An organization cant perform only with the help of chairs, tables, fans or other non living entities.

It needs
human beings who work together and perform to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The
human beings working together towards a common goal at a common place (organization) are called
employees. Infact the employees are the major assets of an organization.
The success and failure of any organization is directly proportional to the labour put by each and every
employee. The employees must share a good rapport with each other and strive hard to realize the goal of the
organization. They should complement each other and work together as a single unit. For the employees, the
organization must come first and all their personal interests should take a back seat.
What is Employee Relations ?
Every individual shares a certain relationship with his colleagues at the workplace. The relationship is either
warm, so-so or bad. The relationship can be between any one in the organization - between co workers,
between an employee and his superior, between two members in the management and so on. It is important that
the employees share a healthy relationship with each other to deliver their best performances.

An individual spends his maximum time at the workplace and his fellow workers are the ones with whom he
spends the maximum hours in a day. No way can he afford to fight with his colleagues. Conflicts and
misunderstandings only add to tensions and in turn decrease the productivity of the individual. One needs to
discuss so many things at work and needs the advice and suggestions of all to reach to a solution which would
benefit the individual as well as the organization.
No individual can work alone. He needs the support and guidance of his fellow workers to come out with a
brilliant idea and deliver his level best.
Employee relations refer to the relationship shared among the employees in an organization. The
employees must be comfortable with each other for a healthy environment at work. It is the prime duty of the
superiors and team leaders to discourage conflicts in the team and encourage a healthy relationship among
employees.
Life is really short and it is important that one enjoys each and every moment of it.Remember in an organization
you are paid for your hard work and not for cribbing or fighting with each other. Dont assume that the person
sitting next to you is your enemy or will do any harm to you. Who says you cant make friends at work, infact one
can make the best of friends in the office. There is so much more to life than fighting with each other. Observation
says that a healthy relation among the employees goes a long way in motivating the employees and increasing
their confidence and morale. One starts enjoying his office and does not take his work as a burden. He feels
charged and fresh the whole day and takes each day at work as a new challenge. If you have a good relation
with your team members you feel going to office daily. Go out with your team members for a get together once in
a while or have your lunch together. These activities help in strengthening the bond among the employees and
improve the relations among them.
An employee must try his level best to adjust with each other and compromise to his best extent
possible. If you do not agree to any of your fellow workers ideas, there are several other ways to convince him.
Sit with him and probably discuss with him where he is going wrong and needs a correction. This way he would
definitely look up to you for your advice and guidance in future. He would trust you and would definitely come to
your help whenever you need him. One should never spoil his relations with his colleagues because you never
know when you need the other person. Avoid using foul words or derogatory sentences against anyone. Dont
depend on lose talk in office as it spoils the ambience of the place and also the relation among the employees.
Blame games are a strict no no in office.
One needs to enter his office with a positive frame of mind and should not unnecessarily make issues
out of small things. It is natural that every human being can not think the way you think, or behave the way you
behave. If you also behave in the similar way the other person is behaving, there is hardly any difference
between you and him. Counsel the other person and correct him wherever he is wrong.
It is of utmost importance that employees behave with each other in a cultured way, respect each other and learn
to trust each other. An individual however hardworking he is, cannot do wonders alone. It is essential that all the
employees share a cordial relation with each other, understand each others needs and expectations and work
together to accomplish the goals and targets of the organization.
Every individual at the workplace shares a certain relationship with his fellow workers. Human beings are not
machines who can start working just at the push of a mere button. They need people to talk to, discuss ideas with
each other and share their happiness and sorrows. An individual cannot work on his own, he needs people
around. If the organization is all empty, you will not feel like sitting there and working. An isolated environment
demotivates an individual and spreads negativity around. It is essential that people are comfortable with each
other and work together as a single unit towards a common goal.
It is important that employees share a healthy relation with each other at the work place. Let us find out why
employee relations are important in an organization:
There are several issues on which an individual cannot take decisions alone. He needs the
guidance and advice of others as well. Sometimes we might miss out on important points, but our fellow
workers may come out with a brilliant idea which would help us to achieve our targets at a much faster
rate. Before implementing any plan, the pros and cons must be evaluated on an open forum where every
employee has the right to express his opinions freely. On your own, you will never come to know where
you are going wrong, you need people who can act as critic and correct you wherever you are wrong. If
you do not enjoy a good relation with others no one will ever come to help you.
Work becomes easy if it is shared among all. A healthy relation with your fellow workers would ease
the work load on you and in turn increases your productivity. One cannot do everything on his own.
Responsibilities must be divided among team members to accomplish the assigned tasks within the
stipulated time frame. If you have a good rapport with your colleagues, he will always be eager to assist
you in your assignments making your work easier.
