What creates positive employee relations? There are a number of employee-relations practices that foster a genuine commitment to the organisation and strong interpersonal relationships with employees. Some of which can be effortlessly implemented with surprisingly positive results.
Connect with your Employees
Management that interacts with employees in neutral areas such as the coffee room or lunch area can help them connect with staff. Employees will be inclined to see management as accessible and not feel inferior. It will make your employees feel like an important part of the team. This opens opportunities for communication and engagement.
Learning and Development Opportunities
Provide employees with multiple development opportunities using new technologies to implement training. Incorporate powerful e-learning platforms, social media and video which gives employees easy access to gain knowledge and receive feedback.
Make Benefits and Rewards Tangible
Whilst an inflationary rate increase may seem sufficient reward to motivate your employees, these adjustments often only give short-term satisfaction as the employee is most likely to consider it as too little money or long overdue. More tangible employee recognition systems that offer frequent benefits such as gift cards, tickets to shows, an extra day’s leave can go a long way to motivate employees to exceed their performance goals and contribute quality ideas to the organisation.
Offer Opportunities for Work-Life Balance
Being able to balance work and home-life has become increasingly important to today’s workforce. The demands of raising children, excessively long commuting time and the diverse needs of a multi-generational workforce will require different options for work-life balance. Companies need to assess the needs of their employees to determine what kind of balance will best serve and inspire their staff. For some, flexible working hours would go a long way, for others, it may be flexibility regarding company benefits.
Resolve Disputes Fairly and Openly
Have clear HR policies in place which provide employees with an open path to resolving disputes without feeling prejudiced. Should an employee feel that their supervisor is unfair or irregular in their decision to grant leave, for example, will that employee know they have access to an HR officer or representative that can assist with the process and resolve the issue? When employees do not believe they have an open path to addressing disputes it will negatively impact on their commitment to the company.