In Part 1 of my article, “Would your company benefit from a workplace assessment & culture review?” I discussed the purpose of a workplace assessment & culture review and the steps taken to complete a review.
In Part 2, I would like to address moving forward following a workplace assessment & culture review, what leaders and administrators can do with the information, and what could happen should no action be taken following a review.
A workplace assessment & review can provide a thorough look into your organization’s culture and address any workplace issues that may damage the organization and become costly, public, or litigious.
Findings that might come out of a workplace assessment & culture review include bullying and harassment from leaders or co-workers, workplace pressures, toxic leadership, issues from external contracts, supportive employment practices, engaging work environment, to name a few.
When I have completed an assessment & culture review, I take the time to sit down with my clients and discuss the findings. I see this as an essential step because it allows me to explain the assessment in greater detail and clarify any issues. The findings of a review are not always negative. There are opportunities for praise where employees are content with their leaders’ support and ability. When areas of concern or improvement are revealed, this is an opportunity for leaders and administrators to dig deeper into assessing how they can recover and address the issues within. At this step, I offer recommendations and research to restore trust with all organizational levels and successfully move forward.
Following a workplace assessment & culture review, I hope those in positions of power will always do the right thing to ensure all employees are safe and workplace issues are addressed. The downside of reviews, there is no legal binding or forced change that can be brought upon organizations should they ignore the recommendations I propose. An example is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP has had multiple reviews done to unearth internal issues, including gender diversity, bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment. According to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, they have had over 15 reviews conducted with more than 200 recommendations made of reform (“Report into workplace harassment in the RCMP,” 2020, para. 1). However, issues continue to occur, and problems continue to mount.
In today’s climate, where there is a need to ensure all workplace employees are provided a safe and respectful environment, organizational leaders and administrators need to take a proactive approach and consider a workplace assessment & culture review. Consideration of the assessment recommendations and findings will allow leaders and administrators a path to appropriate changes and measures to guarantee all employees experience a safe and respectful workplace. Should leaders and administrators fail to correctly address the organization’s issues, they risk ending up with lawsuits, human rights complaints, or the entire organization being a front-page story with all internal issues being made public. Further, and most detrimental, they risk losing skilled and productive employees who bring the organization recognition and success.
Jen Magnus has a Doctorate of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership. Dr. Magnus uses her academic knowledge and years of work experience to conduct workplace assessments, investigations, and training related to bullying and harassment, organizational culture, leadership, and trauma-informed interviewing. She is a 14-year veteran of policing, an instructor of post-secondary institutions, and a member of several Public Boards. All notes, publications, and opinions are her own unless otherwise specified. © Magnus Consulting 2021
References:
“Report into workplace harassment in the RCMP.” (2020, October 27). Retrieved