Create a culture that means business™
Email address
The employer-employee relationship is a big factor in determining whether your organization will stand the test of time or fall behind its competitors. Positive employee relations keep team members engaged and committed to your organization’s goals, while establishing your company’s reputation as a great place to work. But there are plenty of challenges that can strain the connection between team members and your organization, from a lack of employee recognition, to misunderstood expectations, to poor management practices.
Let’s take a look at how your company can avoid these pitfalls and prioritize employee relations to build stronger teams, enhance engagement, and drive long-term success.
Employee relations definition
Employee relations is a discipline of human resources (HR) dedicated to improving the relationship between employers and employees. It involves a wide range of practices to address workplace issues, enhance communication, and ensure that both parties’ needs and expectations are met. HR professionals have the primary responsibility for strengthening employee relations by handling grievances fairly, developing and enforcing policies that ensure equitable treatment, and facilitating communication between management and employees. HR professionals must also ensure that workplace practices comply with applicable legal standards, like labor laws, anti-discrimination policies, and workplace safety regulations.
7 examples of employee relations responsibilities
Effective employee relations involves many HR responsibilities aimed at fostering a positive and productive workplace environment. While these will vary depending on the specific needs of your company and its industry, there are some core employee relations responsibilities every organization should prioritize. Here are seven of the most important.
1. Conflict resolution
HR professionals play a critical role in mediating disputes among employees or between employees and management. These conflicts can arise from misunderstandings, personality clashes, and a huge variety of other issues. HR must approach these situations impartially, ensuring that all parties feel heard and respected. The goal is to find a mutually acceptable solution that resolves the issue and restores a positive working relationship.
Effective conflict resolution involves active listening, empathy, and transparent communication. Depending on the situation, HR professionals may need to facilitate meetings, provide mediation services, or implement formal dispute resolution procedures. By addressing conflicts promptly and fairly, HR can keep employee relations smooth, preventing small issues from escalating into larger problems that could disrupt team cohesion and reduce productivity.
2. Employee recognition
Recognition is the most important ingredient in the recipe for strong employee relations. When team members receive frequent, genuine appreciation from both management and their peers, organic employee connection flourishes. HR professionals are responsible for creating a recognition program that encourages every team member to share words of appreciation by leveraging an accessible and fun employee recognition platform. The best solutions incorporate rewards to match any team member’s taste, available through built-in marketplaces with millions of options to choose from.
3. Employee engagement
Employee engagement reflects your workforce’s level of motivation and excitement. Engaged employees will take the initiative to assist and collaborate with other team members, while engaged leaders will actively seek opportunities to support and empower their direct reports. HR personnel should design and implement initiatives that address the key drivers of engagement at your company – but to do that successfully, they need to understand just what those are for your unique workforce. Consider adopting an employee engagement platform that incorporates tools for gathering, analyzing, and acting on feedback, so HR and management can quickly address emerging issues and double down on organizational and team strengths.
4. Performance management
Performance management is a vital but potentially challenging aspect of employee relations. When done right, it sets employees up for success by clearly communicating expectations, providing positive feedback, and collaboratively planning to improve areas of weakness. But ineffective performance management that focuses solely on perceived shortcomings without offering support or constructive feedback is a surefire way to cause low morale and strain relationships.
HR is responsible for establishing performance management systems that provide employees with regular feedback on their job performance. Rather than waiting for once-a-year input on their work – long after much of that feedback can be put into effect – performance management should be an ongoing process, combining frequent, relatively brief discussions with managers along with more in-depth, formal evaluations. HR professionals should train managers on how to effectively provide constructive and positive feedback, build trust with their direct reports, and establish open channels for two-way communication with team members. They also need to act along with management when legitimate performance issues arise, identifying the root causes and developing improvement plans together with employees.
5. Employee wellness programs
Stressed, unhappy team members are much more likely to have negative interactions with others and strain employee relations across your company. HR personnel can make a real difference when it comes to employee wellness by providing mental health resources, offering in-office health services, and working with leadership to provide sufficient PTO and flexible work arrangements. HR should regularly communicate the existence and benefits of these programs to employees as well to keep participation rates high.
6. Career development and training
Employees need to see a clear path to where they want to head next. If they don’t, frustration will take its toll on their relations with management – and on your organization’s retention rate. HR professionals should take the lead on professional development by identifying training needs and creating learning programs – preferably with the aid of modern tools, like a learning management system. They should also work closely with managers to align training programs with both organizational goals and employees’ individual career aspirations.
7. Diversity and inclusion initiatives
Organically formed employee connections rely on a feeling of belonging shared by all workers at your organization. Real belonging means no one is left out, and that means that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives should be part and parcel of any serious attempt at improving employee relations. Supporting DEI requires an organization-wide effort led from the top, involving everything from providing training on unconscious bias, to creating and supporting employee resource groups (ERGs), to tracking your company’s progress towards DEI goals with HR software. HR also plays an important role in addressing issues related to discrimination or bias promptly and fairly.
Employee relations jobs and skills
While HR generalists will take point on employee relations in many organizations, there are job roles that solely focus on fostering healthy workplace relationships. Common job titles in this vein include employee relations manager, employee relations consultant, and employee relations specialist. These roles focus on mediating conflicts, managing other interpersonal employee issues, and developing and implementing policies that promote a positive workplace culture. Specific responsibilities might include conducting investigations into workplace complaints, providing support during disciplinary actions, and offering guidance on HR policies and employment law.
These roles require excellent interpersonal skills, a thorough understanding of relevant legal standards, emotional intelligence, and conflict management experience. Employee relations professionals must leverage these talents to foster a collaborative, transparent work environment and resolve disputes at all levels of the organization. They also benefit from the ability to quickly analyze data and clearly communicate those insights to HR and company leadership.
Support positive employee relations at your company
HR professionals and the other people leaders at your business don’t need to tackle these responsibilities on their own. The Achievers Employee Experience Platform is a solution dedicated to enhancing employee relations, backed by research and trusted by companies across the globe. It facilitates organization-wide recognition and rewards, helps leaders keep their finger on the pulse of employee sentiment, and connects team members no matter where they’re located.
To see how the Achievers Employee Experience Platform can make employee relations a cornerstone of your organization’s success, request a free demo today.
In this article:
