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Employee Engagement » Employee Engagement Case Study

25 Most Impactful Employee Engagement Case Studies for 2024

Introduction to employee engagement.

In today's highly competitive business environment, employee engagement has emerged as a critical driver of business success. It represents the level of commitment, passion, and investment employees have in their work and their organization. More than just job satisfaction, employee engagement is about employees feeling valued, involved, and connected to their work and workplace.

Engaged employees are not merely satisfied with their jobs; they are enthusiastic, motivated, and committed. They are the ones who are willing to go the extra mile, contribute their best ideas, and stay with their organizations in the long run. They are the backbone of any successful business, and their engagement is the key to unlocking a company's full potential.

Defining Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a complex concept that encompasses a range of factors, from the emotional connection an employee feels towards their organization, to their level of satisfaction with their role and their motivation to perform to their best ability. It's about creating an environment where employees feel empowered, respected, and part of something bigger than themselves.

Why Employee Engagement Matters

Research has consistently shown that organizations with high levels of employee engagement are more profitable, have higher productivity levels, and experience lower turnover rates. Engaged employees are more likely to stay with their organization, reducing the costs associated with staff turnover. They are also more likely to be productive and deliver high-quality work, which can drive business growth and success.

Moreover, engaged employees are more likely to be advocates for their organizations, promoting their company's products and services to others and enhancing the company's reputation.

At its core, employee engagement is about creating a positive, inclusive, and inspiring workplace culture where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their best. It's a win-win situation: employees are happier and more fulfilled, and businesses are more successful.

In this blog post, we will delve into 35 impactful case studies that illustrate the power of employee engagement in driving business success. From leveraging technology to fostering a culture of engagement in diverse workforces, these case studies will provide valuable insights and practical strategies for boosting employee engagement in your organization.

The Importance of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is more than just a buzzword in the corporate world. It is a vital element that drives productivity, fosters innovation, and ultimately, contributes to a company's bottom line. In this section, we will delve into the significance of employee engagement and why it should be a priority in every organization.

1. Driving Productivity

Engaged employees are not just working. They are passionate, enthusiastic, and committed to their work. They strive to exceed expectations and continuously seek ways to improve their performance. As a result, their productivity levels are significantly higher than those of their disengaged counterparts. According to a study by Gallup, businesses with high employee engagement levels have 21% higher productivity.

2. Enhancing Employee Retention

Employee engagement is intrinsically linked to employee retention. When employees feel engaged, they are more likely to stay with the company. A sense of belonging, feeling valued, and being part of a purposeful mission can significantly reduce turnover rates. This not only saves costs associated with hiring and training new employees but also preserves the valuable knowledge and experience within the company.

3. Fostering Innovation

Innovation is the lifeblood of a company's growth and sustainability. Engaged employees, with their high levels of commitment and enthusiasm, are often the source of innovative ideas. They are more likely to take the initiative, think outside the box, and contribute to the company's innovation efforts.

4. Improving Customer Satisfaction

Engaged employees are more likely to provide exceptional customer service. They understand that their role is crucial in shaping the customer's experience and perception of the company. Hence, they invest more effort in serving customers, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

5. Boosting Profitability

All of the above factors - increased productivity, improved retention, enhanced innovation, and better customer service - contribute to boosting a company's profitability. A study by Towers Perrin found that companies with engaged employees had a 19% increase in operating income over a 12-month period.

In conclusion, the importance of employee engagement cannot be overstated. It is a critical factor that influences a wide range of business outcomes. By prioritizing employee engagement, companies can reap substantial benefits, from increased productivity and innovation to improved customer satisfaction and profitability.

6 Case Studies on Boosting Employee Engagement with Technology

In this digital age, technology has become an integral part of our lives, influencing how we work, communicate, and engage with our surroundings. The same holds true for the corporate world, where technology has emerged as a powerful tool to boost employee engagement. Here, we present six compelling case studies that shed light on how various organizations have leveraged technology to enhance employee engagement.

1. Tech Titan: A Gamified Approach

Tech Titan, a leading technology company, used gamification to boost employee engagement. They developed an internal mobile app that transformed mundane tasks into exciting challenges. Employees could earn points, badges, and rewards for completing tasks, sparking competition and fostering a sense of achievement. This innovative approach led to a 25% increase in employee engagement within a year.

2. HealthCare Plus: Virtual Reality Training

HealthCare Plus, a renowned healthcare provider, introduced virtual reality (VR) for employee training. The VR simulations provided a realistic, immersive experience, allowing employees to practice procedures and protocols in a risk-free environment. This training method not only improved employee skills but also boosted engagement levels by making learning more interactive and enjoyable.

3. FinServ Corp: Harnessing AI for Personalized Learning

FinServ Corp, a financial services firm, used artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized learning paths for its employees. The AI system analyzed each employee's skills, strengths, and areas for improvement to develop tailored training programs. This personalized approach made learning more relevant and engaging for employees, leading to increased participation in training programs.

4. EcoEnergy: IoT-Driven Employee Wellness Program

EcoEnergy, a sustainable energy company, launched an Internet of Things (IoT)-driven wellness program. They provided employees with wearable devices to monitor their health metrics, encouraging them to adopt healthier habits. The program created a sense of camaraderie among employees as they collectively worked towards their wellness goals, leading to higher engagement levels.

5. GlobalComm: Collaborative Tools for Remote Work

GlobalComm, a multinational communications company, implemented collaborative tools to engage its remote workforce. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams facilitated seamless communication and collaboration, making remote employees feel more connected to their teams. This initiative resulted in a significant increase in engagement among remote workers.

6. Retail Giant: Augmented Reality for Employee Onboarding

A leading retail company used augmented reality (AR) for its employee onboarding process. New hires could use AR glasses to virtually explore the company's facilities and learn about its processes. This innovative onboarding experience made new employees feel welcomed and engaged from day one.

These case studies demonstrate the transformative power of technology in boosting employee engagement. By embracing digital tools and solutions, companies can create more engaging, rewarding, and meaningful work experiences for their employees.

8 Case Studies on Employee Engagement in Diverse Workforces

Diversity and inclusion have become a crucial part of organizational culture. A diverse workforce brings a variety of perspectives and approaches to the table, fostering innovation and creativity. However, managing a diverse workforce and ensuring high levels of employee engagement can be a challenge. Here, we present eight case studies that illustrate successful strategies for engaging diverse workforces.

1. IBM's Diversity Networking Groups

IBM, a multinational technology company, has implemented Diversity Networking Groups (DNGs), which are employee-led groups formed around common interests, backgrounds, or demographics. These groups have played a significant role in promoting diversity and inclusion, leading to higher employee engagement levels.

2. Johnson & Johnson's Employee Resource Groups

Johnson & Johnson, a multinational corporation, has leveraged Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to engage their diverse workforce. These ERGs, which include groups for women, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community, have fostered a sense of belonging, thereby enhancing employee engagement.

3. Coca Cola's Global Office of Diversity

Coca Cola established a Global Office of Diversity, which focuses on fostering an inclusive culture and promoting diversity. This initiative has led to increased engagement as employees feel valued and recognized for their unique contributions.

4. Accenture's Inclusion and Diversity Strategy

Accenture, a leading global professional services company, has implemented an inclusion and diversity strategy that focuses on creating a culture of equality. This strategy has resulted in increased employee engagement and a more innovative work environment.

5. Microsoft's Autism Hiring Program

Microsoft has introduced an Autism Hiring Program, which offers inclusive interview experiences for candidates with autism. This initiative has not only diversified their workforce but also increased engagement among these employees who feel valued and included.

6. Starbucks's Inclusion Academy

Starbucks has created an Inclusion Academy, a training program focused on providing people with disabilities with the skills they need for logistics roles within the company. This initiative has resulted in increased engagement among these employees.

7. Deloitte's ALL IN Diversity Strategy

Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, has implemented an ALL IN diversity strategy. This strategy focuses on fostering an inclusive culture where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, leading to higher levels of employee engagement.

8. Google's Employee Resource Groups

Google has leveraged Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to engage their diverse workforce. These ERGs, which include groups for women, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community, have fostered a sense of belonging, thereby enhancing employee engagement.

In conclusion, these case studies demonstrate that fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment can significantly boost employee engagement. By implementing appropriate strategies, organizations can ensure that every employee feels valued and included, leading to higher levels of productivity and innovation.

6 Case Studies on Employee Engagement through Team Building Activities

Employee engagement is not just about work; it's also about fostering a sense of camaraderie, trust, and mutual respect among team members. Team building activities are a tried-and-true method of achieving this. Here are six case studies that showcase the power of team building activities in boosting employee engagement.

1. A Tech Giant's Approach to Team Building: Google

Google, one of the world's leading technology companies, is renowned for its unique approach to team building. They've implemented a program called "gPause," which encourages employees to take part in mindfulness exercises together. This initiative has led to enhanced team cohesion, reduced stress levels, and improved productivity, proving that team building activities don't always have to be grandiose or expensive to be effective.

2. Building Trust through Adventure: Johnson & Johnson

Healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson turned to adventure-based team building activities to foster trust and collaboration. They organized a series of outdoor challenges, including rock climbing and rafting. These activities required employees to rely on each other for success, thus strengthening their trust and rapport. The result? Improved team performance and higher employee engagement levels.

3. Creative Engagement: Pixar

Pixar, the renowned animation studio, uses creative exercises as team building activities. By encouraging their employees to take part in sketching sessions and storytelling workshops, Pixar fosters a culture of creativity and collaboration. This approach has not only resulted in some of the most successful animated movies of all time but also in a highly engaged workforce.

4. Team Building through Social Responsibility: Salesforce

Salesforce, a global leader in CRM, has integrated social responsibility into their team building initiatives. They offer their employees seven paid days off each year to volunteer for a cause of their choice. This unique approach to team building has fostered a sense of unity and purpose among employees, leading to increased engagement and job satisfaction.

5. Virtual Team Building: Scavify

In the era of remote work, Scavify has taken team building to the digital realm. Our interactive scavenger hunts not only foster team collaboration but also inject fun into the workday. These virtual activities have proven effective in maintaining high levels of employee engagement, even when teams are physically apart.

6. Physical Fitness as Team Building: Reebok

Reebok, a global athletic footwear and apparel company, uses fitness challenges as a team building activity. They offer CrossFit classes to their employees, promoting both physical health and team spirit. This approach has resulted in a more engaged, healthier, and more productive workforce.

These case studies illustrate the significant impact of team building activities on employee engagement. Whether it's through mindfulness exercises, adventure activities, creative workshops, social responsibility initiatives, virtual games, or fitness challenges, team building can effectively foster a sense of unity and engagement among employees.

