Saturday, November 25, 2023

10 tips for an effective employee relations strategy

10 tips for an effective employee relations strategy


Employee relations refer to companies’ effort to establish a positive, constructive associations with its employees. It is administrators are liable for fostering a positive connection between a business and its employees. Building a people centric and a positive feeling people group inside an organization is a vital factor of the employee relations.

These drives are normally housed inside an organization's HR division, and incorporate issues, for example, working circumstances, pay and advantages, working environment and employee wellbeing, motivators, rewards and recognition programs, balance between fun and serious activities, compromise and lifting worker confidence level.

 An effective employee relation strategy typically improves job satisfaction, engagement, empowerment and work culture, which all contribute to employee retention rates. An organization with high retention rates can experience other benefits,  such as reduced onboarding costs, reduced training requirements and improved team cohesion. 


Ten ways to optimize employee relations:

1.      Understand the psychological contract

2.      Ensure honest communication 

3.      Promote the company’s vision

4.      Trust people

5.      Improve recognition and appreciation 

6.      Invest in your people

7.      Foster DEIB

8.      Consider legal aspects of employee relations

9.      Monitor employee relations

10.  Have an employee relations policy in place

 

 

01.                     Understand the psychological contract

 

At the foundation of the employee employer relationship lies a social and mental agreement. This agreement comprises about proportional commitments between the two gatherings. Employees are assuming that their company has neglected to satisfy that agreement enough.

These perceptions, whether accurate or not, have been found to reduce employees’:

  • Trust
  • Job satisfaction
  • Intention to remain with the organization
  • Sense of obligation
  • In-role and extra-role performance

Since these perceptions of breaks of the psychological agreement might possibly be devastating for employee relations, it's essential to comprehend when they emerge.

According to a study by Morrison and Robinson, the two root causes of perceived psychological contract breaches are reneging and incongruence.

Reneging is the point at which a employee of the organization perceives that a obligation exists yet purposely it has been neglected to meet that commitment. Ex- when a recruiter makes an explicit promise to a new hire that they will be promoted within three years and then fails to uphold that promise.

 Incongruence, is the point at which the worker and organization both have various understandings about whether a given obligations exists or about the idea of a given obligation.  Ex- People tend to get promoted quickly, often within three years, and the new hire interprets this as a promise.

The two key principles of successful employee relations management are:

1.      Keep your promises: Don't oversell the potential open doors the organization brings to the table to up-and-comers or workers. This will prompt frustration and every one of the other adverse consequences referenced previously.

2.      Be both clear and honest in your communication: Poor communication can prompt struggle. If you understand that you will not have the option to satisfy a specific commitment, speak the truth about it and illuminate individuals in the near future.


02.                     Ensure honest communication 


As we've already implied, honest and timely correspondence is the groundwork of employee relations. It should to constantly be direct, on message, and delicate to what it means for workers.

Supervisors ought to impart authoritative updates to groups, illuminate them at the earliest opportunity about individuals leaving, and build an environment where nobody is reluctant to make some noise or seek clarification on some things.

Effective working environment correspondence is two-way, and offering employees chances to share their input is fundamental to overseeing worker relations.

“Employee voice and empowerment are gaining importance, with employees wanting to have a say in decision-making and expecting their feedback to be taken seriously,” notes Angela Hood, Founder & CEO of the talent acquisition platform This Way Global.

“Building transparency and open communication channels, like pulse surveys and feedback systems, can help companies address employee concerns and foster trust.”


 

03.                     Promote the company’s vision


Much of the time share the organization's central goal and vision and make sense of how all that workers do connects with them.

“It’s extremely important to clearly inform employees about the goals, values, plans, and challenges of the organization. Employees, especially those who are well-educated, as well as Gen Z, are very concerned about the values of a company’s leadership and their alignment with those values. They expect transparency and to be asked for input in ways that make a difference,” says Diane Gayeski, pioneer in work environment correspondence and gaining from Ithaca School.

At the point when everybody comprehends what the organization is attempting to achieve and address, they will feel roused and get behind the mission. Individuals will feel like they're important for something greater and assume a functioning part in accomplishing this shared objective.


 

04.                     Trust people


Don’t micro-manage employees. They need to be engaged to deal with their work and simply decide.

Research done by Paul J. Zak of the Middle for Neuroeconomics Investigations discovered that building a culture of trust influences how workers feel about their manager. The feelings of employees from high-trust organizations contrasted with those of low-trust organizations showed that they loved their positions 60% more, had a 70% higher association with the organization's motivation, and felt 66% nearer to their coworkers.

