A new study recently released by Cornerstone OnDemand with Northwestern University provides new life to the old adage, “No man is an island.”
While HR professionals have long understood that people’s surroundings impact their behavior and performance in the workplace, this is the first study of its kind that quantifies the negative ramifications of hiring bad employees.
The report, Toxic Employees in the Workplace, suggests that 3 to 5 percent of all employees are terminated for reasons to be considered “toxic” (e.g., misconduct, workplace violence, drug or alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, etc.) — but what’s more, these individuals greatly increase the likelihood of their co-workers engaging in toxic behavior, and even leaving outright.
The study on toxic employees is part of our larger body of research on why the social fabric at work is just as critical to employee tenure and performance as the nature of the job itself.
The “friendship effect,” as it’s called, looks at how the presence of friendship, or lack thereof, impacts workplace behavior. For example, we have conducted several studies revealing how friendship on the job carries significant, positive implications for employees, employers and organizations.
Here are six (6) ways employee relationships — from hostile to friendly — impact the workplace, and how employers can use these findings to promote positive social connections in the office:
New big data technologies allow us to leverage vast amounts of internal employee data to measure the effect of social connections in the workplace. But the impact of this research goes beyond simply understanding how the “friendship effect” works within an organization.
In the hiring process, HR professionals can use online, science-based assessments that utilize data analytics and intelligence tools to not only help identify which candidates are more qualified for a job, but which candidates are less likely to exhibit toxic behavior. For example, candidates deemed “highly qualified” by Cornerstone Selection are 19 percent less likely to be a toxic employee terminated for a policy violation.
Big data analytics also produce insights that can help inform companies on how to create and optimize initiatives that promote workplace relationships and yield positive long-term results. Events like happy hours, community lunches and employee mentorship programs are just a few ways companies can foster more meaningful relationships between co-workers.
Ultimately, evidence from data and analytics will help to ensure these programs are optimized to drive improved employee tenure and performance.