8 Case Studies on Employee Engagement Initiatives in Large Corporations

As we delve deeper into the subject of employee engagement, it's essential to consider the unique challenges and opportunities presented by large corporations. These behemoths of the business world often have thousands, if not tens of thousands, of employees spread across multiple locations, sometimes even spanning continents. Given this, fostering a sense of engagement and connection amongst employees can be a daunting task. However, numerous large corporations have successfully implemented innovative engagement initiatives. Let's look at eight such case studies.

1. Google's '20% Time' Policy

Google, known for its innovative work culture, introduced a '20% Time' policy. This initiative allows engineers to spend 20% of their working hours on any project they choose. This policy has not only boosted engagement but also led to the creation of some of Google's most popular products, including Gmail and Google News.

2. Microsoft's 'Hackathon'

Microsoft hosts an annual Hackathon, where employees from all over the world come together to work on passion projects. This event fosters a sense of camaraderie and engagement amongst employees, while also promoting innovation and creativity.

3. Ford's 'Employee Resource Groups'

Ford has established multiple Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to promote diversity and inclusion. These groups, which include Women at Ford and Ford Employees Dealing with Disabilities, provide support, encourage engagement, and foster a sense of belonging amongst employees.

4. Apple's 'Blue Sky'

Apple introduced the 'Blue Sky' program, which allows a select group of employees to spend a few weeks on a project outside their usual work scope. This initiative boosts engagement by allowing employees to explore new areas and bring fresh ideas to the table.

5. Amazon's 'Peculiar Culture'

Amazon has created a 'peculiar culture' that encourages employees to be innovative and think outside the box. This culture, which includes practices like writing six-page memos and banning PowerPoints, keeps employees engaged and invested in the company's success.

6. Starbucks' 'Bean Stock'

Starbucks offers a program called 'Bean Stock', which gives eligible employees company shares. By making employees part-owners, Starbucks not only boosts engagement but also ensures that employees have a vested interest in the company's performance.

7. Salesforce's '1-1-1 Model'

Salesforce follows a unique '1-1-1 model', where it contributes 1% of its equity, 1% of its employee's time, and 1% of its products to philanthropic efforts. This initiative fosters a sense of purpose and engagement amongst employees, who take pride in their company's commitment to social responsibility.

8. Unilever's 'Sustainable Living Plan'

Unilever has implemented the 'Sustainable Living Plan', which aims to halve the environmental impact of its products by 2030. This initiative has boosted employee engagement by aligning the company's goals with the personal values of its employees.

In conclusion, these case studies highlight the innovative strategies large corporations are using to boost employee engagement. While the specifics vary, the underlying theme remains the same: when employees feel valued, supported, and part of something bigger, they are more likely to be engaged.

Conclusion on Employee Engagement Case Studies

In a rapidly evolving business landscape, these employee engagement case studies serve as a testament to the power of effective engagement strategies. They highlight how various organizations, regardless of their size or industry, have successfully harnessed the potential of their workforce by fostering a culture of engagement.

It's clear that employee engagement is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for businesses aiming for long-term success and sustainability. From leveraging technology to facilitating remote work, fostering diversity, and implementing team-building activities, businesses are exploring innovative ways to keep their employees engaged and motivated.

The case studies we've explored have demonstrated that employee engagement is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each organization has to consider its unique circumstances, workforce dynamics, and strategic objectives to shape its engagement initiatives. However, the common thread running through all these case studies is the positive impact of genuine and consistent employee engagement on overall organizational performance.

As we move into 2024, the importance of employee engagement is only set to increase. With the rise of remote work and the increasing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, businesses will need to continue innovating and adapting their engagement strategies to meet the changing expectations of their workforce.

In conclusion, these case studies underscore the transformative power of employee engagement. They serve as a powerful reminder that when employees feel valued, heard, and engaged, they are more likely to contribute their best work, leading to increased productivity, improved employee satisfaction, and ultimately, heightened business success. As such, employee engagement should be at the forefront of every business leader's strategy moving forward.

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Case study on Employee Relations with solution

• Post author: myspeakhr
• Post category: Case Study
• Reading time: 7 mins read

This Human Resource Management HRM case study on Employee Relations with solution explains the problems faced by employees with high involvement. This case study on employee relations with solutions can also be used in explaining other HRM concepts like stress management, promotion, succession planning, etc. This HRM case study is a very interesting case study in which one could feel emotionally. Many of us after reading this case study could connect with the situation and feels like “Yes, this happens with me”. I am sure you will really enjoy this interesting and one of the best HRM case study on employee relations with solutions.

Case Study on Employee Relations with solution

Title: Is it a Planned Show

Mrs. Jancy works with TBL global services, IT project management company, in the HR department. Jancy is known for her involvement not only in her duties but also in other various activities of the department. She was aware of many minute details about the department throughout her tenure. Hence she becomes a point of contact for any such information which often consumes her time.

She is loaded with responsibilities very often, sometimes given to her and sometimes taken by her. In the beginning, she was happy with her profile and gave her the best in all the responsibilities with her. When years pass and she gets elevated to higher responsibilities she becomes overloaded. Still, she was happy with her job.

One fine day suddenly, she realized that many of her colleagues complete their work on time and also equally take care of their personal life. On the other hand, Jancy, having been loaded with responsibilities completed it partially at work and partially during her personal time. This becomes a reason for her stress.

She started questioning her ability to not being able to complete her work at the scheduled time. Later, she understood that apart from given responsibility she was involved in many other crucial activities of the department which becomes her additional responsibility which slowly the people forget that it is not under her job profile.

Jancy Being highly disturbed started feeling her job as a burden. She thought she can’t come out of this because the habit which she developed for herself and her coworkers is irreversible. So she finally decided to take a break from her job.

She fixed an appointment with the head HR, Mr. Ratan, for her resignation, He knows the fact that her involvement is irreplaceable and he also knew that she can be his competitor in a very short period, so, he had some other plans for her.

During the conversation, Ratan understood that Jancy is highly stubborn in leaving the job. So he convinced her to do work from home and advised her to limit her responsibilities as she will not come in any direct contact with the employees. Jancy happily accepted the option and she felt relaxed.

At the same time, Mr. Ratan was reporting to CEO Mr. Vedant “Sir, I didn’t accept the resignation. I have given Jancy the option of work from home and she accepted to continue the job”. Mr. Vedant asked ” but Ratan how did you made her accept this offer. And why you have given this option. As per her colleagues, her nature of doing the job is a key component.”

Mr. Ratan with a smile replied. “Sir I advised her to limit her responsibilities to her profile by opting for work from home. She accepted the offer. And I am very sure that her very nature of involvement will not allow her to restrict her responsibility even after opting for work from home.” So I am not going to lose the benefit of her involvement.

Mr. Vedant was worried by the last words of Ratan, he thought.”How I am going to execute my plan of replacing Jancy in Ratan’s position of Head HR as she opted for work from home and why did Ratan has that option to her. Is this a planned show “.

Questions on Case Study on Employee Relations with solution:

• Whose assumption is correct Jancy or Ratan
• According to you what could be the reason for Jancy being overloaded is it the fault of organizational structure or the nature of Jancy
• Also, answer the questions raised by Mr.Vedant in the last para. Was it a planned show.

Case Study on Employee Relations with solution:

How to solve a case study

The solutions discussed here are based on my understanding and observation. There is no right or wrong in case study questions. You can modify these answers based on your perception of the said case.

This is a hypothetical question. If Jancy could be determined then her assumption could be correct. But she is not so determined with her decision of limiting responsibility then Mr. Ratan’s assumption will be correct. 

2. According to you what could be the reason for Jancy being overloaded is it the fault of organizational structure or the nature of Jancy

If we analyze the case there is a hint given: Mr. Vedant CEO wants to make Jancy as head HR. This shows that he is aware of what is happening in the department. also, he knows who is working with high involvement. Hence the Organisation structure seems to be proper. In the case, it is mentioned that Jancy undertakes responsibilities on her shoulder even though it is not under her profile. both the above-said options could be a reason for Jancy being overloaded majorly because of her nature and minorly because of the structure.

3. Also, answer the questions raised by Mr.Vedant in the last para. Was it a planned show

Mr. Vedant, the CEO, seems to have a clear idea of what is going on in the department. He is not much satisfied with Ratan which could be understood by his idea of replacing him. So, he got a doubt on Ratan, whether he is purposely putting the burden on Jancy by overloading her with responsibility and gave her the option of WFH. By this both this he getting two things: 

His competitor Jancy will work from home only so she will be away from the organization. Secondly, he can easily get the work done from Jancy using her nature of Involvement.

Mr.Vandant analyzing these things thought that it could be a planned show by Mr. Ratan.

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Employee Relations Case Management

What Is Employee Relations Case Management?

Why it’s important to understand employee relations case management.

• Employee turnover. None of us enjoy dealing with a mass exodus of employees leaving for one reason or another. If employee relations cases aren’t managed effectively, they can lead to multiple employees leaving one department all at once because of the poor outcome. This can lead to an overworked recruiting team, a stressed out department, an overwhelmed manager and perhaps even customers who are not receiving the appropriate service due to the internal problems that have all stemmed from the employee relations case.
• Unfounded separation. If we do not understand how to handle these cases, they can lead to unnecessary separations when all the employee really needed was an additional accommodation to perform the duties of their job appropriately.
• Negative reviews/lawsuits . In some instances, poorly handled employee relations cases can head in the direction of legal action. If employees feel they are not provided with the necessary tools to effectively do their job, and/or a safe place to voice that opinion, it can end negatively. Employees can leave and follow up with the organization on a social media platform or even with legal action.

How To Manage Employee Relations Cases

Actively listen.

• What? This will be an overview of the situation as told by one employee (or, in some instances, multiple employees involved in the case). This is where we can evaluate what went wrong and where the issue itself came from.
• So what? This question will bring more clarity to the situation. Understanding the issue is great, but really knowing HOW that issue has hindered the employee is what we are looking for in this section.
• Now what? With the knowledge we have garnered from the previous two questions, we should be able to explore ideas to correct the issue for all parties involved and move forward with growth for the employee and the organization overall. This may take some back and forth. Your first solution may not be something the employee is content with and that’s okay. Trial and error can happen here as you walk through this with the employees involved.

Documentation, Documentation, Documentation

• What was the issue? Be sure to articulate the issue according to each specific employee. The issue to one employee may look different to another. While it’s the same case, not everyone uses the same verbiage to explain the situation.
• Who was involved? Always make sure you are listing in your documentation who came forward and when. Make it a point to list each employee involved.
• Solution? Detail out the solution approved by all the employees involved. In most cases a simple documentation will say that “X was the solution and it was accepted by all parties.” It is beneficial to type a document with the solution and have employees sign the document to put in with your file or send an email for all employees to acknowledge. From there you would print the acknowledgement and attach to the file.

Tools to Help With Case Management

Follow a structure, become a detective, take a deep breath.

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7 effective employee engagement case studies and strategies for a productive workplace.