Whenever you've ensured that individuals understand what they need to do, what's generally anticipated of them, and the help accessible to them, trust them and leave them alone. Train supervisors to convey the expectation directly and balance when they offer direction and criticism.


05.                     Improve recognition and appreciation 


As per survey, employee acknowledgment is the main driver in creating extraordinary work. Recognizing employees endeavors and showing them the care of supervisors is vital to building a solid worker relation inside within performance management.

 One method for doing this is by integrating public recognition into your working environment:

·         Encourage regular, team-wide meetings across the organization. These informal moments to share appreciation for work and to recognize goals reached will show team members how valued they are. 

·         Hold company-wide meetings to recognize and celebrate achievements across departments. These events show everyone into how their contributions are part of the broader picture and working towards a common goal. 

·         Create opportunities for coworkers to praise each other. For instance, have people share the little things that impacted their weeks in a “cheers for peers” format. These can be put forward at a quick celebration every week.


 

06.                     Invest in your people


One of the most advantageous worker relations best practices is to give resources that benefitted in individuals personally. Learning and advancement (L&D), peer tutoring or peer training programs, or a representative health program show workers that the organization is aware of their singular development and prosperity.

Offer time for individuals to work on behalf of theirs's betterment and supervise them. Giving them a specific adaptability to deal with their own days and responsibility will permit them to fit in learning and taking care of oneself.


07.                     Foster DEIB


Solid worker relations intends that there is no special treatment for specific gatherings. Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and providing equitable opportunities to career development enables you to create a respectful and supportive environment that truly enables everyone to participate, thrive, and be heard.

 DEIB has turned into a significant thought as associations make progress toward making comprehensive societies and tending to inclinations," says Angela Hood from ThisWay Worldwide.

“This includes implementing inclusive hiring practices, bias training, and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. By being proactive and flexible, companies can navigate the evolving landscape of employee relations and create a positive and inclusive workplace,” features Hood.

At the end of the day, a comprehensive work environment goes quite far in shaping good elements and causing representatives to feel at ease and regarded.


 

08. Consider legal aspects of employee relations


All stages of the employment relationship have legal considerations, such as laws and regulations pertaining to:

  • Wages and overtime
  • Discrimination
  • Workplace safety
  • Wrongful termination

Managers should comprehend and comply with the guidelines, as well as guarantee workers know about and get the freedoms and advantages they're qualified for.

“Employees are not only more empowered than before, but they’re also more knowledgeable about employment laws that have tilted in their favor during the past two decades. Employers, thus, have to tread more carefully than ever before,” comments Anjela Mangrum from Mangrum Profession Arrangements.

Appropriate consistence and requirement likewise assist with forestalling lawful debates and maintain the uprightness of the representative relations examination process. Be that as it may, just 45% of organizations have a required, organized process set up for examinations.


09. Monitor employee relations

Estimating the effect of your employee relations endeavors shows you where the qualities and shortcomings are. By directing reviews, following information, and requesting and examining input, you can recognize areas of progress and plan how to handle them.

Employee relations metrics to take into consideration include:

Percentage of positive/negative comments on internal and external sites

Using technology also helps track the state of employee relations at your organization. For example, 91% of businesses use a tool for employees to anonymously report issues or concerns.


 

10.                     Have an employee relations policy in place


Expecting and having an arrangement to address worker relations issues sets the establishment for an association's Employee relations endeavors. Approaches that advance reasonableness and prosperity help forestall and determine struggle to make positive work environment collaborations.

Employee relations policies are unique to every company, but there are several common elements to draw from, including:

·         An introduction about the company and its purpose for the employee relations policy.

·         The company’s guiding principles (core values, mission statement) behind its employee relations. 

·         A section on legal compliance.

·         A section on collective negotiations/industrial relations.

·         Policies and procedures regarding misconduct and disciplinary action Here are examples of employee relations policies from three organizations:

·         County of San Mateo, California

·         Brown University

·         Telekom











07. Employee, Employer Relations with Motivation Theories.

Employee, Employer Relations with Motivation Theories.


Maintaining of positive relations with employee, employer is a challenge in the organization. Basic requirements to practice a good employee relation in the organization as follow,

  • Improved work-life balance
  • Enhanced workplace culture
  • Reduced workplace conflicts
  • Increased motivation
  • Improved employee loyalty

 

Key basis of practice above facts in an organization is to maintain the level of motivation of employees. Motivation theories can be utilized to keep up with employees’ relations in an organization. By understanding what inspired employees and managers could create energetic workplace that is helpful for worker commitment and achievement in the organization.


