Many organizations boast that their employees are their company’s most valuable asset, however, there is still a prevalence of employee relations issues in the workforce that is stopping employees (and employers) from reaching their full potential.
Employee Relations is detrimental to the company. When an employee has a bad relationship with their manager, either founded in fear or lack of trust, they risk becoming disengaged. Much of the time, many of these issues can be resolved through proper communication, management and recognition.
First, it’s important to understand what employee relations really means, and why it’s important.
Employee relations is concerned with the contractual, emotional, physical and practical relationship between employer and employee.
Essentially, it alludes to the relationship between manager and employee, and it can either be one that is founded in mutual respect, appreciation, and trust, or fear and lack of transparency.
Companies want to avoid the latter, as employees that don’t feel connected with their manager often feel less compelled to perform at their best. In addition, they are less engaged. Employee engagement is crucial if you want your employees to have exceptional performance and help take your company to the next level. Unengaged employees do a lot of harm to a company.
Employee relations also references the efforts that a company makes to manage the relationship between managers and employees. A good employees relations program ensures that all employees are treated fairly, helps to strengthen relationships between employee and managers, and help to remediate problems that surface between them. Human Resources is typically responsible for ensuring employee relations is well maintained, managed and employees are engaged.
Importance of Employee Relations
Having good employee relations is crucial to every company, as when employees and managers have a positive relationship, employee engagement, productivity, motivation and morale are high. This translates to increased profitability for the company.
Employees who get along with their manager and enjoy work rather than feel anxious about going to work have a better overall work experience. Happy employees work harder, produce better work, and ultimately keep the customer happy and the business thriving.
Four Pillars Of Employee Relations
Here are four simple ways that managers can help maintain positive employee relations.
1. Open Communication
In any relationship, communication is the key. Employees spend the majority of their days at work so it’s important that they feel comfortable with their manager and fulfilled in their tasks.
One way to ensure this is to ABC – Always Be Communicating. Let your team know that you are there to talk about their work or anything else they need and be as transparent with them as possible about what you need from them.
2. Recognition
Simple gestures of thanks and kind words go a long way. Longer than you might think. Appreciation and gratitude mean so much to your employees, and the truth is that reinforcing good work is what is inspires them to keep it up. Giving public praise is another great way to show recognition while also inspiring the rest of the team. Rewarding your team properly is what cultivates a culture of appreciation between employee and manager, ultimately inspiring your employees to continue to work hard for you and the company.
3. Feedback
Offering frequent feedback to your employees on their great work and constructive criticism on where they can improve is essential in nurturing a positive relationship with your team. Employees want feedback, they want to learn and grow and improve. Providing them with the tips and guidance they need to get there by holding frequent feedback sessions like monthly one-on-ones, will be highly appreciated.
4. Invest In Your Employees
Show employees you care about them as people, not just as 9-5 workers. Expressing that their fulfillment is important to you, on a professional and personal level, is a big statement that will elicit their respect and keep them engaged.
The truth is, if an employee is happy, they will be much more productive at work, so investing in their lives at large and not just at work will be beneficial for everyone.
Show Them You Care
Offer a gym membership so they can keep healthy and feel good.
Allow them to pursue side projects that are interesting to them.
Offer to support professional development initiatives.
Allow the option of paid time off to volunteer.
How To Improve Employee Relations
There are many things that a manager can both do and stop doing that will help improve employee relations.
1. Stop Micromanaging
When a leader micromanages instead of trusting their team and giving their employees autonomy, the employee risks becoming disengaged. Subsequently, the quality of their work will suffer, which actually leads to more micromanagement, and creates sort of a vicious cycle.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between offering guidance, and micromanaging. Guidance and feedback are always great and keep employee relations positive, but watching their move at every step, hovering and offering too much unsolicited advice will actually begin to make employees doubt themselves and this will lead to a slew of other problems.
2. Don’t Play Favorites
It is generally obvious when an employer chooses favorites, and it can completely demoralize the rest of the team, ruining employee relations. The other danger at work with playing favorites is that it creates tension between colleagues and this can lead to employee disengagement.
3. Be As Clear As Possible
Again, this ties back to good communication, but employees need to clearly understand their job roles, and what’s expected of them. You can work with them to meet those expectations, but a lot of the time, this confusion leads to stress, which will lower their engagement.
4. Collect Ideas From The Team
You want to make employees feel like they are part of the team, and part of the decision-making process. Ask employees to submit their ideas, or at least make it known that their ideas are always welcome and that suggestions for new initiatives will always be considered.
But remember, don’t just collect ideas for the sake of collecting, this will have an even bigger negative effect. Instead of just listening to your employees’ ideas, try to implement some as well and put action to your intention.
5. Share The Company Vision
Understanding the Company vision is important to employees. They need to feel like what they’re doing is important and like they are part of something bigger than them. If you want to fuel your employees’ passion, share the long-term vision of the company with them, and don’t be shy to communicate this frequently.
For more information about Employee Relations or Human Resources, contact us. We are happy to answer questions and see how we may be able to support you and your business.