• 1. Acknowledgment and Appreciation
• 2. Emphasis on Employee’s Holistic Wellness
• 3. Initiatives that are Development-Focused
• 4. Develop a Sense of Purpose, Values & Mission
• 5. Maintain Transparent Communication Channels
• 6. Create Conducive Working Conditions

7. Create Space for Fun & Happiness

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Are you looking for employee engagement case studies? Learn from some of the best companies out there that have successfully increased employee engagement. See how they did it and what worked for them.

As more and more employers in today’s corporate world realize the importance of employee engagement , the demand for effective and result-oriented employee engagement programs is rising. The internet may present many employee engagement initiatives, but here’s something more: case studies to prove that certain employee engagement strategies are really effective. Follow our blog to learn more about employee satisfaction and ensure that your company is teeming with higher employee engagement initiatives.

According to Johnson and Johnson “ the degree to which employees are satisfied with their jobs, feel valued, and experience collaboration and trust. Engaged employees will stay with the company longer and continually find smarter, more effective ways to add value to the organization. The end result is a high-performing company where people are flourishing and productivity is increased and sustained.”  

Nokia Siemens describes employee engagement as “ an emotional attachment to the organization, pride and a willingness to be an advocate of the organization, a rational understanding of the organization’s strategic goals, values, and how employees fit, and motivation and willingness to invest the discretionary effort to go above and beyond”.

While we learn what employee engagement means and its importance, incorporating practical and effective employee engagement programs as part of company culture is the right recipe for success.  Here are certain strategies for best employee engagement with case studies. 

1. Acknowledgment and Appreciation 

The first and foremost step to boost employee engagement is making sure your employees are valued, acknowledged, and appreciated. This motivates employees to become more productive , stay on track with tasks, and perform well. This can be done in many ways and you need to choose an approach that your employees can relate with. While some enjoy public recognition, others don’t. Hence, you can work on innovative recognition ideas . 

According to a study , social workers in a company received personalized letters of recognition at their home addresses. The workers were chosen randomly and half of them received letters while the rest half didn’t receive any. The first half of the letter was chosen from a few positive motivational sayings and the second half of the letter had a personal note of appreciation written by managers. After a month of the letter experiment, the workers who received letters felt more recognized and appreciated for their efforts, compared to those who didn’t get any. This also had a positive effect on their motivation levels and well-being, according to the results of this study.  

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2. Emphasis on Employee’s Holistic Wellness 

There are many components of employee wellness like nutrition, work-life balance , mental health, and stress management, to name a few. A healthy employee will be more productive and employees who are mentally and physically healthy will exhibit positive motivation, and better morale and resulting in a win-win for both employers and employees. A wellness program can be a good way to start where employees get a chance to explore yoga, in addition to vacation days. A wellness room provides employees with a personal space for their personal needs. 

The indispensable role of wellness and an overall effective wellness strategy for an organization can be best understood based on a study that explored the objective of workplace wellness programs and their impact on employees health and medical expenses and so on. The study identifies certain key factors to boost wellness ideas in a corporate setup such as: 

Effective communication strategy 

Organizations that were part of this research emphasized the importance of how a wellness program is communicated to employees, both in-person and mass information campaigns, with messaging and clear interaction getting the highest priority.

Accessibility of wellness programs

Making wellness programs accessible for all employees is an effective strategy to boost the levels of employee engagement in their organization.

Engaged leadership

According to this study, for wellness programs to be successful, senior leadership should imbibe wellness as an integral and important part of the company culture. 

Effective use of existing resources

Organizations leverage the existing resources and then build relationships, which also include health plans to provide employees with more options.

Ongoing assessment

Most companies agree that continuous assessments are required for employers to better understand their employee’s wellness needs. 

Employee-Centric Engagement, Internal Communications, and Recognition

3. Initiatives that are Development-Focused  

Ongoing development is key for every employee and there are a few development-focused initiatives that you can adopt actively to help your employees gain professional growth like professional networking, master’s or even Ph.D. programs, industry seminars, training courses and conferences, internal promotions, mentoring groups, and career coaching. 

This study titled A Study on the Influence of Career Growth on Work Engagement among New Generation Employees involved six companies from diverse industries like consulting, finance, management, real estate, and so on. The findings of this study show that: 

Organizational identification (IO) is very important for engagement levels and career growth.

Employee career growth positively impacts work engagement;

Person-organization value is positively linked to career growth and organizational identification (IO).

If employees recognize that they can make career progress in a company, they feel more attached and this increases employee loyalty, particularly for the new generation. It motivates them to put in the extra effort, improve performance, work on new skills, and so on. 

4. Develop a Sense of Purpose, Values & Mission 

A visible employee engagement program to achieve higher employee satisfaction levels requires employees to gain a sense of purpose, portray the company’s values and understand the mission. It is important to also understand what each of these attributes stands for. 

Purpose 

A company's purpose is the reason it exists in the first place. Purpose-driven companies are devoted to achieving goals that are bigger than just making money and increasing shareholder value. They also want to make a positive impact on the world around them and approach their work sustainably and ethically. In other words, they're committed to making a difference. 

Mission 

The mission of a company is similar but not identical to its purpose. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but we see the main difference as follows: the mission statement focuses on what the company has been built to achieve. 

Values 

Values are important because they act as a compass for the overall expectations of an organization - they guide how employees do their jobs, how managers communicate with clients and partners, and how workers interact with their peers. By understanding and sharing company values, employers can make better decisions that reflect the priorities of the business.

According to a study by Deloitte , a company’s purpose and mission impact corporate confidence as well, as indicated by the results of this study.

Nearly half of all executives (47%) say that they can identify with their company's purpose, while only 30% of employees feel the same way. 

A whopping 44% of executives believe that exemplary leadership involves setting an example that lives and breathes the company's purpose - but only 25% of employees share this belief. 

41% of executives believe that a company's purpose plays a significant role in major corporate decisions, whereas only 28% of employees feel the same way.

38% of leaders claim that their company's purpose is communicated clearly and openly to all, but only 31% of employees actually think this is the case.

Ultimately, teaching your employees about the company's purpose, mission, and vision takes time and patience. It's a gradual process, but when done correctly, it has numerous benefits for employers. Creating a sense of purpose for your employees allows you to see numerous benefits in the long run such as a more committed workforce and less employee turnover. 

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5. Maintain Transparent Communication Channels 

Many employees feel reluctant to share their concerns and opinions with their managers or peers, either due to a perception that their managers don’t pay much attention to them or maybe they tried earlier but no action was taken by the leadership. Encouraging employees to share their concerns with leaders has its own benefits. 

Practicing reflective listening helps managers to understand the message, through attentive communication. 

Making employees understand they are respected helps them to respect you back and this is an employee engagement strategy based on common sense.

Acknowledging employee views is a way of recognizing a diverse range of ideas and respecting what they say, even though in the end you may still agree to disagree.

Seeking employee’s input actively helps to boost job satisfaction levels. 

A research study analyzed communication between employers and employees and its impact on engagement levels.   The findings supported the general definition of engagement as a sense of shared responsibility between both supervisors and employees, proving that establishing communication with your employees has a wide range of benefits and can work wonders for a company’s employee engagement levels . 

6. Create Conducive Working Conditions 

While expecting high performance from employees by an organization is quite natural, it is also equally important to provide necessary conditions for employees to do their best, by supporting them in any way you can. You can encourage positive and healthy competition in the workplace, show zero tolerance for toxic behavior, maintain a clean and healthy workplace ambiance, and create supportive teams . One way to support your workforce is by encouraging them to focus on things that are already good in their lives. 

According to a consultant, Stephanie Pollack , a visible change is possible when employees are encouraged to know more about the benefits of gratitude and become aware of good things already existing in their lives. Showing gratitude has a plethora of benefits that range from reducing stress to making people feel better about themselves. It's important to build a culture of appreciation in your company so that employees feel comfortable expressing gratitude to one another and also feel appreciated in their jobs. This will not only lead to employees appreciating their jobs and coworkers more, but it will also help them appreciate themselves on a whole new level. Creating a grateful environment takes time, but it's worth it to see the positive transformation it can have on your organization as a whole. 

Workers who are content with their jobs are more likely to be motivated, productive, and engaged than those who are unhappy with their work. And happiness usually comes with having fun. However, this doesn't mean that employees should neglect their tasks or ignore deadlines. Learning how to balance work and play is key to being successful in both areas.

Employees should get the chance to do fun stuff to uplift their moods and refresh their minds and thoughts. This will make them more productive while handling their daily tasks. This can be in the form of having lunch together, organizing joke sessions, quizzes, celebrating employee milestones and birthdays, hosting parties, sports activities, recreational outings, and so on.  According to a study “ Finding Fun in Work: The Effect of Workplace Fun on Taking Charge and Job Engagement” , having fun in the workplace motivates employees in a positive way improving their job satisfaction levels, productivity, commitment, energy,  and creativity. It also helps to reduce anxiety, turnover, stress, and absenteeism.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving employee engagement in the workplace. You can employ one or more of these strategies based on case studies and see what works best for you and your workforce. Creating a nurturing and fun-filled productive place can make a great difference for your company and its growth in the years to come. 

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Author Bio:

This article is written by a marketing team member at HR Cloud. HR Cloud is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.

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Latest blog posts, employee relations: role, examples, strategies.

Developing and maintaining positive employee relations is a crucial part of building a healthy, successful organisation. That’s because, on top of operating a company, leaders also need to manage a diverse range of people. 

Every employee has different expectations, emotions and needs in the workplace. In this article, you’ll learn:

What employee relations are (plus examples)

Why employee relations matter and how to optimise them

How to build an employee relations strategy and the skills you’ll need to do so

• 1 What are employee relations?
• 2 Is HR in charge of employee relations?
• 3 Why are employee relationships important?
• 4 What are examples of employee relations?
• 5 11 steps to optimise employee relations
• 6 What is an employee relations strategy?
• 7 Skills to help with employee relations
• 8 Frequently asked questions: Employee relations 
• 9 Ready to build an employee relations policy?

What are employee relations?

Employee relations (or employment relations) refers to the efforts of an organisation to develop and maintain its relationships with employees – both on a collective and individual level. The focus of employee relations includes concerns such as:

Working conditions

Compensation and benefits

Workplace/employee safety

Incentives, rewards, and recognition

Work-life balance

Conflict resolution

Maintaining positive employee relations can improve overall individual and organisational engagement and performance while creating a healthier, more enjoyable day-to-day work environment.

In fact, having positive relationships with fellow employees can increase employee satisfaction by 50% .

Is HR in charge of employee relations?

A company’s HR department is typically responsible for managing employee relations, but they may also have a dedicated employee relations manager (or team) that focuses specifically on those tasks and issues.

