People’s performance and loyalty are determined by the relations that they build around their environment. In the business environment, it is referred to as employee relations, which highly determines employees’ decision to leave or stay and whether they give their all to produce the best possible outcome for the company.
Employee relations: Definition, functions, and benefits
Employee relations describe the relations between employers and employees. It can also refer to the efforts taken by an organization to maintain a positive relationship with its employees. Its main goal is to achieve better relationships and collaboration in the workplace.
Employee relations are different from employee relationship management. Employee relations is a term that describes employee relationships within an organization. In contrast, employee relationship management describes the process of creating good relations in the workplace, covering the entire employee journey from their first day until the last day of work.
Employee relations are typically managed by employee relations managers who act as liaisons between employees and managers. They are also responsible in creating policies around employee issues, such as benefits, working hours, compensation, and work-life balance.
Positive employee relations, if developed and maintained well within a company, might bring several benefits for the company, including
Higher employee engagement
Companies with better employee communications have higher rates of employee engagement. Higher employee engagement means higher employee satisfaction, which in turn boosts employee productivity. This would result in higher revenues and profits. Companies with highly engaged employees have 2.3 times higher 3-year revenue growth than companies with less engaged members.
Better employee retention
High employee turnover, especially during the Great Resignation event, costs companies a massive amount of expenses. Open communication and transparency could help in keeping employees’ trust in the company, which in result decreases the rate of turnover.
Better employee advocacy
Employee advocacy has a vital role in boosting a company’s visibility, brand awareness, and productivity. By improving employee relations by keeping employees in the loop, improved employee advocacy could be achieved.
Stronger employee empowerment
Workers, especially millennials and younger generations, want to be involved and have a certain level of autonomy in many aspects of a business to be able to achieve their own goals. Good employee relations and communications strategies should allow such agency to the employees.
Achieving good employee relations starts by addressing several employee-related issues occurring within the company, such as wage inequality and workplace conflicts. Getting a fair wage is among employees' highest priorities, and it is one of the top reasons employees decide to switch jobs. According to the Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey by PwC, 71% of participants agree that salary is the most important factor.
No less important is the fact that all employees deserve to work in a safe and pleasant environment. However, there are still many workers who experience unfair treatment and bullying. According to a 2017 survey, more than 60 million U.S workers are dealing with workplace bullying, with 25% doing nothing about it. This issue can affect employee performance and damage a company in numerous ways, costing employers approximately $200 billion in lost productivity each year.
Employee relations in 2022
During the pandemic, companies had to make a hard decision to “flatten the curve” by allowing workers to work from home for a couple of weeks. Much to everyone’s surprise, the duration became longer and longer, and in two years, remote working became a new lifestyle.
Not only changes, the pandemic also put some spotlight on employee issues and topics, shifting the attention to employee satisfaction and welfare. Employees now understand more about the importance of fair treatment and a positive working experience. The heightened acknowledgment of self-worth and the Great Resignation, born during the pandemic crisis, thus made attracting and retaining talents more difficult. Employee relations overall became much trickier to maintain, and companies need to come up with more solid employee relations strategies to adapt to the changes.
The pandemic crisis drives a tremendous need for companies to create fairness and ensure transparency. Employees must also be supported and able to voice their concerns without fear. Without trust, safety, or equity in the workplace, employees will simply find jobs with better environments. Several well-known companies, including Activision Blizzard, Basecamp, and others, finally engage in combat with bullying and harassment that has been rooting for far too long.
Aside from utilizing technology and experts to combat workplace conflicts, companies are re-evaluating and communicating their policies to address the issues. The appropriate tools and technology solutions are utilized to track and manage employee issues effectively.
Indeed, employee relations become more vital for a company’s success. In 2022, companies that proactively drive dialogue and constant communication to improve employee relations will stand stronger. Those who fail to engage, empower, develop, and retain their employees would ultimately find themselves stuck in a debacle.
No ifs, ands, and buts in terms of building positive employee relations at BMJ
Employees' welfare have always become BMJ’s priority. At the company, we ensure that each employee could grow to the best of their potential and work in the most comfortable environment possible.
At BMJ, employees are given an outlet to voice their opinions. Using advanced technology, our digital platform, EurekaEveryday!, makes it easier to listen to any concerns or issues occurring in the field. Furthermore, our leaders monitor the employees’ performance closely and address issues directly after reports are made. We also hold a routine employee survey to improve working conditions.
We maintain constant communications with our employees regarding any policies and regulations. We firmly adhere to them and will take the necessary actions against any allegations of unfair or unlawful treatment as well as inappropriate behavior.
The efforts that we have taken and maintained so far have resulted in positive employee relations within the company, resulting in better collaboration at work and overall satisfactory performance and output, which makes our company thrive today.
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