The organization becomes a happy place to work if the employees work together as a family. An
individual tends to lose focus and concentration if his mind is always clouded with unnecessary tensions
and stress. It has been observed that if people talk and discuss things with each other, tensions
automatically evaporate and one feels better. Learn to trust others, you will feel relaxed. One doesnt feel
like going to office if he is not in talking terms with the person sitting next to him. An individual spends
around 8-9 hours in a day at his workplace and practically it is not possible that one works non stop
without a break. You should have people with whom you can share your lunch, discuss movies or go out
for a stroll once in a while. If you fight with everyone, no one will speak to you and you will be left all
alone. It is important to respect others to expect the same from them.
An individual feels motivated in the company of others whom he can trust and fall back on
whenever needed. One feels secure and confident and thus delivers his best. It is okay if you share your
secrets with your colleagues but you should know where to draw the line. A sense of trust is important.
Healthy employee relations also discourage conflicts and fights among individuals. People tend to
adjust more and stop finding faults in each other. Individuals dont waste their time in meaningless
conflicts and disputes, rather concentrate on their work and strive hard to perform better. They start
treating each other as friends and try their level best to compromise and make everyone happy.
A healthy employee relation reduces the problem of absenteeism at the work place. Individuals are
more serious towards their work and feel like coming to office daily. They do not take frequent leaves and
start enjoying their work. Employees stop complaining against each other and give their best
It is wise to share a warm relation with your fellow workers, because you never know when you
need them. You may need them any time. They would come to your help only when you are nice to
them. You might need leaves for some personal reasons; you must have a trusted colleague who can
handle the work on your behalf. Moreover healthy employee relations also spread positivity around.
It is essential that employees are comfortable with each other for better focus and concentration, lesser conflicts
and increased productivity.
Strategies to Improve Employee Relations
For the organization to perform better it is important that the employees are comfortable with each other,
share a good rapport and work in close coordination towards a common objective. People feel
responsible and motivated to do good work and enjoy their work rather than taking it as a burden.
It is important that the management promotes healthy employee relations at workplace to extract the best out of
each individual. Competition is essential but it should not promote negativity or any kind of enmity among the
employees.
Let us go through some steps and strategies for a healthy employee relationship in the organization.
Involve your team members: They should feel important and indispensable for the organization. An
individual must be assigned responsibilities according to their interests and responsibilities. Dont
impose work on them. Let them willingly accept challenges. They must enjoy whatever they do
otherwise they would end up fighting with their superiors and fellow workers.
Encourage individuals to share their work with each other: This way people tend to talk with each
other more, discuss things among themselves and thus the comfort level increases. Let them work
together and take decisions on their own. A team leader should intervene only in extreme cases of
conflicts and severe misunderstandings.
Assign them targets and ask all your team members to contribute equally and achieve the target
within the desired time frame. Motivate them to work in groups. This way employees have no other
choice than to trust their fellow workers and take each others help as well. An employee must have the
liberty to express his ideas and all of them should sit together to decide on something which would be
beneficial to all.
One should try his level best that all the employees must have their lunch together at the same
time. Half an hour to fourty five minutes must be dedicated to lunch and one should not discuss work
during lunch time. There are other topics as well. Discuss movies, sports, shopping or any other thing
under the sun. There will be no harm if the employees go out together once in a while for get togethers,
picnics or shopping. Ask them to bring their family members as well.
Encourage effective communication among the team members. It has been observed that poor
communication leads to confusions and misunderstandings. The communication has to be precise and
relevant. One should not play with words and be very specific about his expectations from his fellow
workers as well as the organization. If you are not very happy with your colleagues proposal, dont keep
things to yourself. Voice your opinion and do express your displeasure. It will definitely prevent a conflict
among employees later and improve the relations among them. Be straightforward. Dont pretend things
just to please your boss. If you find anything unacceptable, discuss with your superior but in a polite
way.
Written modes of communication must be promoted among the employees for better
transparency. Verbal communication is not as reliable as written communication. The agendas,
minutes of the meeting, important issues must be circulated among all through emails. Make sure that
all the related employees are in the loop. Dont communicate individually with any of the employees as
the other one might feel neglected and left out.
Morning meeting is another effective way to improve the relation among the employees. Let
everyone come together on a common platform and discuss whatever issues they have. The meetings
must not be too formal. Allow the team members to bring their cups of coffee. Start your day with a
positive mind. Greet everyone with a warm smile. Exchange greetings and compliments. If any of your
team member is not in a pleasant mood, do take the initiative and ask what is wrong with him. Try your
level best to provide him a solution.
Organize birthday parties, Christmas parties, New Year parties etc. at the workplace. These small
initiatives actually go a long way in strengthening the bond among the employees. Ask all of them to
decorate the office, their work stations and make all the necessary arrangements themselves. You will
actually be surprised to find out that everyone would be ready with some thing or the other. Employees
would actually take the initiative and organize things on their own. Let them enjoy with each other and
have fun.
Praise the individual if he has done something exceptionally well. Reward him suitably. The names of
the top performers must be displayed on the notice boards for others to draw inspiration from them.
Encourage everyone to perform well to live up to the expectations of the superiors as well as the
management.