Those in charge of employee relations are often responsible for:

Liaising between employees and managers, leaders, or supervisors

Creating or advising on workplace policies around employee issues and needs

Helping to create the company’s employee handbook

Preventing and resolving issues between employees and management

Improving and maintaining positive working conditions (pay, benefits, work-life balance, etc.)

Managing employee files

Assisting in the recruiting, hiring, and employee exiting processes

Sharing company news, announcements, or policy updates

Culture plays a massive role in employee relations

Over half a decade of wisdom on the subject of culture, compiled and prepared for you in one helpful guide. Download our helpful people manual on corporate culture today.

Why are employee relationships important?

When a leadership team, manager, or HR professional has the resources to manage their employees well , they can develop a positive organisational culture that improves productivity, employee satisfaction, and retention.

For many workers, finding a workplace with a constructive culture is even more important than salary . Luckily, better employee relations is a great foundation for a healthy and positive organisational culture.

On the other side, negative employee relations can cause a company to self-implode. When not addressed and improved, they leave the organisation to break down from the inside out, costing them employees, time, and money.

Instead, you can build your company up — even stronger than before — with positive employee relations. 

Here’s what can happen when your employee relations improve:

What are examples of employee relations?

Over one-third of employees have experienced some sort of interpersonal conflict in their workplace in the past year. These are an unavoidable part of work, whether they’re among employees or between employees and management. 

Employee issues are as varied as the employees within a company, but they typically stem from one of these core topics:

1. Performance

Performance-related issues are most often associated with an employee’s work not meeting expectations. But they can also include the day-to-day failings of an employee that affect the entire team. 

Examples of performance issues include:

Not meeting assigned goals 

Completing tasks late

Regularly missing or being late to work/meetings

Not being reachable when working remotely

Violating workplace safety rules

2. Interoffice relationships

A key part of team management involves managing the relationships within the team. Companies of all sizes can struggle with interoffice issues, which can balloon to impact the entire organisation if not handled properly.

Examples of interoffice relationship issues include: 

Inappropriate behaviour

Disrespecting shared space

3. Leadership

A successful employee-leadership relationship is a two-way street. One survey found that 23% of employees said their management team contributes to a negative work environment. 

Examples of leadership issues include:

Employees not trusting leadership (Going against leadership advice or direction)

Employees not respecting leadership (Gossiping about or bullying management)

Leadership not being approachable or open (Leading to disengagement and the employee feeling undervalued)

Leadership not offering guidance (Leading to employees feeling isolated)

4. Behavioural or personal matters

Behavioural or personal issues in the workplace are often the most difficult to approach and repair because of their sensitive nature.

Examples of behavioural or personal issues include:

An employee keeping a messy desk or personal space

Personal hygiene issues

Substance abuse issues

11 steps to optimise employee relations

While you’ll always experience conflicts on some scale, there are a few actionable steps leaders, managers, and HR professionals can take to build and optimise employee relations:

1. Put employee experience first

Improving the relationships between management and employees starts by uncovering your employees’ motivations, expectations, and current level of job satisfaction.

This is especially effective when approached on the individual level. Speak with employees one-to-one to uncover what’s not working in their role or experience, and determine if the issues can be resolved by making strategic employee relation improvements.

2. Break down walls between managers and employees

It’s no secret that maintaining a culture of respect in your company is important. But you also want to be approachable and accessible to your employees. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook is a great example of this: it may sound simple, but he regularly eats lunch with his employees. Make yourself approachable and accessible, and a sense of camaraderie in the office will follow.

3. Provide formal management training

Even though 66% of organisations provide leadership training , 72% of them report a deficit in leadership and management skills.

Managers and supervisors may have been promoted because of their experience in the company, or at another company in a similar role, but many of them have never received the resources and training they need to be truly effective leaders.

One-time training isn’t always enough, either. New and seasoned leaders alike can benefit from annual training courses to keep them sharp and on the cutting edge of what’s needed from a leader in today’s modern workplace.

4. Celebrate successes

Don’t wait for formal evaluations to highlight an employee’s achievements. Whether they reached a set goal, handled a difficult situation well, or received praise from a client, recognising and rewarding their successes can help keep them inspired.

Recognising those successes publicly — at monthly team meetings, for example — can be exceptionally motivating.

5. Don’t play favourites

Treat all employees across the company fairly and equally. This may seem straightforward, but there are often unconscious biases within the workplace based on an employee’s seniority or success.

6. Set an example

If your management team takes a “rules for thee, not for me” approach to work, the respect they’ve earned from their employees can quickly deteriorate. Hold leaders at every level of the company accountable for their actions and ensure they’re following employee guidelines just like those they lead are expected to.

7. Communicate clearly and often

In employee relations, effective communication can bring clarity to conflict. Start by creating an open dialogue between management and employees by having monthly or weekly meetings. Face issues head-on, clarify misunderstandings and miscommunications immediately, share your knowledge, and give equal say to each party when managing disagreements.

8. Be approachable 

Having an issue at work is stressful enough. But feeling like you can’t go to your manager or boss about it? That’s even worse. How approachable and accessible are your HR department and leadership team? Can an employee reach out easily and privately to discuss an issue?

There are many digital tools and apps that offer one-to-one messaging. Instead of asking people to call or email, using an app like Slack or Google Chat can make difficult discussions easier for employees, or at least help them start the conversation before entering into a more formal meeting.

9. Involve your employees

By continually seeking feedback from employees, involving them in company decisions, and listening to their opinions, you’re telling your employees you trust them and their expertise. And trust does everyone a world of good — people at high-trust companies experience 74% less stress, 50% higher productivity, and 40% less burnout.

10. Focus on inclusivity

Workplace bullying is a common issue in many places. In the UK, for example, one in five employees agree that their team members reject others for being different. In your employee handbook, include your company’s mission to maintain inclusivity around race, religion, orientation, and ability, and make sure it’s actively reaffirmed on a regular basis.

11. Build an official handbook

Your employee relations handbook comprises your company’s mission, values, policies, and plans for addressing employee issues. The handbook — or employee relations plan — brings clarity for new employees and ensures the entire company is on the same page. It can also help the organisation avoid internal and legal headaches by including information such as:

The company’s mission, culture, and values

General employee information (role, expectations, etc.)

Compensation and benefits information

Policies around time off, scheduling, and leave

Non-disclosure agreements

Conflict of interest statements

Company policies and procedures

Disciplinary actions and procedures

Compliance policies

Signed acknowledgement of employee

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What is an employee relations strategy?

An employee relations strategy is a plan of action to create an environment that will meet the needs of both employers and employees. The strategy should help employees understand and align with the company’s mission and vision, set out a plan for frequent communication, and create avenues to give feedback and reward good work.

As with any good strategy, you’ll want its impact to be measurable. Consider tracking KPIs such as:

Employee satisfaction

Number of recognitions

Number of complaints

Response time for complaints

Number of employees/leaders who can articulate mission & values

Benefits & compensation data compared to competitors 

Number of resolved cases

Number of positive/negative employer reviews on external sites

Skills to help with employee relations

There is a greater need for employee relations skills than ever before due to the uncertainty of recent years and increasing pressure in the workplace. Whether this means an organisation has a specialised employee relations manager or ensures People teams have the proper training, employee relations skills are crucial to the health of the organisation as a whole.

Important skills to aid in employee relations can include:

Consultation, mediation, and negotiation

Active listening

Ability to examine and interpret employee attitudes and feelings

Awareness of potential signs of conflict

Conflict/differences resolution

Understanding of employment regulations and laws

Frequently asked questions: Employee relations 

What does employee relations mean.

Employee relations refers to an organisation’s efforts to build and grow positive collective and individual relationships with employees.

What is the purpose of employee relations?

The purpose of employee relations is to build up the collective and individual relationships in a company by spotting and fixing issues and conflict in the workplace, improving employee satisfaction and team morale, and supporting the organisation’s performance management efforts.

Is employee relations the same as HR?

Employee relations is an important part of human resources, but it doesn’t cover the entire range of HR activities. While employee relations is about the relationships among employees and between employees and the organisation, HR is responsible for managing the entire employee lifecycle, from recruiting to offboarding and everything in between.

Ready to build an employee relations policy?

With clear employee relations policies in place, you can align your team with your culture, values, and mission from day one; overcome issues by following clear-cut procedures; and benefit from a better connectedness throughout the company.

Positive employee relations empower team members at all levels to work together more collaboratively, with more satisfaction, and with more motivation to achieve collective and individual goals.

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12 Case Studies of Companies that Revised How They Compensate Employees

S HRM has partnered with ChiefExecutive.net to bring you relevant articles on key HR topics and strategies.

Higher compensation is part of the ransom for dealing with the pandemic for most American companies and industries. So salaries, wages, benefits and perks will cost them more—perhaps a lot more—in the year ahead.

The way CEOs and CHROs can make sure the Great Raise works to their companies' advantage is to be proactive, creative and equitable about it. Yet they also must weigh strategically the demands of the moment with their long-term compensation strategy.

"This is a time for real balance when it comes to how you deal with retention and attraction," said Paul Knopp, chair and CEO of KPMG US. "We all have to make sure we meet the market when it comes to base compensation, but the market has changed in a way that you also have to look at those benefits that are most attractive to employees for their careers."

While median full-time earnings of $1,001 per week in the third quarter of 2021 were nearly 9% higher than two years earlier, according to the Labor Department, expectations for 2022 remain frothy given the tight market for talent, the free-agent ethos encouraged by remote work, the geographic reshuffling of workers and decades-high inflation. U.S. wages will increase by 3.9 percent in 2022, according to the Conference Board, the highest rate since 2008.

The compensation surge is occurring at the high end, at a low end that's getting higher and everywhere in between. Goldman Sachs, for example, is offering paid leave for pregnancy loss and expanding the amount of time employees can take for bereavement leave while also boosting its retirement-fund matching contributions for U.S. employees to 6% of total compensation, or 8% for those making $125,000 a year or less.

Meanwhile, at Tyson Foods' chicken-processing plant in New Holland, Pa., the company has started offering a three-day workweek, plus pay for a fourth day that retains employees' status as full-time workers. Just for good measure, Tyson has created a $3,000 sign-on bonus for new hires.

"We're in a bidding war for talent that will go on for a long time," said Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics.

