Maybe your company has an employee relations strategy. Or maybe this is the first time you’re hearing the phrase!
In either scenario, you’re not alone. Loosely defined as the practice of fostering positive workplace relationships, employee relations has one of the lowest adoption rates of all HR functions. This is ironic and unfortunate considering employee relations is the closest thing to a magic lamp many companies will ever see – even deemed crucial by some experts. Per Forbes, “Without recognizing and implementing employee relations strategies, many companies would not be able to make it off the ground, much less achieve long-term success.”
Why exactly is employee relations so crucial? The answer is surprisingly straightforward: Healthy workplace atmospheres and relationships fostered by employee relations increase the likelihood of motivated, reliable, and satisfied employees – a key ingredient, if not the ingredient, to business success. Business.com noted that strong employer-employee relationships and strong employee relationships go hand-in-hand with low turnover and absenteeism. And there are many more benefits to employee relations:
Higher employee productivity, satisfaction, trust, and overall “buy-in”
All of this begs the question: Does your business need the benefits of employee relations?
If any of the following is happening in your workplace, it might be time to reconsider – or jumpstart! – your employee relations strategy.
It’s a common workplace trap, and a reason many organizations reach out to myHR Partner for help.
When employee tensions, grievances, or wishes go unaddressed by leadership, they tend to fester and create bigger problems. These can include a lack of teamwork, eroded trust, turnover, and other byproducts of acrimony and injustice (perceived or otherwise), including apathy that often sets in when team members feel like their bosses don’t care.
Hopefully it goes without saying: These are terrible for business.
Companies with strong employee relations strategies cut this off at the pass by responding promptly, consistently, and clearly to workplace matters. Tactics include manager training for recognizing and de-escalating conflict, a formal grievance policy that lays out expectations for registering issues, and a conflict resolution process for addressing them. Mediation between parties as needed might also be on the docket. Again, the key here is clarity and consistency topped by proactivity. Employee relations policies also help you identify patterns and root causes that equip you to avoid similar situations moving forward.
Show up, put your head down, work, collect a paycheck, repeat.
In generations past, this was a standard mindset among and toward employees, who didn’t expect access to company inner-workings beyond what was reflected in their holiday bonus.
Those days are no more.
There’s been a huge organizational shift in recent years toward openness and transparency, led largely by newer generations of employees. They want to know how their role affects the whole of the business. Put another way, they want to know why their daily work matters. Even more, they expect insights into company financials and related thoughts and plans.
Sound daunting? Leaders whose palms sweat at the thought of sharing such details will be heartened to learn: Transparency is actually a win-win. It’s been shown to build immense trust – especially when the information shared with employees is bleak. This might sound counterintuitive, but a company outlook that’s not great can motivate, prompt buy-in, and remind everyone that they’re working towards the same goal.
If your company isn’t sharing any aspect of their vision, short-term and long-term goals, or financials, now is the time to start.
Within organizations of every size, having many levels of documentation is important. These include standard operating procedures, policies and processes, and consistent documentation of performance, investigations, and disciplinary issues. When an organization has such records on hand, it dramatically protects you in the event of litigation.
In less dire situations, clear and properly communicated documentation serves another purpose: It helps prove the legitimacy of an issue, which can help an employee recognize and accept ownership of performance or disciplinary issues and take corrective action. Turnover is expensive, and second chances in the workplace are increasingly the norm. Documentation protects your employees and your business and sets you up for success.
It’s easy to remember to cut back on perks and encourage harder work when goals are missed or forecasts look rough, but don’t forget the other end of the equation: Recognition when things go right.
Going back to the topic of shifting employee expectations: Today’s employees increasingly expect some expression of appreciation for their work, and for milestones met. There are near-endless ways to go about this, ranging from consistent and clear manager feedback – which is coveted among employees everywhere! – to prizes and parties.
Whatever your organizational approach, be sure the reward system is implemented according to a defined recognition policy that aligns with your core mission and values. Some workplaces opt for point systems or monetary prizes for achieving defined successes or milestones. Engaging everyone in the celebration of a company win is another way of expressing appreciation, whether via a catered party or a day off. One company has a charming custom their employees love: A bell chime plays over their intercom system every time new business is signed!
The takeaway: Find ways to celebrate individual and collective wins, then make them a defined part of your organization – a great way to help employees see their role in your success, and know that you see it, too.
Maybe you didn’t realize employee relations policies are an option. Maybe you assume they’re out of reach, or unnecessary for an organization of your size.
The plain truth: Winging it is never recommended when it comes to employee relations. Winging it can make you vulnerable to employment law and compliance issues in addition to the many deterrents discussed above. Meanwhile, even relatively barebones employee relations policies can dramatically protect and defend your organization. At minimum, develop an employee relations strategy that includes:
Feel daunting? Perhaps the best news of all: You can lean on the experts at myHR Partner on this critical business need. Our team is trained and experienced in all aspects of employee relations. We work with our clients to develop an employee relations framework and strategy that aligns with their exact culture, values, and goals, and then create policies (touching on matters including performance management, conflict resolution, and more) reflecting it all. From there? We can incorporate employee relations policies into an employee handbook for all of your employees to see, then serve as a direct line of advice and support for your employees, or work directly with your managers.
Reach out today for a free myHR Partner consultation.