Can You Thrive in a Toxic Company Atmosphere?

Companies with happy employees outperform the competition by 20 percent earn 1.2 to 1.7 percent more than their peer firms and perform at 2.1 percent above industry benchmarks. (Entrepreneur Media)

Iwas recently hired to work in the HR department of a large accounting firm. Though my job description includes several responsibilities I’m being tasked largely with improving the company atmosphere. Several months ago one of the company’s senior accountants was bought out by a competing firm. This really shook up my company and now they want me to improve the workplace culture so that it won’t happen again.

During the interview process I was told that there was a lot of negativity and divisiveness in the company. Now that I’m actually working here I see how acute it is. On a senior level they’re forever looking over their shoulders to criticize the competition. On the lower rung employees are suspicious of one another and of their managers each one holding his cards close to his chest — the dog-eat-dog world personified. There also seems to be a very subtle yet definable feeling by those on the lower end of the totem pole that they’re not being appreciated and properly compensated for their skills.