A healthy relation among employees promotes a positive ambience at the work place and employees feel happy
and satisfied at work. They look forward to going to office daily and also work hard to realize their teams as well
as organizations goals
Role of Motivation in Employee Relationship
A healthy employee relationship leads to an increased level of satisfaction among the employees and in turn an
increased productivity. Workplace becomes a much happier place and employees tend to concentrate more on
work rather than unproductive things.
Motivation plays an important role in a healthy employee relationship.
A motivated employee works better and at a much faster rate as compared to others. Motivating the
employee would in turn benefit the organization only. You need to charge your cell phone after sometime for it to
operate well, similarly a human being needs to be motivated from time to time to avoid a dip in his performance
and for him to remain loyal towards the management. Motivation acts as a catalyst for organizations success
and helps the individuals to remain productive and deliver better results everytime.

Simple words like Well done, Bravo, Great, Wow can actually work wonders and go a long way in
motivating an individual. If any employee has done exceptionally well, do appreciate him. Give him a pat on his
back. The employees feel contended at work and thus share a warm relationship with their superiors. They do
not badmouth anyone in the office or speak ill of their organization. Higher motivation rate results in more
satisfied employees. Every organization invests time and money to groom an individual and make him a
corporate material. It is absolutely an organizations loss if it is not able to retain its employees. A motivated
employee would stick to an organization for a longer duration and enjoy a healthy relationship with his colleagues
and fellow workers. He would not be engaged in disputes and instead work hard to achieve his targets and in a
way benefitting the organization.
A token of appreciation is a must. Cash prize, gift vouchers and shopping coupons help in motivating the
employees to a great extent. Every individual tries hard to win the prize money and does not get time to fight or
criticize others. They do not lose focus and instead take each others help to accomplish their tasks within the
stipulated time frame. They get a motive to work.
The employees must be motivated not to spread negativity around. They should be encouraged not to make
issues out of small things and do not bring their personal tensions to work. They should be made to realize the
importance of team work at the workplace and healthy relation with colleagues. No one should forget their
purpose of coming to the organization.
Motivate employees to work in a group rather than working alone. They must realize that working in a group
means a better exchange of ideas and thoughts to come to an unique idea fruitful for them as well as the
organization. Employees should be motivated to help each other and treat their team members as a part of their
extended family. Individuals should complement each other at work but one should not forget his limit. Too much
of a friendly nature again leads to problems and unrealistic expectations.
Award ceremonies must be organized at the workplace every month or after every three months to
acknowledge the top performers. Call them on the dais and honour them. Display their names on the
companys main notice board so that every employee gets to know about it. Give the top performers badges for
them to flaunt and do this activity in the presence of all. Dont do it separately as the other employee might get
hurt and start fighting with his team members. These kinds of activities slightly give an upper edge to the
employees who have worked hard and performed well. Others also feel inspired to perform better next time.
Job rotations and promotions are also an important way to motivate the employees. The management
must ensure that each one is happy with their work and monotony does not creep in to the team. When an
individual does not enjoy his work, he would always look for excuses to fight with his colleagues and spoil the
environment. He would be indulged in lose talks and always blame others for his non performance leading to an
unhealthy relation among employees.
It is important that the employees are motivated well to extract the best out of them and ensure a healthy relation
among the employees.
The performance of an individual is largely dependent on the relation he shares with his colleagues. It is really
important that individuals are friendly with their colleagues so that they can discuss several issues with each
other and come to a conclusion best suited to all. No individual can perform alone. Tasks are accomplished at a
much faster rate when the work load is shared among all and each one contributes in his best possible way.
Nothing productive has ever come out of conflicts and disputes. They in turn lead to major rifts among
employees and create stress at the workplace. Why to unnecessarily spoil relations with people? You never
know when you might need the other person.
Attitude plays an important role in improving the relationship among the individuals. Nothing is possible
unless and until an individual has a positive attitude towards life. You might have excellent communication skills,
might be an intelligent worker, but if you dont have a positive attitude; you would definitely fail to create an
impression of yours. People would be reluctant to speak to you and you would be left all alone.

An individual should never ever have a negative attitude at workplace. It is dangerous. Your organization
pays you and in turn expects quality work from you, so why unnecessarily crib over things. It is always better to
accept things with a smiling face. If your boss assigns you some task, it means that he finds you capable enough
to handle the assignment. Consider yourself fortunate and the chosen one. Dont make faces as your superior
might feel bad and eventually lose his trust on you. Clear all your doubts with the person, who has delegated you
the responsibility, rather than criticising and making fun in front of others who are not involved.
Dont always find faults in others. No two individuals are alike. The other person might not be as intelligent or
as educated as you are, try your level best to adjust with him. Adjustment does not mean accepting any wrong
things, rather it is compromising sometimes.
Sam and Sara were team members and sat at adjacent workstations. Sam had a habit of constantly chatting over
the phone with his friends and family, which sometimes irritated Sara.
Case - 1 Sara always thought that Sam did it intentionally to disturb her. She fought with Sam terribly and now
has strained relationship with her team member.
