated.
Ajay: Not really. Bullies are quite common in work places too. In fact reports suggest that the bullying behaviour has only gone up with remote work becoming a norm in the post-pandemic world.
Friend: Really? Why?
Ajay: Because its easier to be aggressive when you are sitting behind a computer screen and not facing someone. Havent you observed people who are seemingly nice otherwise turning extremely toxic on social media?
Friend: Oh, indeed.
Ajay: Online or offline, this behaviour has to be checked because surveys have found out that toxic corporate culture is the single biggest predictor of employee attrition.
Friend: Not low wages?
Ajay: Nope. People have started giving more importance, and rightly so, to factors other than compensation, like mental health and work life balance. Employees no longer tolerate bullying from managers or team leads for the high pay cheques they receive. And once somebody calls it quits, then in no time it could turn into a house of cards.
Friend: I need to nip it in the bud before it gets any worse. How do I spot these bullies?
Ajay: Keep an eye out for behaviours like berating people, making them overwork, taking credit for others work, belittling their efforts in front of others, intimidating them, isolating them, making personal remarks and defaming them through lying or any other means. Collect feedback from employees and make things more transparent. Keep your door open and allow people to directly come to you. Build confidence in them so they can talk to you. In no time will you see the bullies receding and your office once again becoming a happy place.