Muriel Call, Staff Writer
In the wake of the phenomenon known as The Great Resignation, staff retention has remained a formidable challenge for organizations worldwide. Shifting workforce priorities, technological advancements, and an uncertain economy are continuing to have a profound impact on U.S. workers and organizations in both the public and private sectors.
One of the most common reasons workers cite for quitting is a toxic work environment. Toxic work culture is driving employee turnover, and it’s being fueled by a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion, workers feeling disrespected, and unethical behavior.
Toxic work environments are a dealbreaker for many employees, particularly Millennial and Gen Z workers. A study by Lifesum found that 80% of Gen Z and Millennial participants would quit their jobs tomorrow because of a toxic work culture.
Amidst this landscape, one factor stands out as a potential antidote to toxic work environments: emotional intelligence.
You could argue that emotional intelligence is the most important leadership skill in the modern workplace because emotionally intelligent leaders are better able to lead their employees through challenging times (like a global pandemic) and keep workplace culture from turning toxic.
Emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in reducing staff turnover by cultivating a positive work environment and enriching the employee experience. This nurturing environment lays the groundwork for heightened employee engagement, job satisfaction, and loyalty, all of which contribute to increased retention.
This article delves into the ways in which emotional intelligence can mitigate staff turnover by fostering a supportive, toxic-proof work environment and a positive employee experience for all.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the capacity to comprehend, utilize, and manage our emotions in a manner that promotes positive outcomes. It enables us to alleviate stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, surmount challenges, and defuse conflict.
This skill profoundly influences various facets of our daily lives, including our behavior and interactions with others. In the professional sphere, emotional intelligence assumes a pivotal role in molding an employee’s overall experience.
It is a key determinant of job performance, influencing it by as much as 58%, and 90% of top performers in the workplace exhibit high emotional intelligence. This underscores the importance of emotional intelligence not only in personal development but also in fostering a harmonious and collaborative work environment and increasing organizational productivity.
The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Staff Turnover
Did you know that emotional intelligence training can yield a remarkable 1,484% return on investment for organizations? Or that a staggering 50% of employees quit due to a bad manager?
These statistics suggest that emotional intelligence training should be an essential component of retention strategies if we want to reduce turnover and maintain a healthy and productive workplace.
Leaders with high emotional intelligence are skilled at fostering positive work environments where employees feel valued and understood because they recognize and address their employees’ needs and concerns. This is critical for engagement and retention.
Emotional intelligence also prevents work environments from turning toxic and can prevent turnover in the process. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can counteract toxicity by proactively promoting a positive work environment through awareness, empathy, and effective communication.
Improving Emotional Intelligence in the Private Sector
In the private sector, the cultivation of emotional intelligence is a key leadership responsibility and essential for navigating digital transformation.
Leaders can take several steps to improve emotional intelligence within their organizations:
Promote Open Communication
Leaders should foster an environment that encourages employees to express their thoughts and feelings openly. This open dialogue can provide leaders with a deeper understanding of employee needs and concerns, enabling them to respond more effectively and empathetically.
Provide Emotional Intelligence Training
Regular training sessions focused on developing emotional intelligence skills can be highly beneficial. These sessions can equip employees with the tools they need to manage their emotions positively, communicate effectively, and build stronger relationships.
Lead by Example
Leaders themselves should demonstrate high emotional intelligence in their behavior. By showing empathy, managing their emotions effectively, and communicating clearly, leaders can set a positive example for their teams. This can inspire employees to develop their own emotional intelligence skills and contribute to a more emotionally intelligent workplace.
Feedback and Recognition
Leaders should provide regular feedback and recognize employees’ efforts. This not only boosts morale but also promotes a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
By taking these steps, leaders in the private sector can significantly improve the emotional intelligence of their teams, leading to a more positive work environment and lower staff turnover.
Improving Emotional Intelligence in the Public Sector
Improving emotional intelligence can be more challenging in the public sector due to bureaucratic constraints and the often high-stress nature of public service roles.
The added performance pressures during challenging times, such as the pandemic, can lead to increases in turnover due to toxic work environments. Public sector employees are at the forefront of dealing with the public and often encounter toxic behavior from customers and, unfortunately, toxic behaviors from leadership.
While challenging, it is not impossible to improve emotional intelligence in the public sector and foster a positive work environment. But it absolutely has to start at the top, with leadership.
Public sector leaders can take effective measures to foster emotional intelligence in the following ways:
Foster a Supportive Culture
Leaders should promote a culture that values self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, and leaders should model these values and use positive reinforcement with employees who also model these values. This includes recognizing and rewarding emotionally intelligent behavior, which can motivate employees to continue developing these skills.
Encourage Work-Life Balance
Public sector jobs can be stressful, and this stress can hinder the development and application of emotional intelligence. Leaders should find ways to be flexible and encourage a healthy work-life balance, helping employees manage stress more effectively.
Provide Resources
Leaders should provide resources like counseling and emotional intelligence training for employees. These resources can offer crucial support for employees who need help managing their emotions or want to improve their emotional intelligence skills.
Though it may be challenging to justify these expenses when the budget is limited, it’s important to make a case that such training can help reduce the high costs associated with employee turnover and improve customer service.
Address Toxic Work Environments
Toxic work environments can be particularly prevalent in high-stress public sector jobs. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can swiftly identify and address these issues, creating a more positive and productive work environment that’s more efficient for customers.
Promote Resilience
During challenging times, resilience is key for public sector organizations. Leaders can use their emotional intelligence to promote resilience, helping their teams navigate difficulties and maintain their performance without harming their well-being.
Providing clarity, maintaining open communication, and exchanging feedback can help teams stay resilient in the face of adversity.
By implementing these strategies, public sector leaders can improve emotional intelligence within their teams, leading to improved employee satisfaction, performance, and retention.
Turning the Turnover Tide
Emotional intelligence is a powerful tool that can help reduce staff turnover. For this reason, it is imperative that both private and public sector leaders make efforts to improve emotional intelligence in their organizations.
Combating turnover means being proactive when it comes to keeping the work environment positive and inhospitable to toxic behaviors. Emotional intelligence helps leaders do this.
By supporting a positive work environment and enhancing the employee experience, it creates the conditions necessary for high employee engagement, job satisfaction, and loyalty. It also lays the foundation for sustainable success. Emotional intelligence helps leaders and their team members achieve this.
Leaders who exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence foster teams that are not only highly engaged in their roles but also deeply committed to the success of the organization. However, it is crucial to remember that nurturing this invaluable leadership skill demands consistent effort.
Muriel Call
Staff Writer / Editor
