The UKG Workforce Institute Weigh-In for January 2024: What’s one way to enhance the employer-employee relationship at an organization?
“Good employer-employee relationships are based upon meeting mutual needs to achieve a mutual goal. While I’m not advocating specifically for engagement surveys, employers need to know what keeps people in their roles, what do they want/need, and how employers can reduce friction to getting the job done. This takes both some serious navel-gazing and genuine curiosity about employees’ needs and work. Getting out of metaphorical ivory towers and meeting employees where they’re at can be a gamechanger to transforming from an ‘us vs. them’ to a ‘we’re in this together’ mentality.” — Kate Bischoff, employment attorney, k8bisch, LLC
“Trust is the foundation of any successful employer-employee relationship. However, trust is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires consistent and deliberate actions from both parties. One of the most effective ways for leaders to foster trust in the workplace is to communicate openly, empathetically, and honestly with their teams. This means sharing information, listening to feedback, acknowledging mistakes, and expressing appreciation. By doing so, you can create a culture of trust that benefits everyone.” Bob Clements, president, Axsium Group
“The employer-employee relationship is best improved via employee-employee relations. While you could have the employer, say the CEO, come around and give everyone a high-five, it’s more scalable to have events where employees can bond with one another. If they like their colleagues, then they’ll feel more positively toward the employer. Remember that many ‘team-building’ events are viewed as ‘lame’ and despised by employees. A format that is pretty robust is small group discussions sparked by some brief learning content. For example, find a 10-minute video on personality types, and then give people an opportunity to discuss what they heard. The topic could even be completely non-work related, such as dream vacations. One essential element is to make the purpose of the event clear. You might position it as, ‘We know everyone has been heads-down working hard, and we’d like to give you a little time just to hang out with some of your colleagues and hear one another’s’ views. If you can do this in person, then having food available is a must. The takeaway here is that we start with a big, abstract goal like employer-employee relations and that goal may be best served with a small, inexpensive, but thoughtful event that taps into the everyday human wishes of employees.” — David Creelman, CEO, Creelman Research
“They can conduct regular employee-needs assessments to mine for group-specific wants and needs as well as general workplace sentiment. For example, caregivers may report that office commutes are a hardship, while employees who are underrepresented minorities may experience greater bias and more microaggressions in an in-person office environment. Fortunately, employee pulse-taking doesn’t have to be a ton of work. You can automate an employee-experience platform to push out surveys at specific intervals.” — Alexandra Levit, co-author, “Deep Talent”
“One effective way to enhance the employer-employee relationship at an organization is to prioritize open and transparent communication. Establishing clear channels for communication and fostering a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas can lead to several positive outcomes. This can be achieved through regular team meetings, 1:1 check ins, and the use of collaborative communication tools.” — Dan Schawbel, managing partner, Workplace Intelligence
“Ensuring fair and transparent performance evaluations — processes that are fair and aligned with the organization’s goals. Performance reviews are a continuous and never-ending process. While regular evaluations are the foundation of this process, the real value comes from continuous feedback. Frequent and varied communication methods improve the effectiveness of the evaluation process (which is continuous improvement), ensuring that the message is conveyed effectively.” — Ivonne Vargas, award-winning journalist and bestselling author, “¡Contrátame!” (Hire Me!)
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Enhancing the Employer-Employee Relationship: UKG Workforce Institute Weigh-In
