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Every HR professional must develop the ability to handle employee relations issues and conflicts with finesse. The delicate role of mediating, resolving and preventing conflicts to ensure a harmonious and productive work environment for all stakeholders takes hard work and experience.
Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members discuss the art of effective conflict management within the workplace. Read on for their insights, strategies and best practices to become adept at handling employee relations issues, thereby helping HR professionals create a positive and productive workplace experience.
1. Identify Potential Sources Of Conflict
HR must identify potential sources of conflicts and create systems and training to address them. This includes grievance, ADR and disciplinary policies and processes. When conflict arises, the interests of parties must be clarified, hearing panels must be set and the best path of resolution within organizational rules must be found. All must have elements of neutrality and objectivity and clearly-documented proceedings. - Kunbi Adeoti, Leadway Group
2. Ask Yourself Three Questions
The foundation of employee relations is trust that is gained or lost based on experiences in the workplace. Ask yourself three questions when reviewing an ER issue: 1. Was the process transparent? 2. Was the decision fair? 3. Were the parties treated with respect? Recognizing where the breakdown is with these non-negotiables will provide a path to rebuilding trust with the employee. - Deborah Muller, HR Acuity
3. Discuss Issues With An Open Mind And Emotional Agility
HR professionals aim to discuss employee relations issues with an open mindset and emotional agility. They can allow all perspectives to be heard by remaining assertive yet empathetic. This creates an environment for more organic information sharing, which can enable additional clarity on how to get alignment between parties and make decisions on how to move forward. - McCree Lake, Magic Leap
4. Keep The Employee At The Center
We must keep the employees at the center. Do we know what we have done along the way to set the right and clear expectations? Are we helping the employee see where they got it right or wrong? Do we have the right systems, processes and plans in place to support? Helping employees during some of their toughest working challenges can really define who we are as organizations and leaders. - Paaras Parker, Paycor
5. Create A 'Culture Of Kindness'
Remote workers, contractors and departmental competitiveness all contribute to elevated potential for misunderstanding and drama. I've developed a codified "Culture of Kindness" that supports discovering facts to solve problems together, moving tense dialogues off email and text to voice and rewarding accountability over being right, as a few of the management tools for positive employee relations. - Eric Friedman, eSkill
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6. Handle All Cases Autonomously
HR professionals must handle employee relations cases autonomously to ensure all investigative procedures and potential disciplinary actions adhere to ethical standards. HR experts with a strong understanding of employee relations management should be able to advise managers on how to evaluate risks and enhance business performance via a systematic approach to resolving employee relations issues. - Dr. Nara Ringrose, Cyclife Aquila Nuclear
7. Teach Employees Conflict Management Skills
HR leaders should embrace opportunities to teach employees conflict management skills versus always treating conflict as a negative thing that leads to punitive consequences. In scenarios where conflict only involves a difference of perspective, help those employees to work through it and grow. - Dave Barnett, DeVry University
8. Create A Safe Space For Employees
A key role of HR professionals is to create a safe space where employees can discuss matters openly and honestly. When meeting with an employee, inform them that you will be taking notes and ensure there is a mutual understanding of what will happen next after the meeting. Ask clarifying questions to obtain deeper insights into what occurred. Summarize findings in an objective, factual report. - Lindsey Garito, Westchester Country Club
9. Be Authentic In Relationships Across The Organization
HR needs to be a true business partner across the organization. When they have authentic, real connections at all levels, they are able to have a pulse on what is happening within the organization and have an opportunity to resolve issues when they are small versus being pulled into the situation when things have escalated. A culture of transparency, care and respect helps reduce negative conflict. - Oksana Lukash, Avid Bioservices
10. Focus On Bias Training
To enhance employee relations, HR professionals should focus on bias training that includes five lessons 1. pattern—embrace flexible strategies, 2. action—emphasize reflective decisions, 3. inertia—promote change readiness, 4. group think—encourage varied viewpoints and 5. self-interest—align with broader goals. Integrating psychological safety principles ensures equitable and supportive stakeholder interactions. - Chad MacRae, Tinder
11. Empower Stakeholders To Navigate Conflicts
Empower stakeholders to solve their own problems. Resist the urge to solely shoulder the burden of resolving every issue. Instead, empower stakeholders by equipping them with the skills and resources to navigate conflict effectively. HR's role becomes that of a guiding coach, facilitating productive conversations and helping all parties reach mutually agreeable and compliant solutions. - Michael D. Brown, Global Recruiters of Buckhead
12. Take A Balanced Approach
HR professionals need to be balanced in their approach, mindset, equity and innovation. Every situation requires a complete understanding of the situation, root causes, impacts and implications of each action. They also must approach each situation by innovatively finding the best short- and long-term solutions for the organization. - Omar Alhadi, Adobe Population Health
13. Recognize People's Differences When It Comes To Conflict Management
Considering the increasingly diverse makeup of today’s workforce, HR leaders should recognize differences in how people manage and resolve conflicts. Take time to understand individual preferences regarding communication style, emotional intelligence, empathy and problem-solving. This demonstrates an openness to a more individualized approach to employee relations and helps employees feel heard. - Lynne Marie Finn, Broadleaf Results
14. Blend Empathy With Legal Expertise
HR professionals can blend strategy with empathy and legal expertise. Equitable policies and open communication provide for a transparent process. Investment in conflict resolution training, emphasizing emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity, is also pivotal. Leveraging technology for data-driven insights into workplace trends can also guide proactive strategies. - Katrina Jones, Acacia Network
15. Be Professional And Unbiased
It is important to be professional and unbiased during employee relations issues. You are there to obtain the facts and make an informed judgment. Ensuring you have a checklist to ensure you cover all aspects of an investigation is important. Ensure your findings are communicated appropriately to affected parties. If the situation warrants, you can also involve legal counsel. - Erin ImHof, CertiK
16. Practice Transparency And Clear Communication
Be as transparent as possible, communicate clearly and encourage your managers to do the same with their team. Dancing around a problem or a conflict always makes a bad situation worse. Focus on addressing employee relations situations with compassion, while still being clear and direct about expectations and outcomes; if you lead by example, your managers will learn to do the same. - Tracy Cote, StockX
17. Serve As A Liaison And Coach Between Employees And Leaders
HR professionals should act as a liaison and a coach to both employees and leaders to foster effective communication and empower individuals to work through matters together, where appropriate. In ER issues that involve investigations, it is critical to maintain objectivity, confidentiality and discretion and manage expectations about what's to come for all stakeholders involved. - Lauren Tropeano, Skillshare
18. Listen
In general, employees' behavior has changed drastically post-Covid and so they expect to be heard to build employee relations and during conflict situations. The more the employees are heard and allowed to discuss the conflicts openly they tend to feel important and will support any decision. - Prakash Raichur, Taghleef Industries
19. Engage Regularly And Positively With The Entire Workforce
HR must start this process before problems arise by engaging on a continual and positive basis with their entire workforce, not just managers and the C-suite. Effective conflict resolution begins with trust, and it’s impossible to establish that if HR hasn’t already established a real presence with the workforce. - Lisa Shuster, iHire
20. Take Time To Reflect
Take the time to self-reflect on conflict resolution within the organization and how the conflict has ripple effects on every stakeholder. When HR professionals face a high workload, they may find it challenging to set aside time for reflection. However, this time is essential for HR professionals to grow and learn to handle conflict effectively for everyone. - Niki Jorgensen, Insperity