Case - 2 Sara spoke to Sam about her displeasure, convinced him and requested him to either speak a little low
or go outside for attending calls. Now a days Sara and Sam are best of friends and together they contribute
effectively to their teams targets.
Case 2 is any day a far better option.
One should not be too rigid or adamant. Be a little more flexible. Dont always assume that the other person is
wrong and only you are correct. You may be wrong sometimes. Listen to what the other person has to say and
then only come to a conclusion. Dont take any decisions with a blocked mind.
An individual should not make issues out of small things. It is always better to forget things. Ignore things as
long as they are not affecting your teams performance. Dont take things to heart. The more you become
negative for your colleagues, the more you fight with them and in turn spoil your relationship.
One should be forgiving. If your boss is angry with you over something, do take the initiative and say a sorry to
him. A simple Sorry can actually do wonders. If you do not have the courage to talk to him, send him a sms.
Saying sorry will not lower your self-esteem, instead it would strengthen the bond between you and your superior.
One should never backstab anyone just for the sake of a mere promotion or some money. It is unethical. Human
relationships are more important and should be valued.
Dont carry your ego to work. Everyone is equal at workplace. Respect one and all as everyone is an employee
just like you. Dont treat anyone as untouchables.
One should always keep his personal life separate from his professional affairs. Dont drag your personal
tensions to work. Try to keep a balance between the two. You cannot afford to ill-treat your colleague just
because you had a fight with your spouse the previous night. Your fellow team members have nothing to do with
it. Learn to enjoy life. One should always look at the brighter side of life.
Treat your colleagues as your friends. Give them time and try to mingle with them as much as you can. Go out
together for shopping or for a movie once in a while. You will feel attached to them. The trust factor and the
comfort level increases.
Remember there is always some light at the end of a dark tunnel. Never lose hope in life. Stay positive, be good
to others and enjoy a healthy relation with one and all.
Role of HR in Employee Relationship
It is rightly said that the success and failure of an organization is directly proportional to the relationship
shared among the employees. The employees must share a cordial relation otherwise they would always
end up fighting with each other. Nothing is possible without trust. You need to trust people to expect the
best out of them. Trust only comes when you are comfortable with the other person. An individual cant
always take decisions alone. Employees together can discuss things among themselves, come out with
innovative ideas and accomplish the tasks at a much faster rate.
A human resource professional plays a key role in binding the employees together. He/she must
undertake certain activities which help in strengthening the bond among the employees and bring them
closer.
The individual taking care of the HR activities plays a key role in involving all the employees into
something productive which would give them an opportunity to know each other well. Individuals are
so engrossed in their daily routine work that they hardly get time to interact with each other. Many of them
dont even know the full names of the person sitting next to their workstations. The human resource
department must ensure that several group activities are being organized at the workplace to bring all
employees on a common platform.

Research says that if the employees are satisfied with their job responsibilities, they tend to remain happy and
avoid conflicts with each other. Individuals develop a feeling of trust and loyalty towards their organization and
dont waste their time and energy in unproductive tasks.
Organize various activities like potlucks and small get togethers at the workplace. Ask each one to bring
some dish according to his taste and convenience. Let the employees enjoy together. Employees tend to discuss
lot many things apart from routine work in these kinds of informal get togethers.
One day probably the last day of the month should be earmarked with the sole objective of celebrating
birthdays falling in the particular month. For example all those born in the month of May should celebrate their
birthdays together on the last day of the month i.e. 31st May which will help a great deal for them to remain
charged for next one year. The HR should send a formal mail inviting all. Let everyone enjoy and have fun. Divide
individuals into groups and ask each group to do something. One group can probably be responsible for the
decoration of the venue; the other group can take care of the cake as well as other eatables and so on. The HR
person should ideally support each group to ensure that no one faces any difficulty in getting things organized.
It is the responsibility of the human resources team to organize various events like sports day, annual day, green
day etc. The employees must be encouraged to participate in these kinds of extra curricular activities.
Employees are able to relax this way and take a break from their routine work. Problems crop up when the work
tends to become monotonous. Employees should enjoy coming to office, rather than treating work as a burden.
The HR in coordination with the team leaders must display the names of the top performers every month on the
companys noticeboard.Send a congratulations mail as well. The human resource professional along with the
supervisor can even hand over a small trophy as a token of appreciation to the top performers. Do this activity in
the presence of all. The one who has performed well starts trusting his management more and strives hard to win
many more trophies in the future. Everyone is aware about each others performance and gets inspired as well.
While making the organizations policies, the human resource department must fix a common time for lunch for
all the employees. Assign half an hour for the same and make sure that no one during the lunch time is
seen working at their workstations. Everyone should come together at the office canteen and take lunch
together. When people sit together, half of their problems disappear on their own. Employees share their
sorrows, displeasures and various other problems with their colleagues and this way come closer to each other.
People develop better bonding this way.
When a new employee joins an organization, make sure he receives a warm welcome by all. The induction
program should be conducted at the auditorium or the conference room so that everyone can be invited. Ask the
new joinee to introduce himself well. Let others know that a new member has stepped into their family to help
them in their assignments.
