It’s Past Time to Stop the Organizational Hazing

Room filled with people working at desks next to each other under fluorescent lighting

Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash

Think about the word “hazing.” What images come to mind? I imagine it starts with university Greek social organizations, perhaps military schools, and other in-group experiences that encourage certain activities (typically degrading and always about power and control) for membership. But hazing isn’t limited to college-aged individuals. It happens within workplaces and can be equally damaging, leading to anxiety, depression, and diminished professional and organizational outcomes.

Organizational hazing frequently appears in the guise of “socialization:” the hoops we make new employees jump through to prove they are worthy of belonging. There are, after all, a lot of similarities between a probationary period and a pledgeship. Any time someone with power or authority withholds support, mentorship, and advice, they are doing damage to individuals and to organizations. If we want to make work better—healthier, kinder, and even more successful—then it’s going to take all of us to actually be better and create the types of organizations where everyone truly belongs.

When Organizational Socialization Fails

Organizational socialization can be a sticky concept. On the one hand, it means learning the rules, policies, and procedures—both written and unwritten—that allow individuals to be successful within a specific role and organization. On the face of it, this isn’t a bad thing. We all need to learn new things when entering a new experience, professionally or otherwise.

On the other hand, socialization means getting people to conform to an organizational culture, to let go of some of who they are in order to fit the norm, which likely has been established for and by someone of a different gender, race, sexual orientation, or other privilege. And, of course, there are those unwritten rules. The reality is that in most organizations, not everyone gets access to the same information. And that means some people are set up for success from the beginning, while others are not.

In a recent review of the limited research on workplace hazing, Thomas et al. (2021) note that as employees increasingly change roles, the opportunities for workplace hazing increase as well; however, “if a substantial proportion of workers (25–75%) encounter hazing, but research on newcomer experiences primarily neglects it, then hazing is effectively operating invisibly in current models of newcomer socialization.”

Further, “hazing may contribute to similar learning or bonding outcomes as a component of socialization, although it may also cause great stress for newcomers and may pose a variety of hidden downstream effects on organizational outcomes.” In other words, while the intention may be to give new employees a shared, in-group experience (“we all had to go through it, so you do, too”), “workplace hazing can negatively impact organizational performance through a number of channels, such as higher newcomer neglect and emotional exhaustion and lower person-job fit, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment” (Mawritz et al., 2022).

When Organizational Socialization Works

While we all should be wary of “socializing” other people, when organizational socialization is done well, it can improve individuals’ experiences with the organization. Here are some steps to make it work:

• Stop trying to make people fit. The job of identifying and removing potential bias starts with the hiring manager. Part of the reason that organizational hazing exists in the first place is that people have a strong need to belong, and organizations take advantage of that need by making them mold to prescribed norms. Instead, strong organizations focus less on “culture fit” and more on “culture add.” Ask yourself: How will this new person add value to the organization based on their strengths, knowledge, and experiences? How can we learn from them and ensure they are able to use their strengths and skills as much as possible?
• Share information openly and equitably. When organizational socialization is done well, everyone has access to the same information, resources, and opportunities. Everyone is set up for success and given intentional onboarding with clear expectations for the work and organizational behavior. Unwritten rules hopefully don’t exist, and if they do, they are brought into the light. Instead of saying things like, “I had to figure it out for myself, so they should too,” those with power say, “You know, it wasn’t easy for me to figure out how to be successful here; how can I ensure no one else has that same experience?”
• Provide high-quality mentoring. As Zong and Tsaur (2023) and others have noted, mentoring has been shown to moderate the effects of organizational hazing and support employee individual commitment. Effective mentors provide insight into those unwritten rules that so often remain hidden, support mentees as they work towards their career goals, provide honest and objective feedback, and serve as advocates. Each of these roles can support new employees as they learn their role and organization. Of course, a mentor can haze someone as well as anyone else; effective mentors take note of the power dynamics within their relationships and how those might be impacting the other person.
• Stop hazing when you see it happening. Those in power are best positioned to stop organizational hazing in its tracks. When you see someone jumping through unnecessary hoops to perform their role or not receiving the support and guidance they deserve to be successful, use your power and your voice to improve that situation. If ever there was a time to spend some of your own capital, it’s when you see injustice in action. Organizational culture is made by the people who work within the organization, one interaction at a time. When you intervene, you are taking steps towards improving not just that individual’s experience but the organization as well.

When I was doing my doctoral research on how women are socialized into careers in higher education, I was struck by the countless stories of shaming, withholding resources, and the need to climb one’s way to the top. One told the story of a weekly men’s poker game hosted by the dean, where decisions were made and funding was distributed. Another, reflecting on the “up or out” system of tenure, noted, “I’m surprised there aren’t more suicides in the academic world” (McWilliams, 2008). Those women and their stories and struggles stuck with me 16 years later.

I also will always remember a current (male) colleague with considerable power and authority sharing, “When you get to the top, you send the elevator back down.” So should we all. Instead of working so hard to climb over people and leave people behind, let’s be culture builders and people developers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that we’re all better off when everyone can be successful in the end.