The workplace has changed drastically over the past few years. Remote and hybrid work have become the new norm, job flexibility is no longer a benefit, but an expectation, and workplace wellness has become an integral part of building a strong company culture. While some businesses have adapted to the changing times with innovative policies and corporate wellness programs, others have lagged behind their competitors, leaving their employees feeling overworked, undervalued and neglected. Here are the top five 2022 company culture failures that will not only make you cringe, but will also cost you your top talent if you choose to repeat them.

1. Lack Of Corporate Wellness & Work-Life Balance

The pandemic thrusted mental health & corporate wellness to the forefront, and both have become a top priority for employees. Companies that ignore this need will be left behind in terms of attracting and retaining top talent. Employees who feel overworked, stressed, and undervalued are more likely to burn out and leave the company. Burnout can lead to a negative cycle of high turnover, low productivity, and low employee morale. 

Solution: Providing mental health resources such as counseling and mental breaks throughout the workday, flexible work hours, remote work, and providing corporate wellness programs and workshops can go a long way to increasing employee satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Poor Communication

Communication is at the core of every successful company culture. Companies that do not prioritize communication can end up with a fragmented team, a lack of direction, and missed opportunities. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, conflicts, and wasted time.

Solution: Consider providing a DISC for Leaders and DISC for Teams workshop to help everyone improve communication skills, build better relationships, and work better together. Leaders can also cultivate a culture of communication by being approachable, actively listening, offering feedback, being transparent, building trust, and fostering cooperation. 

3. No Personal Growth Opportunities

Employees want to feel like they are growing and advancing in the workplace, not stagnating in a dead-end job. Companies that fail to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth will quickly become unappealing to top talent. 

Solution:  Providing training and development programs, mentorship opportunities, a clear path for advancement, and establishing an emerging leader’s program are all essential to keeping employees happy, motivated and loyal.

4. Lack of Employee Engagement

Employees who feel disconnected from their work and colleagues are unlikely to deliver quality work, and end up becoming “Paycheck Employees”; never doing anything more than their paycheck requires. Lack of employee engagement leads to low morale, and high turnover rates.

Solution:  To avoid this mistake, leaders should create opportunities for employee recognition, and reconnect people to the company’s mission, vision and core values. This helps create a sense of purpose beyond the paycheck, and improves employee retention.

5. Micromanagement

Micromanagement is a common leadership mistake which shows a lack of trust in employees, make them feel suffocated, and stifles their creativity. Employees want to be empowered to think and operate outside the box. When you grant employees authority to work at their pace and do it their way, you will start to see an increase in innovation, creativity and enthusiasm for their work.

Solution:  To avoid micromanagement, leaders should set clear expectations, delegate tasks based on employee strengths, trust their employees to deliver quality work, offer support, and offer constructive feedback when necessary.

The top 2022 company culture failures can be avoided through intentional leadership, active communication, and employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives. The business environment is continuously evolving, and company culture is the driving force behind attracting and retaining top talent. As leaders, it is our responsibility to create a culture that is worthy of our employees' time and effort. Avoiding the top culture failures of 2022 can help your business stay ahead of the curve, as well as attract & retain the best employees for your team.

About Betsy: Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC, Betsy Allen-Manning is a high-energy leadership keynote speaker, high-performance expert, and workplace culture strategist who helps organizations develop world-class leaders, build high-performing teams, and create workplaces where people stay, grow, and thrive. She’s the creator of the DNA of Excellence™ keynote series: data-backed and highly interactive presentations that strengthen leadership behavior, elevate performance, and transform workplace culture. Betsy is also the founder of Destination Workplace™, an award-winning leadership training company in Dallas, known for advancing leadership excellence and transforming workplace culture for some of the world’s most elite brands.