No Jerks Allowed!

Research Shows that Workplace Jerks Hinder Recruiting and Retention, Increase Client Churn, and Diminish Investor Confidence

“Nasty people don’t just make others feel miserable; they create economic problems for their companies,” writes Robert Sutton, a Stanford University Professor, in his recent McKinsey Quarterly article, “By Invitation: Building the Civilized Workplace.” The article reveals that jerks in the workplace are more common than you may think: Sutton cites a 2000 study that found that 27 percent of 700 Michigan workers experienced mistreatment by someone in the workplace. And the effects of this mistreatment are extensive and far reaching.

Sutton writes, “There is a business case against tolerating nasty and demeaning people. Companies that put up with jerks not only can have more difficulty recruiting and retaining the best and brightest but are also prone to higher client churn, damaged reputations, and diminished investor confidence.”

How do workplace jerks operate? Sutton came up with 12 ways that jerks do their dirty work (he dubbed these the “dirty dozen”). They include everything from personal insults, threats and intimidation, and sarcastic jokes and teasing to withering e-mails, dirty looks, and public shaming/status degradation rituals. Research shows that these types of negative interactions affect employee moods five times more strongly than positive ones.

Luckily, there are jerk-free exceptions to the rule. In his article, Sutton mentions several organizations noted for their jerk-free environments, including Plante & Moran. He writes, “The goal is a ‘jerk-free’ workforce at this accounting firm…the staff is encouraged to live by the Golden Rule.”