For CEOs and CHROs, several new factors demand their attention along with the overall spike in compensation. They include:

• The end of retention. The "idea of a long-term commitment to one employer has been dead for a while, but it's really dead now," said Dave Roberson, CEO of the RoseRyan financial consulting firm. "You must have a stream of people. Assume you're going to be replacing people. So how do you keep the people you have, if you can, but also bring the next group in?"
• High-balling. A deal to recruit someone may not really be a deal these days. "You've made an offer and you think you've got a hire, and then they're asking for $5,000 or $10,000 more," said David Lewis, CEO of OperationsInc, an HR consulting firm. "Now you have to ask yourself what makes more sense strategically: say no and hold the line and lose the candidate and restart the process, not knowing how that will work out? Blow up your compensation structure? Or as a Band-Aid, give that person a sign-on bonus in hopes that the package will get them in the door?"
• Need for equalization. Recruiting with higher compensation also requires boosting pay and benefits for retention. "You need to be mindful of what you're paying others in the organization and understand the detrimental impact it will have when you bring someone in alongside a tenured employee," Lewis said. "Operate on the idea that everyone's salary is basically posted on the pantry door in your office."
• A focus on mental health. The pandemic, anti-contagion measures and the takeover of remote work has left many Americans isolated, confused, lonely—or at least disjointed. And they expect their employers to help them cope and adjust.

"Mental health is a real thing, regardless of how [a previous generation of leaders] feel and what we did," said Jeffrey Immelt, former CEO of General Electric. "Particularly post-Covid, it's something worth your time to try to understand."

Many Fortune 500 companies already offered mental-health benefits, but by now "mental health is just a place setter: You've got to have it in place to be competitive in the market today, across the board," said Richard Chaifetz, founder and CEO of ComPsych, a large provider of employee-assistance programs. "Companies understand the importance of keeping their people functioning at the highest level."

Codility, for example, has begun supplying all employees with 27 days of paid time off per year plus four mental-health days, which don't have to be approved. "We're offering these days in addition to personal-time-off days to recognize and bring to light the importance of mental health," said Natalia Panowicz, CEO of the platform that evaluates the skills of software engineers, with its U.S. hub in San Francisco.

CHRO360.com asked a dozen CEOs, CHROs and other top executives about their compensation strategies and practices for 2022. Here are some of their ideas:

Let Them Name Their Salary

Chris kovalik, ceo, rushdown revolt, a video-game maker in new york city.

We started as 12 part-timers, mostly people who were giving me their moonlight hours. That's not a lot different from now, except now we have 75 people. The magic of what we do is that we don't recruit anybody. We're just a magnet. We let people come to us.

When it comes to compensation, some say they wanted to volunteer, that they weren't expecting compensation. But we never, ever allow people to volunteer their time for us. So we say our company minimum wage is $15 an hour, and if you insist, we can pay you that per hour.

But generally people come to us with an expectation of compensation because they see that we're making money. When compensation came up, we'd say, "I don't know what your skill set is. I've never hired you before. How much do you think you're worth, and how much do you need?"

If every hour we're compensating them for the amount of money they want and need, if someone is part-time and only giving me 10 hours a week, I'd argue that they're giving me their best 10 hours. Because they're getting paid what they want and doing things that they want to be attached to and be part of.

There's no pattern to the compensation requests. If their number is too low, we'll say, "Are you sure? Are you just giving me a low-ball number I'll say yes to?" If it's high, I don't talk them down, but I ask them to justify it, and if the justification isn't adequate, what I say is, "How long do you think you'll need to prove that justification? Two to three weeks? Then let's pay you two-third to three-quarters of what you asked, and if you prove it, we'll go up to whatever you said."

Tailor Package for Youth Appeal

Ronald hall jr., ceo, bridgewater interiors, an auto-seat maker in detroit.

We enjoyed very low turnover pre-Covid, but during the last two years we have had to replace probably one-third of our workforce at our largest facility, about the same number from termination as voluntary. So we've had to work harder than ever to recruit.

Our most-tenured employees, who are the most highly trained, have had to pick up the slack, working record amounts of overtime and less-predictable production schedules.

In our upcoming negotiations with the United Auto Workers, we're trying to emphasize short-term bonuses rather than wage increases that get baked into our costs. But we have continued health insurance through the pandemic as well as our tuition-reimbursement program, and many employees have thanked me for that.

What I am hearing from new employees is that they're not as interested in benefits but rather in higher cash wages. We've long touted benefits like our generous 401(k) matching and better medical coverage versus our peers, but we're finding that doesn't resonate as readily now as it did a decade ago. So I've asked my team: Should we be looking at some kind of hybrid model of offering higher wages to people who want those and move those dollars from the benefits side to the wages side?

We've also looked at providing childcare in a partnering arrangement where there could be a center developed near our facilities, and we would arrange for some sort of company subsidy or guarantee some level of attendance. The challenge with that is the auto industry runs around the clock, and you'd need a daycare provider who'd be committed to opening around the clock and provide legal, regulated, benchmark-standard levels of care to all those children in the off hours.

Equalize as You Acquire

Diane dooley, chro, world insurance, a business and personal insurer in tinton falls, n.j..

We onboarded about 800 employees in 2021 through acquisitions of small agencies and organic growth, but there had been no compensation modeling. Now we're building out our compensation philosophy with commission plans, incentives and bonuses, centralizing components and ensuring we have the right framework.

When we do an acquisition, we might retain their compensation model for a year or two years then slowly migrate, but make sure employees aren't taking a cut in pay. We are also capitalizing commissions into base compensation—identifying what commissions would have been and what they will be, and recognizing roles that are moving away from a commission base.

Some agencies we acquire are smaller and may be below-market for total compensation. Now we're addressing those concerns. They need to be more front and center. We must do everything to retain our employee population. If they're woefully underpaid, or not at market, we risk losing people, and we don't want to do that.

Educating the owners of some of the agencies [we acquire] is a piece of this. As we partner with them, we are evaluating them and asking, "Did you give people an increase this year?" We're not telling them what to do but providing guidance about what to do.

We're also modifying and increasing our benefits, such as giving employees pet insurance. And making counteroffers is a critical piece today, usually for high-end employees. They work better than they used to because not a lot of people really want to make a move in this environment.

Innovate for the New World

Jason medley, chief people officer, codility, a provider of skill-evaluation software in london.

We really have to step back and be innovative and force ourselves to change. The companies that are going to win are going to be more progressive early and not fighting what's happening.

One thing we've done is change our outdated compensation models that give higher pay to employees living in tech hubs like San Francisco and New York and lower compensation for areas inside the coasts. Now, we've created a United States-wide salary band, so no matter where you live, the compensation is based on the role, not the location. You can go live and work wherever you want to.

We decided to approach compensation through a very human lens. People have seasonality in life, and maybe they are caregivers at different moments and want to live in different places. We want to be as flexible as possible, and this country band gives us that flexibility.

We are starting to see the same thing in Europe, where we have our headquarters in London and offices in Berlin and Warsaw, and employees all over, especially in Poland. People are wanting to live in the countryside of Spain but demanding a London salary. So we are transitioning to one European Union band and saying, "Here is your rate—live where you want to."

We are also seeing that with global warming, it's harder to get work done for people on the west coast of the U.S. and in Europe, because they didn't build homes with air conditioning. If you're sitting in a house at 90 degrees with no air conditioning, there's no way your performance is the same as someone with AC. Supplementing air conditioning isn't something we thought about before, but now we're very much having to look at those things.

Stay Ahead of Expectations

Traci tapani, ceo, wyoming machine, a sheet-metal fabricator in stacy, minn..

Our wages have gone up by about 20% for the typical worker. When I found people I could hire, I knew they were being brought in at an hourly rate that was too high for what I was paying my incumbent workers.

My strategy has been to be proactive about that and not wait for [existing] employees to say something about it or give them a reason to look for another job. We're proactively making wage adjustments to make sure our incumbent workers are in line.

Employees will leave for more money, so they're very appreciative of it. But in my shop, I also know that people like working here, and I know they don't want to leave. I don't want to give them a reason. If they can get an increase in pay that's substantial, I know that I can cut them off at the pass. Retaining my workforce is my No. 1 strategy. They're already here, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep them.

For that reason, we've also been more generous as time has gone on with paid time off, offering it sooner than we once would have, especially for new workers. We recognize that it's healthy for people to be away from work and also, in the pandemic, people need to be away from work. Knowing they have some paid time off makes it easier for them.

Leverage Benefits for DE&I

Mark newman, ceo, chemours, a chemical manufacturer in wilmington, del..

In general our company hasn't seen the Great Resignation. And in fact, we continue to believe our focus on being a great place to work is serving us well, along with appropriate benchmarking on compensation issues.

Chemours  is  a great place to work. We survey our employees every year, to improve our working environment from a compensation and benefits perspective. Also, from the [diversity, equity and inclusion] perspective, we're trying to make sure we tap into the full breadth of talent in our industry.

That means, for instance, we are helping people more with college loans. We are offering same-sex [marriage] benefits. We are providing more family leave for people who have kids. There is clearly an aspect of our benefits package that is evolving to be consistent with our strategy of making Chemours a great place to work.

Overall, we view compensation as something where we want to be either in the median or upper quartile. It's something we're very focused on from both a wage as well as benefit level. From Covid, there's been no fundamental change as it relates to us wanting to be in the median to top quartile.

We've had to make some local adjustments where the labor market is more super-charged. For example, we see a lot of that in the Gulf Coast region, especially with oil prices coming back, and petrochemicals and refining. But it's very much a regional factor. So if industries are moving to a certain region, like the South, you have to make sure you stay current with local benchmarks.

Offer Skin in the Game

Cesar herrera, ceo, yuvo health, a healthcare administrator in new york city.

We're a year-old company that provides tech-enabled administrative solutions for community health centers across the U.S. that are specifically focused on providing primary-care services for low-income individuals. We have a team of about 10 people right now, and we have a number of open roles and positions where we're likely going to be tripling the size of our team in 2022.

Google can compensate well above the market rate. We don't have that since we're an early-stage organization. What we do have as levers aren't up-front financial compensation but equity, support in your role and a relatively flat organization where you can have significant autonomy.

A lot of individuals are going to be driven by the mission; that's the case with the entire founding team. We've made sacrifices to create this organization. So you can come in at a meaningful position with a lot of decision-making.

But one of the biggest carrots we can give is, if you accept the lower pay and the risk that comes with an early-stage organization, you can have meaningful equity in the company. We have an options pool which is not to exceed 10% ownership of the organization, and as we grow and scale, we increase that options pool. For senior-level leaders, we do expect to be able to distribute up to 10% of the company to them.

Pay Extra for Continuity

Corey stowell, vice president of human resources, webasto americas, a maker of automotive sunroofs in auburn hills, mich..

We had to recruit for several hundred new openings at a brand-new facility right at the beginning of the pandemic. So we instituted an attendance bonus. For those who worked all their hours in a week, we paid an additional $3 an hour. We really had to keep it short-term, so we paid it weekly. If you wanted to pay it every month, you couldn't do it, because people needed that instant gratification.

Otherwise they could get it on unemployment. With our pay rate, they could earn more to stay at home and collect unemployment, a significant amount more than they could earn than working for us. So we also had to increase our wages, and we increased them by more than 20% in some classifications [in the summer of 2020].

