If you ask any HR manager about the importance of good company culture, they’re bound to say that it’s right up there with clean air and fresh drinking water. This is because a less-than-ideal culture can lead to poor morale, low productivity levels, and a generally unhappy workforce—all of which can have a detrimental effect on business performance.

Because it has so many contributing factors, like individual personalities and management styles, it can be hard to predict exactly how your company culture will turn out—or to know if it needs a little work.

Here are four red flags to keep an eye out for, so you don’t get to the office one day and realize it’s a toxic working environment:

1. Employees have divided into cliques

While it’s perfectly normal for colleagues to develop friendships in the workplace, this can be problematic when employees avoid communicating with anyone who isn’t in their specific group. Just as cliques in a school environment make students feel excluded and unhappy, close-knit exclusive groups in the office can take its toll on staff who feel ostracized and unliked. If you see cliques forming, consider taking action to encourage interaction and foster friendships across those groups.

2. Policies are inconsistently enforced

Feelings of being left out are only made worse when the company is at fault, but this is exactly what happens when company policies are inconsistently enforced and management favors certain employees over others. If some people get away with strolling into the office 30 minutes late while others are strictly reprimanded, it might be a sign your company culture needs a rethink.

3. Senior management is mostly absent

A great company culture needs to start from the top, with senior management embodying company values and setting the right example. If the people up top rarely show face around the office and have limited communication with the rest of the staff, your company culture is likely suffering. Ask key figures to build familiarity with the company, and to let everyone know that you’re all in this together.

4. Poor communication throughout the company

Poor communication is one of the most obvious indications of a poor company culture, whether it’s between departments, managers and employees, or supervisors and subordinates. Effective communication at all levels of the organization is not only essential for the business to run smoothly—it’s also an important part of a healthy company culture. If people consistently feel out of the loop, or they only learn about key decisions after they’ve been made and implemented, your company culture likely needs a fix.

5. Your employees don’t feel they have a good benefit package

It’s not only money that motivates employees. Knowing that their employer really cares about them and has gone out of their way to provide a benefits package that covers many aspects of their lives, is one of the most important things a company can do to show they really care. When the cliques start talking about their friends at other companies and what is included in their benefits if yours doesn’t measure up, you’re sure to experience more turnover.

If any of these red flags sound familiar, your organizational culture likely needs some work. Many companies are turning to TrueConnect to learn how they can create a harmonized working environment with happy, productive employees. Every business should always be looking for ways to increase employee quality of life—after all, they are ultimately your company’s key source of revenue. Get in touch today to find out how employee benefit solutions can lower your company’s employee turnover.[nz_gap height=”30″ /]