The HR along with the line managers must communicate the key responsibility areas clearly to the employees to
extract the best out of them and avoid dissatisfactions later
How do you think an organization runs? With the help of people who contribute in their own way to accomplish
tasks and achieve goals of the organization. The individuals who spend their maximum part of the day at the
workplace, striving hard to reach to a conclusion benefiting them as well as the organization are called as
employees. In a laymans language employees are the lifeline of an organization. A human being would die if
there is no blood in his body, similarly an organization cant survive without employees. Employees are the main
assets of the organization and it is really important for them to prioritize their tasks at the workplace. They should
think about their company more than anything else. To extract the best out of each team member, it is important
that they enjoy their work and feel attached to the organization. An employee must be committed towards his
organization for him to deliver his best and remain motivated.
The employees must be engaged in productive and challenging tasks so that they do not lose their focus and
avoid conflicts and unnecessary disputes. An employee must be engaged in his work for maximum output.

What is Employee Engagement ?
Employee engagement refers to a condition where the employees are fully engrossed in their work and
are emotionally attached to their organization. One cant achieve anything unless and until one is serious
about it. An employee must be dedicated towards his work and should take it as a challenge. Work should never
get monotonous as it would then be a burden for the individual.
Problems arise when individuals have nothing creative to do and sit idle the whole day. They start interfering in
each others work and tend to become negative for the organization. They start finding reasons to fight with their
fellow workers and crib about almost everything.
The employees must be assigned challenging assignments as per their interests and expectations so that they
devote their maximum time to work rather than loitering and gossiping around. The team leaders or the managers
must ensure to review their team members performance on a weekly basis to find out whether they are enjoying
their work or not? An employee must not treat his organization as a mere source of earning money only. An
organization is a place where employees go to upgrade their skills and learn something new every day. One must
respect and love his job to expect the same. Never talk ill of your organization in front of anyone.
Effective ways to enhance Employee Engagement
The team leader should understand his members well. Do not assign anything which the employee would
not find interesting.
Effective communication enhances employee engagement. Make sure there is transparency in
communication at all levels and everyone is aware of what is happening around him.
The management must constantly motivate his employees. Cash prizes, trophies, gift vouchers,
certificates are an effective way to motivate the employees and keep them engaged in their work. Give
them a target and ask them to achieve that within a particular time frame to earn handsome incentives or
lucrative prizes. This way, the employees would not waste their time and spend their maximum time
working and aiming for the rewards.
The team leader or the manager must be in constant dialogue with his team members. He should know
what his team members are up to. Performance monitoring is important. The team members should be
answerable to their immediate bosses.
Be friendly with your team. Dont ask them to stay back late unnecessarily. They are likely to commit
more mistakes and eventually lose interest in work. Let them go back home on time and enjoy their
personal lives as well. Rejuvenation is essential for an individual to remain happy and stress free. More
than a strict boss, be a mentor to them and stand by them always.
Encourage your team members to think out of the box. Ask them do their work in a little different way
than they normally do. The employees must put on their thinking caps at workplace and accomplish the
task in the most innovative way.
Such activities help the employees to develop a sense of trust and loyalty towards the management and stick to
the organization for a longer period of time. They consider the organizations goals as their goals and thus try to
achieve them at any cost. The employees learn to take ownership of their work and do every possible thing which
satisfies them as well as the organization.
Employee Engagement and Employee Relationship
Employee engagement refers to a situation where the employees are engaged in their work and hardly
get any time to gossip or spread rumours. It has been observed that an employee engaged in work tends to
avoid fighting with others and thus enjoys a warm relationship with his colleagues.
Most of the time he is busy with his work and stays away from nasty politics or interfering in each others tasks.
Both the two terms have a direct relationship with each other. In the real sense, employee engagement is
directly proportional to employee relationship. More the employees are engrossed in their work; the better the
relation among them.
Let us understand the relation between the two with an example:
Michael was heading the marketing and the branding team of a leading firm. He had four team members
reporting to him. Michael being a responsible team leader ensured all his team members were assigned
challenging tasks for them to enjoy their work. The team members were always on the toes to do something
creative everytime. Michael took his lunch with his team members in the companys cafeteria and made sure to
spend some together every weekend. His team members never fought with each other, instead enjoyed their
work, discussed things among themselves and came out with innovative ideas satisfying all. Most of the time
they were seen glued to their workstations and hardly had any time for lose talks, gossips, blame games or
criticism.

An employee sitting idle the whole day at workplace creates problems. It is rightly said that an empty mind
is a devils workshop. People with no productive work to do actually look for excuses to argue and even provoke
others to fight. They are involved in all kinds of destructive work and pose a threat to the decorum and peace of
the organization. An employee who finds his work interesting would never bother whether his colleague is
chatting over the phone or dating someone. He would be more concerned with his work and strive hard to
complete it within the desired time frame. He would utilize his time in completing his assignments to submit it
further rather than peeping into his colleagues computer or finding faults in others.
