It sounds dramatic, but it’s true: one bad apple really can spoil the bunch. It’s true in the fruit bowl, and it’s certainly true in the workplace. That one person who bullies and manipulates their way to the top creates a truly toxic workplace environment, where morale, motivation and teamwork are at rock bottom.
Sadly, research from software company Atlassian suggests that working alongside a bad apple is a common experience for nearly a third of people. Their latest round of ongoing research into the current state of team health revealed that 26% of workers currently report having a bad apple on their team, making them more likely to resign.
Atlassian’s research revealed how toxic attitudes and behaviours degrade the team’s culture and drag morale down to new lows. “When this happens, high performers escape to greener pastures, leaving managers to contend with the lower-performing leftovers,” the report said.
“Even worse, the manager might be the bad apple, as 14% of respondents reported. Don’t let your team suffer its own ‘Great Resignation’.”
As specialists in team building, Atlassian are well placed to recommend strategies that eliminate the bad apple from the workplace. As is often the case, it comes down to having clear policies in place from the outset, while communicating openly and honestly to your team about company expectations.
Avoid employing a bad apple in the first place
That can be easier said than done, as many bad apples come across incredibly well in interviews, as they’ve mastered the art of self-promotion. Remember, a bad apple’s performance tends to be high level, consistently surpassing KPIs. As an employer, it’s worth taking a step back in the interview process and asking how this person came to achieve their success? Who did they have to knock down to get to the top?
Atlassian recommend introducing a ‘values interview’ into the recruitment processes. Each interview panel should include a ‘value interviewer’, not to focus on the candidate’s skills, but their values and culture alignment.
Make your company values clear
The interview process goes both ways. Not only is it important to get a clear idea of the prospective employee, it’s also vital that he or she understand the company and has an authentic view of what the company is like to work for.
Re-evaluate your performance reviews
In a traditional performance review, an employee is praised for surpassing their KPIs and “leading” the team. As an employer, it’s worth taking a step back to look at how the employee achieved these things. Did they perform in line with company values?
At Atlassian, individual performance only accounts for a third of a performance review score. Another third looks at how you perform within your team. The final third investigates how you lived the company’s values.
Weed out the bad apple
For the greater good of your workplace, take steps now to eliminate the bad apple before a toxic environment is created. Don’t let that one employee spoil the workplace culture you worked so hard to nurture.
Need help weeding out the bad apple from your workplace, or not employing a bad apple in the first place? Have a chat to the team at HR Dept.