The phrase ‘uncertain times’ has been used a lot lately. We’re living in an age where technology should allow us to predict most things when it comes to business at least, and where it should be able to fix the majority of problems. However, there are some things that technology alone can’t help with; we need to have strong employee relationships too so that the tech can be used in the right way and businesses can continue to survive (maybe even thrive) in these uncertain times.
Yet employee relationships can suffer at times like these, with people feeling scared and unsure as to what is happening, and with remote working becoming more likely. Read on to discover some of the ways you can keep employee relationships strong, even now.
A Good HR Set-Up
In tough times, your employees are going to need your HR department more than ever. They will have questions and requests, and they will need someone to talk to. Having a good HR department and excellent HR software means you can be sure of having the right response ready when needed, no matter what the question might be.
In this way, your employees know that, despite the strangeness of the rest of the world, they can rely on their place of work. They know because of your core HR payroll solutions they are going to get paid on time. They know that if they have an issue they can discuss it with someone who understands. They know they can ask for time off if they need it, or even overtime if necessary. They can be content to carry on.
Honesty and Consistency
There is nothing that is going to undermine employee relationships and start to tear them apart quite like lying and evading telling the whole truth. If you want your employees to respect you and have a strong relationship with one another, their work, and the business in general, you need to be both honest and consistent at all times. If someone asks you a question, you have to answer as honestly as you can – you have to tell them what you know, even if it isn’t something they want to hear.
If you can’t discuss what they are asking about due to company policy or because you simply don’t know the answer, be consistent. Don’t tell some parts of the story to some people, another part to others, and nothing at all to the rest. This will create discord and unrest and relationships will be tested.
Meet Regularly
Right now, no one is entirely sure of what is happening and what is going to happen. This is entirely understandable, but it’s not something that is going to help employee relationships. In fact, due to the strange nature of the world and people’s lives having been changed completely in some cases, everyone is slightly on edge, to say the least, and that can lead to relationship breakdowns.
In order to try to maintain a more harmonious workplace, you should schedule regular meetings. This might have to be via video conference if everyone is working remotely, but that is a good idea too – however it has to be done, these regular meetings are a good way of reminding people about their relationships and ensuring they can all continue to work together peacefully.