We've filled all of our positions, but it's still a challenging market. We've had to increase all our wages, with the lowest for a position being $17 an hour, on up to $30 an hour.

We also have offered stay bonuses of $500 a month for three consecutive months, up to $1,500. And for hourly employees we've instituted a different attendance policy, where they can earn two hours of paid personal time for so many hours that they work consecutively with no attendance issues.

The key is the schedule—we can prepare and get someone to cover. That's easier to do than just managing whoever's going to come in today. In this environment, that really has changed with our workforce, and it's tough to rely on our current workforce.

Give Them the Keys

Elliott rodgers, chief people officer, project44, a freight-tracking software provider in chicago.

We have equipped and subsidized a van that we call Romeo, which employees can use to combine work with personal uses like family road trips. We cover the cost of the rental. It's a luxury van that comes equipped with a bed, a toilet and shower, Wi-Fi, device charging and a desktop workspace. And it's pet friendly.

We started it as a pilot project and reservations were full within 10 minutes of when we posted it internally. Then we extended it into 2022. By the end of 2021, more than 20 unique team members completed or nearly completed reservations. They've ventured out to places spanning Mount Rushmore and the Badlands; Rocky Mountain National Park; Salem, Mass.; and Pennsylvania. A pretty broad number of places.

It's something we're really proud of. It allows our team members the opportunity to work in a lot of different places while still being connected to us. And they've appreciated the opportunities to stay connected, but also be connected in other ways with nature and other places in the world. They can maintain their perspective while also continuing to contribute to their role in a productive way.

When you place a team member at the center of what they'd want in an experience like that, the value of it answers itself. It creates a comfort level where it provides the necessities for you to be able to continue to work, and you can work from anywhere. It's the best of both worlds. It's one thing to find that on your own but another to have that accessible to you via work, but done in a way that caters to you.

Help Them Come, Go—and Stay

Aamir paul, country president - u.s., schneider electric, a maker of electrical distribution and control products in andover, mass..

With our knowledge workforce, it's been about intentional flexibility. So, for instance, we launched a "returnship" program for women who'd left the workforce but might want to come back even at reduced hours. That means 20, 30, up to 40 hours a week, and we're finding some incredibly talented people who haven't been in the workforce.

This program is available to men as well. If there's a field engineer who's been in the electrical industry for 35 years and he's now retiring, but he's five years from getting his medical benefits, we say: Don't retire. Go on the program. Work 20 hours a week. Work from home. We'll reduce your pay proportionally, but we will couple you with three university hires, and they will call you on Microsoft Teams and show you what's happening on the job site, and you're going to walk them through it. Work just three days a week. We'll cover your benefits.

We've also expanded the parental leave policy, which already was one of the best in the industrial sector. And we created a way for people to buy more time off without having to leave their positions. They apply for more unpaid time off and we allow them to retain their position and seniority and allow them to work through whatever life event it is.

We landed on six weeks for the maximum. In the most intense industries—such as a fighter pilot or a surgeon—they've found that six weeks of being out of the rotation allows them to re-set. So that's what we did. Before, the limit was two weeks.

Give Sway to Local Management

Tom salmon, ceo, berry global, a maker of plastic packaging in evansville, ind..

We've got to be competitive in all the geographies we serve. We have 295 sites around the world and manage our employees in those sites geographically. Every geography will be a different labor environment. There are different criteria that employees are looking for. It's not just about wages but taking everything into consideration.

We let local management handle things with their insight about wages and competition. They're hearing directly from employees about what they like and don't like, what they want more of and less of. It's a site-by-site discussion.

For example, at some sites, it may be important for employees to be able to access the internet at lunch; at other sites, they may not value that as much. Some want a more advanced locker facility, with different shower facilities. That includes the southwestern United States, where the temperatures are warmer; but in New England, some might not want that.

In any event, if you treat these things locally, you're going to be able to affect that local population and address the need of that geography. If you blanket something across our entire plant population, you may provide something that's not desired or needed.

We depend on our local management to respond to the different demands in terms of compensation and benefits at their sites. The better the front-line leadership is, and the more satisfied their team is, the higher our retention rate and productivity and safety performance. So these leaders participate in profit-sharing plans for those respective sites, because they have a great influence on the success of a given facility.

Focus Benefits on Flexibility

Paul knopp, chair and ceo, kpmg us, a financial consulting firm in new york.

We announced a new package of enhancements to our benefits and compensation, tied to mental, physical, social and financial well-being. These increases are the biggest in the history of the company. You have to make sure your base compensation meets the market, but you also must have attractive benefits.

For example, we cut healthcare premiums by 10% for 2022 with no change in benefit levels, and we introduced healthcare advocacy services. We are replacing our current 401(k) match and pension programs with a single, automatic company-funded contribution within the plan that's equal to 6% to 8% of eligible pay.

As part of this, we're focusing on the crucial element of ensuring that employees know you're watching out for them. They also are looking for flexibility—you don't want to under-index on how important that is. So we also are providing up to three weeks additional caregiver leave, separate and apart from PTO. And all parents will receive 12 weeks of paid parental leave, in addition to disability leave for employees who give birth, allowing some up to 22 weeks of paid leave. We also have expanded our holiday calendar to now include Juneteenth.

Dale Buss is a long-time contributor to Chief Executive, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and other business publications. He lives in Michigan.

This article is adapted from www.ChiefExecutive.net with permission from Chief Executive. C 2022. All rights reserved.

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Employee relations best practices for 2021 (tips and tricks, industry insights, case studies)

Legal / March 26, 2021 by admin / Leave a Comment

Want to set up foundationally strong employee relations for your company? Learn the tips and tricks, industry examples, and best practices. Read on!

Employee relations

What is Employee relations? Employee relations defined as the relationship shared between different employees of an organization. To have a productive environment, it is necessary to have a healthy environment at work. It is the duty of superiors and management to avoid internal conflicts and encourage positive relationships between employer and employee.

There are several factors that help in managing employee relations, which will be further discussed in this article. We will also go through several benefits of improving employer employee relations and the different metrics that can be used to measure workforce relations in a workplace.

Also Read: Team communication | A complete guide

What is employee relations? 

Employee relations is the amount of effort an organization puts in maintaining a healthy and positive relationship with its employees. ER is a crucial factor when it comes to an organization’s overall performance. The main aim of Employee relationships is to ensure relationships and collaborations are improved in the workplace.

Employee relations definitions 

Employee relations definition says that it is the relationship between an employer and its employees. “Employee relations ” covers the contractual, practical, as well as physical and emotional efforts made by an employer to maintain a positive relationship with their employees.  These practices help in keeping employees more loyal and engaged.

Employment relations definition for remote teams 

Employment relations definition means the efforts put by a remote manager to create a positive bond with their virtual team. Maintaining relations has never been easier in a remote team. The need for employee relations is required to make everyone feel part of the team.

Also Read: What is a virtual office | Critical items that you must know!

Why is a good employer employee relationship a necessity? 

There are several benefits of a healthy employer-employee relationship as it plays an important role in the success of the organization,

• Fewer Work-Place disputes – A friendly workplace helps result in fewer disputes at work between coworkers. It helps the team to work towards a common goal and work in harmony.
• Higher Retention Rate – Companies that create a positive environment for their employees and keep their interests in mind have a more loyal workforce.
• Increased Productivity and Efficiency – Good employer-employee relation means higher revenue for the company as employee productivity increases.

Also Read: Productivity tips | A how-to guide for everyone

Benefits of having a solid employer employee relationship 

Here are a few benefits of building a solid employer-employee relationship,

• Equality at Workplace – A fair environment is essential to make each employee feel important at work. Having solid employee-employer relations can help in building a workplace where everyone is welcomed without prejudice.
• Higher Engagement Rate – An employee’s relation with their employer is a very crucial factor when it comes to job satisfaction. This keeps employees stay in for longer.
• Easier Work Assignment – Employee employer relationships help managers to be more aware of each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and assign work accordingly.

Also Read: Decision fatigue | An ultimate read for best results

Psychology of employment relations issues

Employment relations issues might result in several psychological impacts on the workforce,

• Wrong employee relations in the workplace may lead to employees feeling unwelcome and undervalued. This would lead to increased absenteeism and eventually resignation.
• Weak Employment relationships may result in employees getting overworked and stressed.
• If Employee and employer relations are not good at an organization, it would lead to an unhappy and unmotivated workforce.
• Employee relation issues are also responsible for poor work-life balance that can lead to severe anxiety, depression, and other related issues that affect the mental well-being of an employee.

Also Read: Managing remote teams | A priceless list of tips to succeed

Challenges faced in employee-employer relationships 

Employee-Employer relationships are not simple and they often come with their own set of challenges. Let us discuss a few of them,

• Adequate safety at the workplace – A workplace should ensure that they have proper safety equipment and safety guidelines in place. Employees should be educated about safe practices at the workplace.
• Hours and Wages Challenges – Good employee relations include remunerating employees based on their hard work and working hours. They should have a good work-life balance.
• Conflict Management – Encourage employees to have open communication regarding their woes and create a channel for them to convey their concerns anonymously.

Also Read: Remote meeting | A comprehensive guide

Employment relationship management metrics

Employment relationship management metrics are the key to tracking how well the employers are putting efforts to maintain a positive employee-employer relationship.

• Revenue Per Employee – If employee and employer relations are healthy, employees are more productive and generate more revenue.
• Absenteeism Rate – Regular absenteeism from the workplace can be a result of unwelcoming work culture.
• 360-degree feedback – 360-degree feedback helps in assessing if positive employee relations are being maintained.
• Turnover/Retention – Good employee relations would result in a more loyal and dedicated workforce. Employees tend to stay longer in a place where they are happy.

Also Read: Work life balance | Everything you must know

Best employee retention strategies

Employee retention strategies mean the policies in place by the organization to ensure that the current staff stays in the company. Organizations which have the best interest of employees at heart are successful in retaining employees. Here are a few strategies that can come in handy,

• Encourage Open Communication – An “open-door policy” where employees can raise their concerns without fear of judgment.
• Maintaining Work-Life Balance – Introduce Workload sharing, Work From Home, Flexible schedules, etc to ensure that employees are stress-free.
• Providing Competitive Salary and Benefits – Maintain better employee relations by recognizing employees for their work.

Also Read: Organize your life | A complete guide

Top 10 ways to build best employee-employer relations 

Now that we have established the importance of employee relations in an organization, let us learn more about the employee relations best practices. Employee relations strategy helps in providing a healthy and positive work environment which makes the employees feel motivated to work.

Strong employee relationship is the foundation for an organization’s success. Here are the top 10 ways to build the best employer employee relations in a workplace,

Resolve employee relations issue quickly

Have an open-door policy where the employees feel comfortable sharing their concerns and woes. To build the best employer and employee relationship it is essential to address the employee relations issues and resolve them on priority.

