Friendships at work are expected (and favoured), but when friendly teams turn into full-blown clans and exclusive crews, collaboration and performance suffer. Quite simply, cliques at work are high-risk factors that destroy employee engagement and turn entire organizations into toxic workplaces.
They undermine trust, block communication, and leave talented people on the sidelines. Over time, they hurt morale, lower performance, and limit your organization's innovative potential.
But you can prevent cliques from forming, and if you've already got one you're dealing with at the moment, there are ways to manage it. Whether you're trying to rebuild a healthy team culture, balance power struggles between difficult individuals, or deal with employees' snide looks (from those exclusive groups), we can help. This article gives you some handy practical tips on how to identify, address, and prevent clique-like behavior. We tell you how to spot early warning signs, encourage inclusion through, and build a culture where collaboration feels natural.
When every voice is heard and information flows freely throughout your team, productivity and engagement skyrocket. And with the right structure and tools (such as ActiveCollab), creating a space for open and connected teams becomes child's play!
Understanding workplace cliques and their impact
Hands up who's made a life-long friend at work? If that's you, you'll know that work friendships are great. But when they turn into cliques, you place a certain type of strain on the entire team.
While strong relationships between colleagues help teams work better, cliques create invisible walls that divide people. Sometimes, these exclusive circles just develop naturally, but their impact is always sinister, whether the group intentionally wanted to exclude other employees or not.
Here's how cliques form naturally: in most cases, people bond over shared values, roles, inside jokes, or even the same lunch spot. Gradually, what may have started as an accidental friendship turns into a tight-knit posse that controls:
- Access to information
- Influences decisions
- Quietly decides who gets to belong
And what you then see happening is this:
- Trust and morale get eroded (leaving employees feeling like outsiders)
- Productivity drops (effort is misplaced as energy shifts from collaboration to politics)
- Innovation gets blocked (because "different" ideas stop being noticed by decision-makers)
- Staff turnover goes up (talented people leave for healthier work environments)
- Compliance risks pop up (especially if exclusion starts to look like discrimination – and it does!)
- Reputation takes a dive (both inside the company and beyond)
When exclusion happens, it doesn't just feel bad; it makes things go sour for the business. Whether you realize it or not, cliques are actually a serious invisible business cost.
According to ScienceDirect, there is a clear correlation between employees' feeling excluded at work and their intention to leave the job as a result. So cliques are not just a culture problem – they're an operational efficiency and profitability issue.
How to Identify Cliques in Your Workplace
Spotting a clique isn’t always easy. And it's not about policing friendships. It’s about noticing the subtle signs that quietly simmer under the surface and divide your team.
Here are some of the things you should be looking out for:
1. Exclusive social circles
When the same few people eat lunch together, go for after-work drinks, or post about weekend events, but without ever mixing it up. It’s fine for colleagues to connect one-on-one, but healthy teams mix it up and make everyone feel like they belong.
2. Information silos
Take a closer look at how information flows through the organization. If certain updates and decisions only circulate among the same tiny group, you’re seeing a communication wall. An easy way to spot this is when one group always finds things out before anyone else.
3. The “same faces” effect
When the great projects always land in the same laps or promotions keep landing on the same desks (regardless of qualifications), it’s time to look deeper. Cliques usually create unspoken hierarchies where opportunity isn’t earned, but granted.
4. Social media clues
If your team’s social posts from after-work gatherings always include the same few faces, take that as a classic clique giveaway. People obviously have the right to socialize freely, in their own time, but if those exclusive connections echo in the workplace, that's a red flag.
5. Inside jokes and gossip
Keep your ear out for laughter that others don’t get. This is another tell-tale sign of cliques. Recurring inside jokes and gossip are both ways to push others out of the crowd.
6. Instant silence and shifts in energy
When you notice conversations stop or voices lower when someone walks into the room, that creates an awkwardness that's hard to ignore. It's another sign of a clique in operation.