 




Motivation theories can be useful in understanding what influences an individual to seek after a targeted outcome. These theories are for many purposes, such as to improve human psychology and social relations, but on the other hand it's significantly uses for the management of an organizations to improve the productivity in the same. According on a deep study of these theories, administration of the businesses could be realized what activities are to be practiced in the organization on individuals to convert them to hard workers. In the administration, leaders are using these motional theories to improve the production, service quality, profit of an organization and employee satisfaction, standards, retention. Effectively applying of these theories can assist supervisors to obtain the support from employees to accomplish organization’s business objectives.

Some of the most popular motivation theories which related to Employee relations,

  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
  • Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
  • Expectancy Theory
  • Equity Theory


Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is one of the most well-known motivational theories in organizations. Developed by psychologist Abraham Maslow, the theory suggests that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy, with basic physiological and safety needs at the bottom and self-actualization needs at the top.


As indicated by this theory, employees are motivated by satisfying their requirements, beginning from the lower part of the order and moving gradually up. In the work environment, this implies giving employees basic essentials and necessities, like a secured workplace, a fair compensations and employer stability. In order to fulfill higher level needs of the Maslow's hierarchy, employees are to be satisfied with above basic needs. Once the basic need will be full filled, employees are moving on to higher level needs such as acknowledgment, development, and self-completion.

To maintain a positive employee relation with employee and employers should be maintain the employee motivational level by fulfilling Maslow’s motivation needs. 


Ex;-

Physiological needs- Installing a water cooler and keeping the environment at a comfortable temperature. Stocking the office kitchen with snacks and make sure not to overwhelm your employees with work they have to do after hours.

Safety Needs- Paying reasonable Wage / Salary to the employee in order to meet all their financial obligations. Securing the office building and ramping up a diversity and inclusion program

Love and Belongings – Implementing and practicing team building activities in the organization, providing trainings to managers to ensure theirs support and directions to their direct repartees.

Esteem Needs- Providing timely and specific appreciations when someone does a good job. Establishing a formal recognition program to reward top employees or consider it by offering a performance-based reward system.

Self-actualization- Focus to establish necessary programs to develop skillful employees in the organization. Develop employees’ abilities to reach their full potential. This might mean providing mentoring, sending them to workshops or fulfilling educational gaps by providing seminars and trainings and recommending outside courses. 


Herzberg Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Two-Factor Theory)


Herzberg's two-factor motivation theory distinguishes factors that increase employees to finish super quality work. Understanding and carrying out two-factor theory could help the organization to produces a supportive management and the team members in the firm.

Herzberg pointed out that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites of each other, but rather, two separate categories altogether.

The elements that add to work fulfillment are connected with the substance of the show and are designated motivators.




Motivator Factors


When considering the motivator factors that contribute to job satisfaction, ask yourself the following:

Task achievement: Always management to be set-up and assign Tasks to employees and inspect their success and capability of achieving.

Recognition: Employees are to be recognized after their achievements of targeted goals. Implementing a formal performance based recognition and recognition system.

Interest in the task: Assigning Task to employees by inquiring the genuine interest for the particular task and assigned or assigned for another suitable interest employee for the particular task.

Occupational growth opportunities:  Providing a transparent opportunity to develop their skills through things such as mentorships, conferences and higher education in order to recommend for internal promotions. Promotions should be based on the talents, skills and educations levels but not for the loyalty. 


Hygiene Factors


When considering the hygiene factors that contribute to job dissatisfaction, ask yourself the following:

Company policy and administration: Company policies should be clearly outlined and available for employees to read and policies are transparent and fair for everyone.

Supervision: Team should be supported by the supervisors and guidance of the supervisors are available at any time for the employees.

Working conditions: Always it should to be provided a safe working environment for employees. They will perform their duties once the identifies always there is safe work environment with them.

Salary: Should pay fair wage/salary for every employee and there should be method of increment of regular intervals.

Personal life: Influence employees to balance theirs work-life balance in the workplace. Administrators are to be understandable of employees needs regarding theirs family life too.

Work relationships:  Managers are to be developed a supportive relationship with their direct repartees in order to strengthen bonds within the team members.




Vroom’s Expectancy Theory


Victor Vroom published Work and Motivation in which he drawn a expectancy theory. In his book, Vroom describes workplace motivation as a “force” that is a function of the following three variables:

Expectancy refers to how likely a person is to accomplish a goal if they try.

Instrumentality refers to how likely they are to receive an outcome/reward if they do accomplish the goal.

Valence refers to how much satisfaction the person will derive from this outcome/reward.