An employee who is satisfied with his job profile would always think in the favour of the company and would stay
away from doing anything which would bring a bad name to his team as well as his organization. He would prefer
working rather than wasting his precious time in unproductive tasks. Engaged and satisfied employees always try
their level best to work hard and justify their salary.
An employee who is serious about his work would definitely complete it at a much faster rate as compared to non
serious workers. Chances of mistakes in their work would also be less and but natural they would earn
appreciation from their superiors or team leaders. Their work would be liked by all and hence they would
definitely enjoy a healthy relationship with their superiors and fellow workers. Employees would be able to
complete their assignments on time and thus impressing the management.
The team leader should ensure that the key responsibility areas of the team members match with their
interests and specialization. It is essential that the employees dont treat their work as a burden and look
forward to going to office daily. In such cases employees enter the office with a positive frame of mind and are
more adjusting and compromising with each other. They readily help each other and enjoy a healthy relationship
with their fellow team members.
An employee must concentrate on his work rather than fighting with others and spoiling his relationship with his
fellow workers.
Tips for a Professional for a Better Employee Relationship
For an organization to perform well, it is essential that the employees share a warm and a healthy relationship
among themselves. They must be comfortable with each other for them to enjoy their work and deliver their level
best. Disputes and disagreements only lead to stress and nothing productive comes out of it.
Let us go through some handy tips for a professional for a healthy employee relationship:
The first and the foremost mantra for a healthy employee relationship is effective
communication. A professional must communicate effectively by carefully putting his thoughts into
relevant words to avoid confusions and better understanding at the workplace. One should never play
with words or speak something which might make the other person feel awkward or out of place. Ones
communication has to be crisp and precise to create an impression. There should be transparency in
speech at all levels for a healthy relationship. Pass on the information as it is.Never manipulate the
truth. Communication is an art.No individual is born with effective communication skills; it comes in due
course of time with practice.

Professionals must depend more on written modes of communication than verbal as it is more
reliable and one cant back out later. An email is nothing but a reflection of ones thoughts and should
be self explanatory for the others to respond accordingly. Take care of the style and font of the mail. One
needs to be very careful about the subject line as the other person opens the mail only when the subject
line is impressive and relevant. The mail should be marked to all the employees who should be a part of
the communication with a cc to the team leader for him to be aware of what is happening in his team.
Dont send mails separately to individuals as it might create a confusion and eventually a friction among
employees.
One should never adopt a casual attitude at work. Be professional in your approach. Learn to be
disciplined. A professional must abide by the policies of the organization for better relations and peace at
work. An individual should not take frequent leaves to ensure timely submission of work. Dont
unnecessarily ask for favours from your team members. For a better relationship with the fellow workers,
one should not interfere in each others work. No one would appreciate if you peep into your colleagues
computer screen or open something not meant for you. One should be more concerned with his own
work rather than bothering about others. Your organization pays you for your hard work so one should
not waste his time in criticizing or making fun of others. How would you feel if someone unnecessarily
pulls you into a controversy? You would never feel like talking to him. Avoid playing blame game at work.
Learn to own your responsibilities else you would be left all alone in the office. Backstabbing should be
avoided as it is considered highly unprofessional and spoils the relationship among the employees.
Dont walk into meetings empty handed. Carry a notepad along with you to jot down the important
points for future reference. An individual cant remember each and everything thus it is always advisable
to write down somewhere to avoid forgetting things later and earn the criticism of others. Develop the
habit of carrying a planner to mark the important dates. The agenda and the minutes of the meeting must
be circulated among all so that everyone gets a common picture and nobody feels neglected.
It is essential to maintain the decorum of the office. Remember you are not sitting at your home
where you can shout on anyone. Be polite to everyone irrespective of his designation and level in the
hierarchy. Never use foul words or abusive language against anyone as it lead to severe disputes among
employees. If you do not agree to someone, it is better to sit with him and discuss rather than arguing
and spoiling your relationship. A professional must avoid gossiping and spreading unnecessary rumours
at work.
Employees must help each other at work for a better relationship. One should avoid being jealous
and selfish at work. If someone has done well, do appreciate him. Lend a sympathetic ear to your fellow
workers if they are in trouble. Be a little more adjusting. Things cant always be the same as you want,
compromise sometimes to your best extent possible. Dont just rush to your desk and start working the
moment you step into your office. Greet others with a warm smile. Take your lunch with your team
members and do go out once in a while to increase the comfort level. Celebrate festivals at the workplace
where each and every employee can come together and enjoy. Dont forget to wish your colleague on his
birthday. Bring a nice gift for him as well.
One should intervene immediately in case of conflicts and arguments. Dont tend to ignore things.
One needs to be loyal towards his organization to be in the good books of the management as well as to
grow professionally. Never misguide anyone. If you are not aware of something, it is better to stay out of
it than misleading the other person.
Last but not the least one should always have a positive attitude at work. Try to be friendly with
your colleagues and dont always find faults in them. Dont assume that your colleagues would always
harm you. One should always look at the positive side of the things to avoid stress and maintain a cordial
relationship with everyone at work.