Strategies for founders and managers to address workplace cliques
When cliques start leading the way for your team’s culture, one thing you shouldn't do is ignore it and hope it "sorts itself out" because it won't. As a founder, team leader, or manager, your role demands you take action.
And the way you do that is through setting the tone for how people treat each other and leading by example.
Step in early, set clear expectations, and prevent small issues from turning into business-destroying issues.
Here are the five things you should focus on.
1. Take immediate, visible action
The moment you recognize clique behavior, start documenting what you’ve observed. List specific incidents, language, or exclusion patterns. With this, you're not trying to build a case against anyone or to assign blame; you're trying to get some clarity around the situation.
2. Have the hard conversation
Schedule private meetings with the people of the clique. Be direct without being confrontational. Try to focus on facts, make it clear how their behaviour is affecting others and the organization. One really important thing here is to frame the discussion around team goals and accountability, not personal judgment. In many cases, once you take this sort of action, it sort of serves as a warning/wake-up call, which generally gets the person/people to rethink and reset their behavior.
3. Restructure how teams collaborate
Most cliques feed on routine proximity. This means an easy fix might lie in breaking existing patterns. You could rotate team assignments, redistribute key roles, and mix up project groups so employees get to change up the people they get to work with day in, day out. When you do this, it's a good idea to make it clear that these changes are not punishment. It's simply a tactic for positive cultural rebalancing.
4. Build transparent communication systems
If you don't have open and transparent communication processes in place as part of your operations, it makes room for gossip. So, establish clear and structured communication processes for updates, project decisions, and opportunities in a way that they reach everyone at the same time. Think open team meetings, clear documentation, and shared project tools (like ActiveCollab). This kind of uniformity and centralization will make it harder for information to get trapped in social circles.
5. Stay present and observant
Your presence as a leader matters more than you know. Casual conversations, team lunches, and your full and undivided attention during meetings are not only a way for you to connect to your team, it's also an opportunity to see what's happening under the surface. These are the places you'l be able to notice exclusion or tension, so keep your eyes and ears open.
Long-term prevention strategies
So if there's one thing we've established by now, it's this: preventing cliques isn’t about constant supervision. It's about building a culture and systems that make exclusion impossible to sustain. When fairness, transparency, and cross-team collaboration are the norm, it becomes almost impossible for cliques to develop in the first place.
Prevention strategies don't have to be complicated; in fact, you may already have some in place and all you'll need to do is revamp them a little.
1. Build a merit-based recognition system
You might not know this, but recognition plays an important role in controlling cliques. When you have a merit-based recognition system in place, one with clear and visible criteria for promotions, key projects, and rewards, everyone understands (and sees) that success is measured on merit. When employees trust the process, it's unlikely that personal alliances will influence professional outcomes.
2. Form diverse, cross-functional teams
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: mix it up a little! Rotate your people, give them a go on different projects, let them work with teams they don't normally interact with. It's not only good for preventing cliques, it's also a great development opportunity. The more diversity in skill, background, and thought, you have on a team, the harder it is for silos to take root.
3. Redefine team-building activities
When culture is forced on human beings, it simply doesn't work! So skip the forced fun and go for real team-building exercises that actually demand collaboration, creativity, and communication between people who don’t often work together. Remember, your employees aren't there to just bond over random activities, but to strengthen empathy and appreciation for each other’s strengths.
4. Keep a close eye on workplace culture
And the golden rule when it comes to preventing workplace cliques: don’t wait for issues to fester and grow. Keep your eyes on workplace culture and team dynamics. Run regular, anonymous surveys or small focus groups to understand how people actually feel about belonging and collaboration within your organization. Don't just ask for ratings on these workpalce values, ask very specific questions about communication flow, fairness, and inclusion. Ask for honesty, be ready to listen and act on what you learn.