When start with the expectancy, it is the probability that accomplishing the assigned work will accomplish the targeted goal. If the employee doesn't figure that they could arrive at a level of assigned objective, they will be convinced to invest some energy to achieve the same. Supervisors must have to identify weather there are unachievable goals those should be rescheduled as reasonable objectives. It is to be done by re-evaluating those objectives by comparing with previous objectives or dividing in to small groups.  

With regards to instrumentality, the probability that outcome in the undertaking will prompt a reward. Supervisor to be clearly mention about the formal reward system to their employees as fair for every worker.

Ultimately, Managers are actually need to think about the valence of every employee or the attractiveness of the award system to every individual. On the other hand, somebody could accept they could be accomplished the presented objectives and realize that they will get a compensation for doing the same. However, if someone assuming that the awards have no worth to them, they will not be accomplished each valance of them.


Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory


American psychologist Edwin Locke published his famous goal-setting theory, which cited studies showing that:

  • Difficult goals lead to higher effort and performance than moderately difficult or easy goals.
  • Specific, hard goals are better at maximizing performance than vague “do your best” goals.

 

Later, Gary Latham teamed up with Locke as they continued to build upon his earlier goal-setting theory research. In 1979, they published a paper of findings from field experiments with logging crews. In it, they outline a three-step process for setting goals that enhance motivation and performance:

 

Set the goal : Goals are to be specific, should be a period cutoff, and make it troublesome, yet feasible.

Obtain Goal Commitments: There should be objectives as a top priority of the Organization, however, it is needed them to acknowledge and be focused on those objectives. Locke and Latham found that this necessary that the subordinates are confident about their supervisors. To overcome the resistance for the objectives, theorists are proposed to furnish to more preparations, trainings to develop workers skills with the objectives are to be accomplished.

Provide Support: This implies ensuring the organization group has all that they need to succeed, like abilities, time, and criticism in the pathway to their goals.

 

At the end of their paper, Locke and Latham add, “Goal setting is no solution. It will not compensate for underpayment of employees or for poor management.”

So, while applying objective setting theory to the working environment, it is to be ensured to do a more extensive examination of the organization overall prior to calculation of objectives will fix everything.

 

Challenge your Team: Individuals are more like to Challenges. Employees need to develop and foster their abilities. Managers are to be helped employees by giving them assignments that are excessively simple. In addition, as Locke found in his examination, Difficult objectives motivate people the most elevated levels of execution.

 

Be Specific: While guiding employee groups when objectives are to be more specific. Leaders are to be instruct employees to just "put forth a valiant effort" doesn't expand execution, as it doesn't provide them with an unmistakable thought of what they need to achieve to arrive at the objective effectively.



References

Indeed Tutorial Team. (2023), 5 Motivation Theories To Use in the Workplace (With Tips) [Online] - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/motivation-theories - accessed on 23rd November 2023

Collegnp, (2023), Motivational Theories in Organizations [Online] - https://www.collegenp.com/motivation/motivational-theories-in-organizations/ - accessed on 23rd November 2023

Hopper. E, (2020), Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Explained [Online] - https://www.thoughtco.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4582571 - accessed on 24th November 2023

Indeed Tutorial Team, (2023), Herzberg's Theory: A Guide for Boosting Employee Motivation, [Online] - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/herzberg-theory

Fingerprint for success, (2023) These 4 motivation theories will help you boost team moral [Online] - https://www.fingerprintforsuccess.com/blog/motivation-theories - accessed on 24th November 2023 
























Thursday, November 23, 2023

06. Importance of employee relations

 Importance of employee relations

Employees could be defined as a heart of an organization. Employee relations is about certain worker encounters and, eventually, representative maintenance. Businesses need to keep employees cheerful to increase their maintenance and decrease the employee turnover, which is the employee onboard is incurred additional cost and it consumes more time of peers and HR administrators.

A solid worker relations group or technique assists workers with the feeling of esteemed, and keeps them locked in the same organization. Subsequently, they'll be bound to remain with the organization.




Since employees are the driving force of any association, employer need to ensure that both worker manager and cross-employee relations are all around kept up with the satisfactory manner.

Here are some reasons why having positive employee relations in an organization is important:


Improved work-life balance

 

Employees might feel depleted due to their chaotic plans for getting work done. Organizations might get an advantage from giving employees an adaptable timetable and a set adjustable working hours, which might permit them to invest energy beyond the work environment. Managers can execute this by presenting new strategies or changing the current ones in a manner that permits employees to have a superior balance between their personal life and the work life.


Improved employee loyalty

 

Workers are bound to remain longer with a business on the off chance that they have a sound proficient connection with them. This is on the grounds that it might permit the business and workers to have trust and confident in one another. Solid expert relations may likewise advance a sound work environment culture, which can expand its amiability for the employees and urge them to remain at the association for a more extended time frame.

