Your people are your company’s greatest asset. After all, where would you be without them?
Note that it’s your people – plural – that make your business work and help it grow. This means a team, a family, a cohesive group. Not everyone has to be BFFs, but they do need to get along and sing from the same song sheet. The importance of strong workplace relationships can’t be overstated as you keep your company on the success track.
Why – and How To – Build Employee Relationships
Healthy employee relationships have a huge impact on company culture – which is where the rubber meets the road in terms of short and long-term business success. The specific benefits include:
- Improved collaboration: Coworkers who have positive relationships are more likely to perform at their peak when working together.
- Higher individual productivity: In addition to better performance on team projects, people who get along with their colleagues tend to consciously and unconsciously work harder on their own, as well.
- Enhanced morale: Plain and simple, having good relationships with people makes you feel better. The cumulative effect within a workplace is improved morale, which directly ties into improved outcomes and results.
- Better employee retention rates: Employees who feel connected to each other are less likely to seek employment elsewhere. They don’t want to lose or have to rebuild those personal links.
- More effective transfer of knowledge: Collaborative team settings are more conducive to the transfer of skills and knowledge between more experienced workers and their newer colleagues. This is good for everyone involved – and for your business.
- A healthier workforce: Strong social support is a significant factor in maintaining good physical and mental health – at work as well as in personal life.
- Heightened creativity: Working in an environment where a person feels relaxed about displaying their personality and ideas can provide inspiration for others to do the same. And that’s when creativity and innovation thrive.
You can cultivate all these benefits by:
- Remember that first impressions matter. Set the tone for good workplace relations from an employee’s first day on the job. Personally get them set up for work, introduce them around and give them a tour, and make them feel welcome and valued. This positive approach will stick with them.
- Making effective communication a priority. This means ongoing two-way dialogue. Make sure managers are visible and accessible to provide guidance, solicit input, and answer questions. Be as transparent with information as possible. Involve employees in goal-setting and decision-making, and use the right combination of meetings and media to keep communication flowing.
- Offering career development opportunities. A business that takes an active role in encouraging professional growth for their employees winds up with a more motivated and better-equipped workforce. Be sure managers and your HR team work closely with team members on ways they can build their skillsets and be lifelong learners.
A big part of successful relationship building depends on your talent acquisition and management team. If yours requires additional bandwidth to meet your recruiting, sourcing and employee relations goals, Search Wizards has you covered. Our experience and network cover all industries with this sole focus in mind. Contact us today to learn more.