Donts for a Healthy Employee Relationship
An organization is a place to work and not a battle field where employees would fight with each other. One needs
to treat his fellow workers well, understand each others expectations for a healthy relationship and maximum
output. The employees must be comfortable with each other and work together as a team.
Remember there is no I in a team. Every employee should think about his team first and all his personal
interests should take a backseat. It is important that each and every employee works in close coordination with
each other and decide something which would satisfy all.
Dont treat your colleagues as your enemy. Learn to respect as well as trust them. Team leaders and superiors
must ensure a healthy relationship among the employees to avoid negativity within the teams.
Let us go through some important points which must be avoided at the workplace for a warm relationship among
the employees:

Avoid partiality at work. Dont treat someone well just because he stays near your place or brings lunch
for you daily. Everyone must be treated as one. If someone has done something wrong, it is the duty of
the team leader to correct him irrespective of the relations he shares with him. Favouritism must not be
promoted at the workplace.
Every individual should be assigned work as per their interest and capability. The work should be equally
divided among all. Dont impose your decisions on your team members. Let them decide on their own
what is correct for them and what is not.
The employees must avoid lose talks and blame games at work. They actually dont help. Learn to
own your mistakes and find out ways to correct them. It is absolutely natural to commit mistakes. Every
human being does, so no need to panic and pass on the blame to others. It severely spoils the
relationship among the employees. One should not spread unnecessary rumours about any of his
colleagues. If you come to know something about anyone, it is better to discuss with him in private rather
than publicising the whole story. Just think what would you gain out of it?
An individual must never break his colleagues trust. If your team member has shared one of his
secrets with you, please keep it to yourself only. If the person sitting next to you has expressed his
displeasure over anything, dont disclose it in front of your boss or others. Avoid nasty politics at
workplace. If you cant help anyone it is better to stay out of it rather than giving wrong suggestions
Avoid communicating with employees individually. Meetings must not always be conducted one to
one. Call all of them together and address them on an open forum. Let each and every one express their
concerns. Emails must be sent with all the participants in loop and suggestions must be invited from their
side. The communication has to be transparent for a better employee relationship.
Avoid criticism at work. Never make fun of anyone. Pointing mistakes is important but make sure you
do not insult the other person. Sit with him. and make him realize his mistakes. Dont be rude or harsh to
anyone.
Dont have separate lunch timings for the employees. Gone are the days when managers and
supervisors used to sit in their closed cabins and special peons were assigned to them. The concept has
changed now a days and everyone is one working for a common goal. The team leaders position will not
be tarnished if he takes his lunch with his team members. Dont always discuss work at your office. If it is
your colleagues birthday, do make it a point to wish him in the morning. He will feel happy.
Too much of interference in each others work is bad and can lead to adverse effects. Dont
unnecessarily peep into each others computer screens. One must respect each others privacy. It is
important to do work together but dont ask too many questions or tend to irritate others. Dont always try
to find out what the other person is up to. Never ever read anyone elses notes or open any courier or
envelope not meant for you. If your colleague has asked you to send a mail from his system on his
behalf, make sure you dont read any of his personal mails.
One should be a little positive for better employee relations. Dont always assume that the other
person is wrong. Avoid unnecessary cribbing at workplace. If you are not well, it is better to stay at home
rather than going to work and spoiling everyone elses mood. Try to look at life from a larger perspective.
Finding faults in others must be avoided for a better relation.
Avoid being selfish at work. Try to help others. Dont ignore things just because it is not related to you.
Understand the other individuals problem and try your level best to sort it out. Every individual needs a
break and if your team member asks for a leave do allow him but make sure your work does not suffer.
This way your team members would respect you and discuss issues more freely in the future.
Efforts must be taken to avoid conflicts at work so that employees come closer to each other,
work together and does not lose their focus. They must be cordial with each other for a warm and a
healthy ambience at workplace.
Foster Positive Employee Relations Using Communication Best Practices

Organizations are always striving to maintain positive employee relations. This is especially true during such
trying times as the current economic downturn at such times, employers feel especially strong pressure to
retain top talent in order to meet and exceed business demands. However, organizations often face dwindling
resources at such critical periods, meaning that they must be creative in terms of maintaining these positive
relations. One cheap and easy way in which positive relations can be preserved is through smart communication
practices.
Communication, especially between employees and leadership, can have a major impact on employee relations.
When effective communication practices are in places, employees generally feel more connected and committed
to the organization. However, when communication breaks down, employee relation problems are more likely to
occur. Here are a few tips for improving or establishing organizational communication practices to preserve
positive employee relations.
1. Conduct a communications audit. A preventative measure that organizations can take is to conduct a
communications audit. A communications audit is a snapshot of an organizations communication strategies,
activities, and programs (Coffman, 2004). This process can inform an organization as to which communication
practices work and which may need to be improved. A variety of methods can be utilized in a communications
audit, such as workplace observation, interviews or surveys of employees or leadership, and focus groups.