 

Enhanced workplace culture


Organizations frequently attempt to carry out a strong work environment culture to keep employees drew in and furnish them with the necessary resources to succeed and partake in their time at work. Open work environment culture may likewise permit bosses to see the value in their employees on a more regular basis or give productive criticism when required. Organizations can make this conceivable by integrating better worker relations and building areas of strength for a with their representatives at an individual and an aggregate level.


Reduced workplace conflicts

Having a solid worker relations can help to decrease work environment clashes. This is on the grounds areas of strength for that might advance open exchange ideas among management and their workers. Open discussions about clashes at all levels can assist every one of the members with finding an answer all in all, which might help everybody. It might likewise assist with settling issues among representatives and the higher administration of the association. This is where a devoted representative relations chief might be useful. These experts are commonly pros at settling work environment clashes without allowing them to influence the connection between the business and the employees.

 

Increased motivation

Solid work environment relations can assist with spurring employees and empower them to perform better. At the point when businesses furnish employees with due acknowledgment and appreciation, it might urge them to keep working with a similar limit and improve any place they can. It might likewise empower them to get useful criticism in a positive way and consolidate it to work on their exhibition. This might bring about the improvement of the general presentation of the association. Motivated employees are likewise less inclined to encounter work environment burnout, which might bring about supported efficiency.

 


Cont... Importance of employee relations

 

Employee relations allude to an association's endeavors to keep a positive and valuable relationship with its workers. The employee relations group (HR Team) is liable for fostering a feeling of local area and a good workplace inside the Organization.

Effective worker relationship of an organization will display following improvements.

 

  • More effective workplace communication
  • Less workplace conflicts 
  • Higher employee morale and loyalty
  • Better reputation as an employer
  • Lower employee turnover
  • Improved organizational performance

 

More effective workplace communication

 

Cultivating the connection among Managers and workers it will be energized open correspondence all through the company on a wide scale premise and at an individual level. This is permitted employees to more readily grasp assumptions, objectives, and goals and how their commitments have an effect.

 

Less workplace conflicts 

 

More grounded relations among the managers and the groups makes an environment that empowers exchange and genuine discussions that can determine issues before they transform into a contention. At the point when questions do happen, having a stage for tending to them guarantees that workers are heard and makes compromise quick and powerful.


Higher employee morale and loyalty

 

By positively looking at employees as associates of a company, the inter- relationship shows them regard and appreciation. At the point when workers feel a good association with their boss, they are enabled to be more fulfilled and useful in their positions. A workplace with high spirit keeps individuals more satisfied and devoted to their Mangers.

 

Better reputation as an employer

Employees who feel esteemed in theirs work place they will be a compliment their bosses as well as the company. Organizations with solid worker relations frequently have a superior standing among possible representatives, clients, financial backers, and different partners. That can prompt expanded business open doors for the association.

 

Lower employee turnover

Employees who have a decent connection with their manager will more often than not center more around the positive parts of their work, making them less fretful and inclined to looking through out different open doors. This permits the association to hold important, useful workers longer and lessen turnover.

 

Improved organizational performance

 

Keeping employees’ content and spurred is a significant calculate by and large hierarchical execution. At the point when laborers feel associated with their boss and are flourishing in their jobs, they become more useful and propelled to contribute toward the drawn-out progress of the business.



Review

Today the employers and employees are facing various difficulties in the challenging economic conditions in Sri Lanka. Employers are trying to survive in the market or industry while seeking profits through low costs. Employers are struggling to go ahead with lot of difficulties, without fulfilling their basic need due to low purchasing power in the consumer market while seeking more benefits and income from their employers.

It is questionable that weather the employers or employees are thinking about the employer employee relationship? or the mutual benefits of it? 




References

McNamara,M. (2023). What is employee relations. builtin [Online] - https://builtin.com/people-management/employee-relations - accessed on 22nd November 2023

Indeed Tutorial Team. (2023), What is Employee Relations In HR? (And Why Is It Important) [Online] -  https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-employee-relations - accessed on 23rd November 2023

Verlinden N,Employee relations – AIHR [Online] https://www.aihr.com/blog/employee-relations/#:~:text=10%20tips%20for%20an%20effective%20employee%20relations%20strategy,legal%20aspects%20of%20employee%20relations%20...%20More%20items – Accessed on 23rd November 2023



















10 tips for an effective employee relations strategy

10 tips for an effective employee relations strategy Employee relations refer to companies’ effort to establish a positive, constructive ass...