What to do if you’re part of a workplace clique
Now here's where things get really interesting. What if you're part of the problem? What if you're part of a clique? It probably won't be easy to admit (initially) that your everyday interactions might be making other colleagues feel left out, but for change to take place, first we must become aware that a problem exists. One thing that might make it easier for you is that most people don’t intend to exclude others on purpose; they simply fall into patterns that feel comfortable.
Self-assessment questions
To check if you ight be part of the "clique" problem, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you consistently socialize with the same small group of colleagues while avoiding others?
- Do you have access to information or opportunities that other equally qualified employees lack?
- Do you notice that certain employees seem uncomfortable or excluded when your group is present?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be contributing to clique behavior.
And if you do come to this realization, the first piece of advice we can give you is to try not to feel bad. Instead, think about what you can do to change things and create a more inclusive environment that won't negatively impact your colleagues.
When you know your approach isn't helping drive a positive workplace culture, you can turn to some strategies that promise to change things up.
Actively include others
Make a truly conscious effort to invite different colleagues to join your conversations, lunch catch-ups, or after-work activities. When planning social events, consider inviting a broader range of employees. This doesn’t mean abandoning your closest workplace friendships. It's more about expanding your social circle to be more inclusive.
Share information and opportunities
When you get new information about professional opportunities, company updates, or other valuable insight, share it with colleagues outside your usual circle. Be a connector between different groups at work rather than keeping things to your closest network. This kind of behavior demonstrates leadership and helps create a more open, collaborative workplace.
Speak up against exclusionary behavior
This is a really important one. When you witness clique behaviour and team members making exclusionary comments or gossiping about other employees, address them directly, but professionally. Your voice as an insider carries a lot of weight and can help shift group dynamics towards a more inclusive environment.
Expand your professional network
Be deliberate in building relationships with your entire team of colleagues, not just those who are part of a particular department or clique. Make sure you actively participate in company-wide initiatives, volunteer for cross-functional projects, and attend networking events from different sectors. Taking this approach enriches your professional experience and demonstrates inclusive behavior to others.
How team members can handle workplace cliques
If it lasts long enough, feeling left out at work can hurt. It can quickly start to affect your motivation and impact the quality of work you deliver. But you’re not powerless in helping build a healthier workplace. There are clear, healthy ways to navigate clique behavior and even workplace bullying, while protecting your confidence, reputation, and career growth.
1. Keep track of what’s happening
Keep a diary of events. If you notice patterns of exclusion, start documenting them. Note the dates, the people involved, and how the behavior affected your work or access to opportunities. That way, if you ever need to talk to your manager or HR, you have specific examples for all the scenarios you called out. A paper trail will carry more weight than general bits and pieces of information you recall.
2. Build new connections
Don’t let existing cliques define your work experience. Turn your attention to other places and focus on forming real relationships with people who share your professional values and goals. Look for collaboration opportunities with colleagues in other teams or departments. Expand your network of contacts across multiple departments.
3. Know when to speak up
One of the most important management strategies when dealing with cliques is to know when it's time to speak up. If exclusion is affecting your performance or mental health, it’s time to take official action. Reach out to your manager or HR, and focus on facts (like your diary logs), not feelings. Explain how certain behaviors impact your ability to contribute. Staying calm and professional in these difficult scenarios will help you be heard without adding to the tension.
4. Stay focused on your work
This is an old-school technique, but it works. Cliques thrive on reaction, not results. So try to keep your work standards high and stay consistent in your professionalism. Continue collaborating openly, even with clique members who are making things difficult. When you’re known for quality and reliability, your reputation speaks louder than any social dynamics.
5. Look beyond your immediate circle
Your career is bigger than one clique, one team, or one company. Get involved in professional associations, conferences, or online communities. Expand your network and build new opportunities. And remember that your value isn’t defined by the internal politics of your immediate team or organization. It's built on your all-encompassing skill set, integrity, and initiative.