Employees who are valued at the workplace are more likely to stay longer. Better work relations result in a more cohesive team that is motivated to work towards a common goal.

Also Read: Working from home with kids | Critical items that you must know!

Hire an employee relation specialist

Employee relation specialists are HR professionals who specialize in managing labor relations strategy for an organization or a business . Companies should focus on building strong employee and employer relationships to be successful. 

Hiring an employee relation specialist would ensure that your organization has the best policies and employee relations strategies in place. They put an effort to introduce a framework which helps employers build a healthy relationship with employee.

Human resource employee relations should create a safe workplace 

It is imperative in today’s times that human resources create a safe working space for each and every employee from the top level to the bottom level. The office space has no room for harassment, bullying, abuse, and discrimination.

Human resources employee relations should implement safe practices at work and educate the team as well. Employee relations issue must be addressed as a priority to have a better staff relationship.

Encourage communication to improve employee-employer relation

Communication is one of the major key aspects of the employer/employee relationship. Open and honest communication will help employers in understanding the needs of an employee. Weekly meetings and casual chit-chat hours should be introduced to avoid awkwardness between members.

To increase the retention of employees , indulge in private conversations with your employees and talk to them about their interests and goals outside of work.

Also Read: Remote work | A how-to guide for everyone

Appreciate your Employees to improve employment relation 

Recognize the efforts and hard work of your employees and do not forget to appreciate them often. A simple “thank you” can be enough sometimes to uplift the energy and keep the employees motivated.

Improve employment relations by making them feel special and letting them know that you value their work. An honest appreciation would bring a major difference to the relation between employer and employee at the workplace.

Human resources employee relations must encourage breaks

Working hard indefinitely can exhaust employees in the longer-term hence human resources employee relations should encourage employees to take short breaks between their work. Also, provide weekends off and paid vacations to the employees to enhance employee relations experience.

By allowing employees to take time off, they will come back to work with a more focused mindset. It also helps in keeping the workforce motivated and productive for a longer time.

Also Read: Virtual ice breaker questions | An ultimate read for best results

Let employment relations management create growth and leadership opportunities for employees

Employee Relations Management should put efforts to create growth opportunities for everyone. Invest in learning and development programs, employee well-being programs, peer mentoring programs, etc to provide opportunities.

Providing the right facilities to the employees will keep them motivated and interested in the job. Employer relationships are strengthened when employees see themselves growing along with the company and learning new skills.

Make stronger employer-employee relationship a priority

There are no set guidelines on what a business should do to make strong employer employee relationships . What works for one business may not work for another. Try to find what helps you in ensuring a strong employer-employee bond by trial and error method. 

A strong employer-employee relationship paves a path to success for your business. Employee relations can take many forms and you need to find what suits you.

Also Read: Virtual party ideas | A priceless list of tips to succeed

Embrace Diversity to build associate relations

To encourage a culture of strong workforce relationships, hire a diverse workforce. Diversity in the workplace would result in a better range of skills, talent, and experience. Treat everyone equally to build strong associate relations at the office space.

Diversity also gives employers access to a broader client base. Employee relations policies must be made by keeping people from diverse backgrounds in mind to create a fair system.

Create employment relations by trusting your people

Do not micromanage your employees and trust them for finishing the job. Sit with them weekly to discuss the work commitments and ensure that they understand what is expected of them. Let them finish work in their own time and be flexible.

Checking up on your employees from time to time would affect employment relations. Maintain a level of trust to improve employee relationships in the workplace.

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Employee relationship management for remote teams 

Employee relationship management means managing the relation between various employees working in an organization. The relationship can either be between employees at the same level or between employees and the employer. Employee management relations practices help in strengthening the bond among the team members.

Encourage equality for better employee relationships

Treat everyone equally and ensure that your team members respect each other. A workplace that promotes equality creates a healthy environment where everyone is welcomed and valued equally. There is no room for prejudice and biases in a workplace.

Employee management relationships can be improved for remote teams by creating a safe space for everyone to communicate and share their thoughts and opinions with the entire team.

Open communication for improving employee relations management

Open communication is a key asset when it comes to employee management relations . Provide an open channel for employees to share their concerns and issues with the management. Organize team meetings and encourage everyone to communicate freely. 

Plan fun activities and casual conversations after work hours to help the team in bonding with each other. Recognize and Appreciate the hard work of the team on a regular basis.

Also Read: Virtual Team Games | Everything you must know

Implement healthy work relations policies

HR Employee relations policies should be aimed at implementing healthy work relations in the organization. Higher authorities responsible for drafting policies and strategies must keep the best interest of employees in mind. Involve employees in decision-making meetings to understand their concerns.

Implement policies that will help in maintaining work-life balance and creating a stress-free environment for employees to work. Improved employee retention rates are a result of positive employee relations.

Maintain positive employee relations

Maintaining positive employee relations would result in a more loyal workforce that is happy and satisfied with their organization. To ensure a higher employee retention rate, maintain a healthy employee and employer relationship .

Connect regularly with your remote team members to form a cohesive team. Divide work sensibly among the team members based on the individual’s interests and strengths. Celebrate the achievements and milestones with the team to keep them engaged.

Understand the importance of employee relations

Each and every employer must understand the importance of positive employee relations and how it affects an organization’s revenue and productivity. Implementing best practices ensures that employees are happy to work and it leads to an increase in employee efficiency. 

This increase in employee productivity would lead to an increase in the revenue of the organization. Employee relations management is the key to an organization’s success in today’s times.

Also Read: How to motivate employees | A complete guide

How to improve employee relationships during Covid times?

Looking for ways on how to improve employee relations? Here are the best practices to adopt in order to improve employee relationships during covid times,  

• Offer Flexible Working Hours – Be as flexible as possible and let employees work based on their individual schedules. It makes it easier for employees to manage both work and personal commitments.
• Communicate Regularly – Regular check-ins and discussions with employees will help in addressing their concerns if any. Make Employees feel safe and secure to talk openly.
• Plan Fun Activities – Engage employees in after-work activities to alleviate stress.

Also Read: Remote team building activities | Critical items that you must know!

Employee relations best practices

For an organization to be happy, it needs to have strong employee relations programs. Let us see examples of organizations with the best employment relations policies.

• Case study 1 – Google is undoubtedly the best company when it comes to employer and employee relationships in the workplace. The company is very transparent about the culture they want to create in the workplace. Google encourages its employees to do something out of the box and explore their creative side. They believe that it is crucial to break barriers at every level to build strong employee relations.
• Case study 2 – Lytx is a pioneer in the technology innovation space. They work to transform driver behavior and make our roads safer. Lytx takes their employees’ relations very seriously. They have provided an onsite cafe, dry-cleaning services, and collaboration tools for employees to use on a daily basis. Employee relation policy at Lytx supports a productive work environment.

Also Read: Welcome to the team | A how-to guide for everyone

Use unremot watercooler software for effective employee relations  

unremot is a virtual watercooler for remote teams that facilitates casual conversations and informal meetings. This platform is beneficial for team members to bond outside of work. It allows members to create virtual rooms dedicated to different purposes such as book clubs water cooler, team building water cooler, happy hours water cooler, etc.

unremot watercooler software is an effective tool for improving employee relations and providing a medium for open communication. Stronger relationships between employer and employee result in better retention rate, team engagement, team bonding, loyalty, teamwork, workload sharing, etc.

Also Read: People Analytics | An ultimate read for best results

Why is there a need for effective employers?

Effective employers maintain positive and healthy relationships with employees . They ensure that their workplace is a happy place where everyone is treated equally. Employees are more likely to be loyal to an effective employer. They encourage their team to communicate openly.

What is employee relations in human resources?

A Human Resource Department of an organization typically manages employee relations which means they put efforts to maintain a positive relationship between employer and employees. They build strategies and policies to improve employee relationships which leads to an increase in productivity and revenue.

Also Read: Employee Retention | A priceless list of tips to succeed

Why is employee involvement an effective employee relations strategy?

Employee involvement means encouraging your employees to take part in management and decision-making meetings of the organization. It helps the management in understanding their viewpoint and addressing their issues and concerns. These insights are helpful while framing employee relations strategies. 

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7 Examples of Employee Relations Issues and How to Handle Them

Understanding employee relations, common employee relations issues and how to handle them, developing a framework for resolving employee relations issues, essential skills for managing employee relations.

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Key Elements of an Effective Employee Relations Issues Framework

• First, there must be a clear understanding of company policies and procedures, ensuring everyone knows their rights and responsibilities. 
• Consistent enforcement of rules and regulations is essential to maintain a fair and equal work environment. 
• Encouraging open and honest communication fosters trust and transparency within the organization. 
• Fair and unbiased conflict resolution procedures should be in place to address any issues that may arise. 
• Finally, continuous improvement based on feedback and evaluation helps to ensure that the framework remains effective and adaptable.

The Importance of Flexibility in Employee Relations Framework

• Effective communication is vital in fostering understanding and trust between employers and employees. 
• Conflict resolution skills are necessary for addressing disputes and maintaining a harmonious work environment. 
• Empathy and understanding help create a supportive atmosphere where employees feel valued. 
• Strong problem-solving abilities are essential for handling various issues that may arise. 
• Active listening promotes open dialogue and encourages employees to share their concerns. 

Communication is the key to effectively managing relationships. Test your skills now.

Take the free communication skills assessment by Risely today to ensure that common mistakes do not create troubles for you.

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A Case Study on Employee Relations of Modern Foods Ltd

This is a Critical Analysis of the Employee Relations of Modern Foods Ltd in a Case Study form. It takes a 360 degree approach of investigating the different influences of the Employee Relation situation of Modern Foods

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Case study: Virgin Media’s employee voice structure

Employee voice is something Virgin Media takes very seriously

“In the past it was very informal. I was a project manager in my day job and was also leading the national voice on the side,” explains employee voice lead Moira Jennings.

“Voice was taking up about 70% to 80% of my time, so about three years ago it was decided that, if the business really wanted to take voice seriously, the national voice lead needed to be a full-time role.”

This way, Jennings says, voice has been made more of a structured process, with formal elections “rather than managers tapping people on the shoulder”, regular meetings, and reps being given training and objectives.

So Jennings was brought out of her day job to become national employee voice lead. Then there are around 360 voice reps across the organisation, who are also elected by employees for a four-year tenure.

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As a result voice now has a formal structure in the organisation. Local voice forums represent teams in areas of more than 2,000 people. Divisional voice forums (DVF) represent the 11 different business divisions (so 11 forums) to discuss matters affecting the particular division.

One rep in each division is elected as the division lead who runs the DVF. A business lead (the director of the division) and people lead (HR representative), together with the division lead, make up the division leadership team and attend the DVF meetings. “it’s important we have these different heads at the table,” Jennings explains.