Communication audits are especially important for determining where communication breakdowns may have led
employees to be confused or misinformed on organizational rules, policies, and practices. Once areas are
identified for improvement, organizations can determine an action plan to repair or implement new
communication processes.
2. Provide a well-designed outlet for employees to communicate suggestions and concerns to
management. To maintain positive relations, many organizations utilize a variety of systems for employees to
communicate their suggestions and concerns to management. When employees feel like they have a voice in the
organization, they are generally more engaged, especially when they see their suggestions implemented. This also
benefits employers as employees, being in the trenches of the organization, often bring to light ideas for change
and streamlining of organizational processes, which result in cost saving and increased productivity.
In ERCs recent Employee Relations Survey, organizations reported using many types of suggestion systems,
ranging from face-to-face and group meetings to management blogs and social media. What is best for each
organization depends on the culture of that organization but no matter what, there are some best practices that
are recommended for establishing an effective and well-received suggestion program (Heathfield, 2010).
Appoint a cross-functional suggestion review team. Many organizations designate specific
suggestion review teams or taskforces from a cross-section of departments. Each employee in this group can
provide a unique perspective on each suggestion and its viability, and this team often has the power to
recommend and implement suggestions.
Establish guidelines for the employee suggestion program. Good suggestion programs have
guidelines as to what topics are open to suggestions. Typically, acceptable suggestions include ideas on cost
savings, productivity, process improvement, and morale improvement. Suggestion programs that merely
become outlets for complaints and venting do not lead to enhanced positive employee relations.
Communicate the process. A suggestion box tucked into a corner does little good for employees or for the
organization. For a suggestion program to be successful, the employees have to know how to submit their
suggestions and concerns. Employees should understand who evaluates ideas, how decisions are made, and
how rewards are allocated (if applicable).
Recognize and reward. A very effective way to foster positive employee relations is to provide rewards or
recognition for employee suggestions. The resuls of a recent ERC survey (2010), showed that 30% of
organizations rewarded suggestions in some way. A rewards program has the potential to positively affect
employee relations so long as the process is made explicit and employees understand why or why not they
are being rewarded. Keep in mind that rewards do not need to be costlypraise can be its own reward. For
instance, in lieu of cash awards, many organizations provide recognition in meetings or newsletters for great
employee ideas and suggestions.
Provide feedback. Feedback on employees suggestions and ideas should be provided, perhaps privately if
suggestions are not anonymous. Weve seen situations where employees are less likely to provide suggestions
if they fear that their idea could be publicly rejected. In some programs employees can actually track the
progress of their ideas from submission to implementation. If feedback is not feasible, acknowledging and
showing appreciation for suggestions, at the very least, is crucial.
3. Have leadership interact with employees at all levels of the organization. A personal connection
between leaders and employees can go a long way in building and maintaining positive employee relations. When
employees have an opportunity to meet, talk with, and be empowered by organizational leaders, they feel more
emotionally committed to the organization, engaged, and willing to work harder for the organization (Avolio,
Zhu, Koh, & Bhatia, 2004). A recent ERC survey (2010) found that most organizations (86%) provide
opportunities for upper management to meet with lower-level employees, and organizations can utilize a few
different strategies to do so such as:
Walking the floor. In some organizations, leaders and upper management use a management by walking
around style. These leaders will walk around the office or work area, stopping to greet and interact with
employees. These managers are often on a first-name basis with everyone in the organization.
Social outings. Social outings and organizational events are great ways for leadership to meet with
employees and build relationships. Many leaders take part in fun games and events, creating bonding
experiences with employees. A somewhat common practice is leaders cooking out for employees or doing
something special to serve them.
Employee forums and focus groups. Rather than wait for employees to communicate suggestions and
concerns, leaders can proactively invite employees across the organization to attend forums and focus
groups. Employees appreciate and respond positively when they have an opportunity to communicate their
ideas directly to leaders, and this can go a long way in building positive employee relations.
Personal recognition. When employees achieve great things or reach milestones, personal recognition
from leadership is a very meaningful occurrence. When upper management communicates recognition,
either personally or through a public venue (such as a newsletter or intranet), employees feel empowered to
continue to succeed in the workplace.
The importance and value of strong positive employee relations is something that should not be overlooked by
organizations. Strengthening employee relations can have great benefits for a business and one clear way to
improve relations is through effective and well-planned communication. Any organization, whether big or small,
is capable of fostering a rich flow of ideas and information among its employees. All it takes is a little forethought,
some solid planning, and a true desire to listen and to share.
Additional Resources
Employee Engagement Surveys To have ERC conduct an employee engagement survey for your
organization, please contact consulting@ercnet.org.
HR Help Desk For guidance and best practices related to a variety of employee relations issues, please
contact hrhelp@ercnet.org.
Surveys To download ERCs Employee Relations Survey, please click here.
Training To help your supervisors better handle employee relations issues, consider sending them to
ERCs Supervisory Series I workshops that will give them the tools and insights to succeed in their
managerial role.