6. Know when it’s time to move on
Finally, dealing with workplace cliques sometimes simply comes down to knowing when to cut the rope. If you’ve done everything you can to address the issue and nothing has changed, don’t blame yourself, but don't stay there either. Some environments, unfortunately, are simply not built for inclusion. And the sooner you recognize these no-hope environments, the better. Choosing to move on to a healthier, more collaborative place can be one of the most empowering decisions you ever make!
Tip: You can’t control every team dynamic, but you can control how you respond. Stay focused on connection, communication, and contribution because those are the things that will always move your career forward.
Building an inclusive workplace culture
Building an inclusive workplace takes time and consistent effort. But it also calls for a clear strategy. One that's built with intention. For real inclusion to take place, it all starts with small everyday actions. Actions the leadership team puts into practice themselves before asking their team to embody. These are things like openness, respect, and shared growth.
So where should you start? You should start with five of the basic concepts that promote the behaviours of an inclusive workplace.
1. Create clear, open communication channels
Make sure everyone has a voice and a safe space to speak up. Do regular team catch-ups where everyone can contribute, and offer anonymous ways for employees to share feedback. An open-door policy is great, but it only works when leaders actually listen and act on what they hear.
2. Build policies that protect inclusion
Policies only work if your people know they exist (and where they live), so put your values in writing. Develop clear policies that say exactly what exclusion, gossip, or workplace bullying actually looks like, along with the consequences for crossing those lines. Share links to these policies often. and communicate their existence, especially during times when things get a little out of hand.
3. Review your culture regularly
Don’t wait for small problems to turn into HR disasters. Run culture surveys, hold focus groups, and speak to your teams about belonging and communication. But most importantly, check in regularly and when you see things aren't OK, take action. Nothing builds cultural trust faster than visible change.
4. Reward collaboration, not competition
There's nothing worse than seeing the person with all the wrong values be recognized and celebrated. Be super careful to reward people based on behaviours as well as achievements. Highlight employees who do the right things, in the right way. Make inclusion and teamwork part of your performance metrics, and not just project results.
5. Invest in continuous learning
Inclusion doesn't come naturally for everyone. For some, it's a skill they need to learn. So make sure you offer regular workshops on inclusive communication, unconscious bias, and collaborative leadership. Give your managers and employees the tools and training they need to understand the risks of workplace cliques and how to manage them.
Tip: Culture takes time to build out, and it forms gradually through small, daily interactions. When fairness, transparency, and collaboration become second nature, inclusion happens on its own.
How ActiveCollab Helps you build an inclusive team
Creating an inclusive culture is one of the most valuable investments a company can make. What you get at the end of the day is well worth it: stronger engagement, lower turnover, more innovation, and a culture that reflects shared values instead of internal divides.
When you manage the behaviours that lead to cliques developing, you make way for collaboration and create opportunities for everyone to contribute.
But long-term cultural change doesn't just happen. It takes a consistent effort. It takes empathy and understanding. And it takes a determined leader to see it through to the end. Whether you are a manager addressing cliques, an employee facing exclusion, or someone reflecting on your own habits, making consistent and intentional changes to the way you work with people is what eventually creates a workplace where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported.
The benefits of eliminating cliques do more than just create a bearable and workable environment. They form stronger, more resilient teams and organizations that can deliver on their business goals. A team that communicates openly and shares information freely will always outperform one divided by silos or favoritism.
That is where ActiveCollab comes in. It's an all-in-one workspace app that gives teams a transparent platform to organize projects, manage workloads, and collaborate without barriers. When communication, feedback, and accountability live in one place (as they do in ActiveCollab) inclusivity becomes a natural part of everyday work.
If you combine the right tool with the right structure and mindset, your team can build a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Ready to build a more open, connected, and transparent team culture? Sign up to try ActiveCollab free for 14 days or book a demo with one of our people to walk you through the tool. See how it can help your team stay aligned, accountable, and truly inclusive.
