Workplace relationships play an important role in almost everything that happens in a company. Strong relationships between employers and the employees allow for a more cohesive teamwork, faster and more effective production, and a more positive workplace culture that helps reduce problems such as stress and job burnout. Moreover, it can even help employers cut down on human resources costs through better employee retention.
However, you can’t just expect each one of your employees to have no trouble forming strong bonds with their colleagues and building an affinity with the company and its management. You need to take the right approach if you want to nurture stronger workplace relationships. Hopefully, these tips can help set you on the right track.
- Develop trust between you and your employees
Trust is the foundation of a strong relationship. If your employees do not trust you as an employer to treat them right, then you can’t expect a healthy relationship between you and them. You have to earn their trust and let them know that you hired them because you want them to be a part of your company.
One of the best ways to show your trust is through the implementation of incentive compensation plans. By rewarding employees for good performance, you’re basically letting them know that you appreciate their hard work and that you’ll go out of your way to make sure they are rewarded. If you’re unable to invest resources in a team that specifically handles employee incentive compensation management, consider having this service outsourced to third-party professionals instead.
- Hear employees out
One of the worst things that can ruin an employee’s trust in an employer is the lack of proper acknowledgement of their desires and ideas. If an employee’s suggestions keep getting ignored, for example, that employee could feel that they are not that important for you to listen to. Even worse, this could give the employee the idea that their career is being stifled, keeping them from having more opportunities to grow.
If you want employees to respect you, you should show that you also respect them and their contributions. As such, always acknowledge concerns and solutions presented by your employees. Sure, not all ideas are great, but showing them that you recognize their needs and efforts will make them feel even more important to the company.
- Be heard by the employees
How would your employees form a good relationship with you if your presence can barely be felt in the workplace? Be more proactive when it comes to interacting with your employees. For instance, make sure to send them your best wishes on their birthdays and consistently talk to them about things that matter to them. Even greeting them personally when they pass you by lets them know that you’re there with them all of the time.
Other ways to be heard include keeping employees in the loop regarding updates or major events in your company. The better you are at having your presence felt in the workplace, the more your people are likely to interact and form a bond with you.
- Encourage employees to mingle (other than doing work)
One of the biggest reasons why some employees have trouble forming strong workplace relationships is because they may not always have the chance to properly interact with their colleagues. Co-workers that barely know one another do not work together as seamlessly as those that already have good working relationships.
There are countless ways of encouraging employees to form relationships with one another. For example, having team building exercises can help your employees form a more cohesive team and learn more about their colleagues. You can also periodically hold celebrations or parties as a reward after the completion of major projects. Such events will give your employees a chance to take a breather and pat one another on the back for a job well done.
Workplace relationships is an issue that is sometimes ignored when it comes to improving employee performance and retention rates. In most cases, companies just worry about knowing the right rewards to encourage employees to bring their A-game. However, just being able to show your humanity to your workforce can go a long way in deciding the chances of your company’s success.
