Tag Archive for: Outsource HR Derry

How to keep the peace between employees

/in , /by

In an ideal world everyone would get along. However, society is made up of many different personalities, which can cause clashes. Never has this been truer than in a working environment. When you think about it, we can spend upwards of 8-hours a day with colleagues, which is often more time than we spend with our loved ones. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that conflicts can happen. Quite often it can be a dispute that occurred between staff members outside of work, but their differences spills over into the workplace.

When members of a team don’t get along, this can be really hard to manage, which in turn can create a poor, unhealthy atmosphere. The knock-on effect is that people’s mental health can suffer and the employer can be left liable if they don’t deal with it early enough.

In order to keep the peace between employees, you’ll want to successfully navigate any bumps in the road and be proactive about managing conflict. In order to effectively do so, you’ll need to be aware of what to look out for. Furthermore, a clearly outlined procedure for reporting issues is vital.

So how exactly do you keep the peace between employees? Here’s everything you need to know…

The tell-tale signs of conflict in the workplace

While this will differ between workplaces, here are the common signs to watch out for:

An argument: Probably the easiest one to spot, a heated exchange between employees may mean that tensions are rising. This can be awkward for other team members and should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Placing the blame: If you notice that an employee frequently blames another for work not being completed correctly or on time, this can be an indicator of a conflict bubbling beneath the surface.

Increased levels of absence: If conflict is occurring and an employee can’t see a way to resolve it, this can lead to stress, which in turn, may mean a spike in the number of days taken off work.

A change in atmosphere: The thing about conflict is that it can have a knock-on affect. If you notice a sudden change in staff morale overall, it may be the case that conflict between one or more staff members is at play.

 

Top tips for effectively resolving conflict between employees

Being efficient is key in preventing conflicts from further impacting your workforce.  Julie Pollock From Consult HR shares her Top tips on how to tackle tension between employees:

Prevention is better than the cure: While there’s no guarantee that all employees will get on, trying to create a positive working environment is a good approach to take. For example, regular team building days are a good way to bring staff together, helping to prevent conflict in the long-run.

Carry out one-to-one meetings: It is important that employees feel that the channels of communication are open. Those involved should feel that they can approach a manager and bring the issue to their attention. This gives them an opportunity to talk in private and share their side of the issue.

Get involved early: In my experience, reacting when the signs are there at an early stage is crucial. Speak to those staff members involved and if appropriate, try to resolve their differences in an impartial way without taking sides, encourage them to put their differences behind them and move on.

Ignoring the signs and hoping that it will resolve itself without your involvement is only allowing a toxic environment to explode in your workplace, which will decimate a team.

Investigate the dispute: If you establish from discussions with the staff that there is something a bit more serious involving inappropriate actions of employee(s), you should consider investigating the issue fully.  Speak to all parties concerned to get their side of the story to establish the facts and determine if potential disciplinary action should be considered.

Have a policy in place: The purpose of company policies are to protect both your business and your employees. Therefore, your company handbook and/or Policies should outline the procedure that staff members should follow in order to try and resolve conflict.

Get expert advice: The best piece of advice we can offer is not to sweep conflict under the rug. Leaving issues unresolved has the potential to spread, impact employees’ health and, in the worst-case scenario, lead to tribunals. If you are worried about conflict in the workplace, get in contact with Consult HR and we can discuss a plan to move forward in the best possible way.

For more information, contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or email: julie@consulthr.co.uk to discuss further.

 

5 top tips for welcoming new employees to your company

/in , /by

It’s long been said that first impressions count and no more so is that true than when a new employee starts. The first couple of days in a new role can greatly determine not only how the job is done but if they stick around.

It’s natural to sigh with relief when you hire someone new, seeking reassurance that a role has been filled. However, the work doesn’t end there. A good induction should be an integral part of your employment process. Those first few interactions are key in promoting good engagement and high retention rates.

Therefore, with this in mind, Julie Pollock from Consult HR shares her top tips for welcoming employees.

Give them their contract

An offer letter, and contract of employment should be sent out as soon as possible. In fact, a contract of employment is essential and employers can be fined between 2 to 4 weeks pay per employee for failing to have written terms and conditions issued to staff. The contract should include:

  • Details of the position offer, including job title
  • Primary duties and responsibilities that the role includes
  • Details of salary
  • The duration of employment, whether it is permanent or for a fixed period of time
  • Details of any benefits such as holiday entitlement, pension, bonuses, health insurance plans etc
  • Restrictive covenants or a non-compete agreement, stating the employee cannot work for a competitor or start a competing business within a specified time frame, if necessary
  • Reasons and grounds for termination
  • Confidentiality guidelines

Read more about contracts of employment in detail in our blog post here.


Stay in touch

Often, when changing jobs, employees are required to work a notice period, meaning there can be a lengthy gap between them accepting the job and actually starting. This is especially true when filling a new-grad job, with interviews often taking place months in advance. Therefore, it is good practice to stay in touch, to keep them engaged. Inviting the new employee to a team event, is a great way for them to meet the rest of the team ahead of their start date. Or, if you have an internal company newsletter, subscribe them to it so that they can keep up to date with what’s been happening. This is an easy, yet effective way to help them feel a part of the team and excited about starting their new role.

Preparing for day one

Everyone undoubtedly feels nervous on their first day in a new job, but thankfully, with a little preparation, you can make this process as smooth as possible. Ahead of their start date, make sure they have all the necessary equipment available to them such as computer, programmes, a phone etc. Set up an email address and add them to any projects that they will be a part of. Having everything ready in advance means they can hit the ground running. Plus, there won’t be any awkward waiting around for things to be ‘sorted’. First impressions matter and entering a well structured, organised environment is the best possible start you can give a new employee.

Induction

Training is an integral part of a job and investing a little time in this initially goes a long way in ensuring a new employee’s success. Planning a workflow and overseeing tasks for the first week or two is good idea. You should also ensure a thorough induction is carried out. Not only should this involve going through their job description, but introducing them to the team and anyone else they will be working with. Lunchtime on the first day can be overwhelming so arranging a colleague to take care of them will be warmly received.

Policies and procedures

Many businesses are guilty of overlooking this process, dealing only with issues as they arise. However, get things off to a smooth start by explaining terms and conditions of employment, health and safety and policies such as booking annual leave, or what to do if they are sick.

A final note on retaining staff

From my experience, businesses are struggling with skills shortages and in many cases holding on to good staff is a struggle, which compounds the issue even further.

Recruiting good staff is a competitive market, and you need to appeal to those thinking about applying to your vacancy that your business is a good place to work.

Once you have found your ideal employee, you should ensure you hold on to them. Staff will leave and go and work elsewhere if you are not providing them with what they are looking for in a job. We are moving into an era where millennials will make up a high proportion of our workforce; they expect to set their own career path, their loyalty to an employer is lower and they demand regular feedback so employers now need to implement systems that are going to tick these boxes.

Employers need to be more aware of what employees want and what they should do to try and keep them. Gone are the days where employers should expect employees to be thankful they have a job.

If you need help with retaining staff, contracts of employment or new starts, get in touch today. Call Julie on: 078 5808 9006 or email: Julie@consulthr.co.uk