“We bring the head of the people, but the director will bring the business head that we might sometimes lose sight of.” What’s important is that the voice reps truly represent the workforce , with 80% currently non-managers.

While the 360-plus voice reps aren’t pulled out of their day jobs, they now have job descriptions for their voice roles. Rather than being an added responsibility to find time for outside of their day-to-day roles, they have time allocated to voice.

For example, for a local rep this is expected to take up 5% of their time, for divisional 10%, and national 20%. These proportions can be adjusted in situations where gaining employee input is more pertinent.

“Right now we have some big changes happening,” says Jennings. “One is the possibility of closing a site. So we’ve brought a national rep out of the business full time until we’ve been through collective consultation so they can focus on it [full time].”

Jennings says that since voice has been formalised at Virgin Media the forums have achieved significant wins for employees, including overhauling the bonus scheme . As the structure continues to be refined more work is underway in 2018, such as plans to raise the profile of voice in Ireland and holding a celebrated Voice Day.

“Sometimes the business doesn’t like what it hears but it appreciates us being honest as we’re speaking on behalf of the people, not ourselves,” says Jennings. “If it doesn’t listen to us [things will] come back and bite it on the backside.”

Further reading

Breaking the silence: Employee voice

Hot Topic: Should employees choose between HR and employee representatives?

Case study: Giving employees a voice at HM Land Registry

Lessons from Europe: Employee representatives at board level

Case study: Three UK's award-winning wellbeing strategy

Employee benefits case study: Korec

Employers failing to give staff a voice at work

Case study: Going greener at UK Power Networks

Employer and Employee Relations Case Study

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Faith Integration (Employer/Employee Relations)

Applying situational leadership, integrating teams at hernandez & associates.

Harry should change the current management philosophy in his family’s firm, as well as its structure. The reason is that the management in the company is realized according to the principles of Theory X, but the shift to Theory Y is required. Even if the textile company seems to compete within the market, the followed management approach cannot guarantee that it will be productive in several years in the context of industry changes regarding the relations between employers and employees.

Currently, the firm operations are based on a strict scheme, according to which managers and employees perform their roles and interact with each other (Hill, 2008). To increase productivity and improve performance in the context of Theory X, it is necessary to raise employees’ wages, but the overall situation in the company will not change.

It is appropriate to act according to Theory Y principles and increase employees’ motivation and productivity with a focus on developing their commitment and relations with managers. It is necessary to change the structure of the firm to make employees more personally involved in the process, self-directed, responsible for their activities, and interested in outcomes (Dharejo, Baloch, & Jhatial, 2017).

Following the principles of Christian ethics, Harry should use the techniques of covenantal management to guarantee that all employees and managers are the part of one team, they are respected, and their interests are addressed. The workforce should be informed regarding the company’s values and goals, teambuilding activities should be organized, and training on respect, dignity, and accountability in the workplace should be conducted.

If Harry does not make any changes in the work of his firm, he will face such risks as decreased productivity, no possibilities for improving employees’ performance, the lack of their commitment, and the impossibility to effectively compete in the market. Furthermore, the absence of changes in management can lead to a turnover and developing a bad reputation for the firm in the market. The reason is that many modern companies try to change their focus from Theory X to Theory Y.

In the past, employees were regarded as not interested in the firm’s success, they disliked their work, and much control was required in order to guarantee high-quality performance (Hill, 2008). Today, the focus is on stimulating employees’ inner motivation and responsibility in the context of Theory Y (Lawter, Kopelman, & Prottas, 2015). As a result, many employees choose to leave companies where they are not provided with opportunities for effective cooperation and development of their abilities and talents.

The absence of any actions means that Harry can lose his employees and suffer from a continuous turnover because, in this firm, employees are treated only as human resources and not as talented individuals. Even if employed immigrants continue to work in Harry’s firm, it will be rather problematic to effectively motivate them to improve performance or demonstrate high results without developing positive relations with them. Thus, the principles of covenantal management should be applied in the company because Harry is at risk of losing the position in the market if an old management strategy is followed.

Betty’s maturity level can be described as moderate to high because of her experience in the field but the lack of education and weaknesses in interacting with subordinates in terms of their motivation. Therefore, the leadership behavior that is appropriate for working with this manager is the participating style (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2015). The leader is expected to provide little direction but still be highly supportive to help Betty improve communication with her subordinates. In turn, Chuck’s level of maturity is moderate to low, and the leader is expected to apply his selling style in order to become highly directive and supportive in cooperating with Chuck to explain to him how to promote the company’s values and goals among employees.

Jay has taken the leading position in the company only for a month, and he lacks experience in working with his team in 30 persons in spite of his knowledge and skills. Therefore, the level of maturity can be discussed as low (Hughes et al., 2015; Yukl, 2013).

At the current stage, the leader should demonstrate the telling style in order to direct Jay in addressing the company’s goals and overcoming the issues associated with the ineffective work of the previous manager in this position. As a result, the leader should be highly directive but less supportive in his behavior while working with Jay (Hughes et al., 2015). Thus, three different approaches should be followed in order to work with each of the mentioned managers because of their different maturity levels.

In order to increase Betty’s level of maturity, it is necessary to provide her with support and education regarding teambuilding and employee motivation. It is important to help Betty improve her attitude toward employees and facilitate their interactions (Hughes et al., 2015). Moreover, the problem with Betty’s management is in her lack of education, and it is possible to recommend training for the purpose of improving her leadership and managerial skills (Yukl, 2013).

Chuck demonstrates problems in following the corporate culture and retaining employees that can lead to his comparably low level of maturity as a manager in spite of his experience in this position. Therefore, Chuck needs to receive additional training regarding corporate culture and techniques to improve employee retention (Hughes et al., 2015; Salehzadeh, Shahin, Kazemi, & Shaemi Barzoki, 2015).

Jay seems to have the lowest level of experience as a manager despite his education and the overall level of knowledge and skills. Therefore, to contribute to Jay’s adaptation and development of professional skills in working with his team, it is important to recommend different types of teambuilding activities (Yukl, 2013). In addition, Jay should also receive certain guidelines on how to cope with problematic situations according to the corporate code of ethics and standards in order to address the consequences associated with the previous manager’s work (Hughes et al., 2015). These interventions will be effective to help these three managers to increase their maturity level, to influence their motivation, as well as to contribute to the company’s further development.

It is possible to effectively use the Team Leadership Model (TLM) in order to successfully diagnose possible problems related to the input, process, or output component. In order to identify leverage points for implementing required changes, Marco needs to analyze inputs in terms of available resources, environments, employees’ competencies, and specifics of leadership (Hughes et al., 2015). The second step is the analysis of processes with the focus on employees’ activities, actions to address clients’ needs, the progress in completing tasks, the coordination of work, and the communication within the team (Matthews & McLees, 2015).

The final step is the analysis of possible weaknesses in providing certain outcomes (Hughes et al., 2015). Marco is expected to examine produced outcomes and state whether the results of the team’s work can effectively meet clients’ needs or requests in the context of a changing business environment. From this perspective, the TLM provides Marco as a leader with many opportunities to identify weak and strong points in the work of his team. Referring to this analysis, Marco can decide on further actions to take.

Having analyzed the input, process, and output associated with the activities of Marco’s team and its characteristics, it is possible to state that the key challenges are related to the process. The problem is that team members are expected to change their usual activities and achieve success while performing completely new tasks. Therefore, the key processes in the company need to be transformed and adapted to clients’ new expectations, and this aspect creates challenges for Marco and his team.

Changes will affect the use of resources, employees’ daily activities, interactions, and monitoring (Hoch & Kozlowski, 2014). Inputs and outputs are not challenging areas for Marco because he has efficient human and material resources to adapt to alterations in a business environment, and outputs will depend directly on the process. Therefore, most changes are expected to be observed in the process category of the TLM, but some changes can also be noticed in the input when training employees.

It is possible to assume that one of Marco’s goals for outputs is the creation of a well-integrated team, the members of which are fully involved in the firm’s processes to change each other if necessary. The associated goal is the development of the team, the members of which have wide knowledge regarding different areas and operations associated with the firm’s activities (Hughes et al., 2015). Thus, it is necessary to guarantee that the knowledge of all employees is broadened in order to ensure they can perform multiple tasks. As a result, the quality of provided services will increase, and outputs for clients will also be improved (Hoch & Kozlowski, 2014).

In this context, one more goal is the provision of required training and education for employees in order to help them adapt to new conditions and develop skills and abilities in unfamiliar areas (Hughes et al., 2015; Matthews & McLees, 2015).

To implement a change strategy in the company, Marco should use the following three types of resources: the level of experience of team members, the ability of employees to work and develop as a team, and the leadership qualities of Marco. Thus, Marco’s employees are well-qualified and professional individuals who can add value to the further development of the company because of their skills and experience.

In addition, the second potential resource is associated with teambuilding activities and strengths of employees related to their teamwork (Matthews & McLees, 2015). It is important to note that Marco’s team has access to all required resources, it is comparably large, and team members know how to effectively work with each other (Hughes et al., 2015). The third group of resources is connected with the qualities of Marco as a leader because he must help the team adapt to new conditions with the focus on providing the necessary guidance, motivation, support, and assistance. Marco needs to apply his leadership skills to overcome the challenging change process and guide his team to success.

Dharejo, N., Baloch, M. N., & Jhatial, A. A. (2017). People management at workplace: Applications of Theory X and Theory Y in public and private organizations sector in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences , 6 (2), 193-206.

Hill, A. (2008). Just business: Christian ethics for the marketplace (Rev. ed.). Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Hoch, J. E., & Kozlowski, S. W. (2014). Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology , 99 (3), 390-412.

Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2015). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill Companies.

Lawter, L., Kopelman, R. E., & Prottas, D. J. (2015). McGregor’s Theory X/Y and job performance: A multilevel, multi-source analysis. Journal of Managerial Issues, 27 (1-4), 84-101.

Matthews, R., & McLees, J. (2015). Building effective projects teams and teamwork. Journal of Information Technology and Economic Development , 6 (2), 20-28.

Salehzadeh, R., Shahin, A., Kazemi, A., & Shaemi Barzoki, A. (2015). Proposing a new approach for evaluating the situational leadership theory based on the Kano model: The case of university students. International Journal of Public Leadership , 11 (1), 4-20.

Yukl, G. A. (2013). Leadership in organizations (11th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Publishing.

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IvyPanda. (2021, April 25). Employer and Employee Relations. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employer-and-employee-relations/

"Employer and Employee Relations." IvyPanda , 25 Apr. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/employer-and-employee-relations/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Employer and Employee Relations'. 25 April.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Employer and Employee Relations." April 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employer-and-employee-relations/.

1. IvyPanda . "Employer and Employee Relations." April 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employer-and-employee-relations/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Employer and Employee Relations." April 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employer-and-employee-relations/.