How important are staff/management relations? Essay

A good relationship between staff and management is one in which each party respects and trusts one another, communicates with and understands one another and understands clearly what is expected of each other. Each party must make a fair contribution towards satisfying the interests of the other party. Demands placed on each other must be reasonable. Compromise and co-operation both play important roles in safeguarding the interests of the business while also satisfying the conflicting interests of it’s workforce. It is imperative to build and maintain healthy staff/management relations for the following reasons. Good relations help to prevent disputes and if conflict does arise it can be better resolved between staff and management who have already developed a good working relationship which helps to ensure as little disruption to normal operations as possible. Good staff/management relations lead to high morale amongst a workforce. A happy workforce is a more productive one. The employer will also find it easier to retain its employees. Poor relations can lead to an unhappy workforce and dissatisfied management which is likely to result in reduced productivity and the overall failure of the business. The interests of a company and the interests of it’s workforce are often in conflict with each other. A number of practices must be in place in order to simultaneously satisfy the needs of both the business and of it’s people. When an employee first joins a company, they must be given a contract which clearly states what is expected of them in their role and what remuneration he/she will receive. The contract, terms and conditions must make it clear what the employee can expect from it’s employment. The employee must also be made aware of all relevant company polices and procedures particularly regarding conduct, sickness, disciplinary procedures and grievances possibly via a company handbook, intranet website or induction. Without having been given the necessary information in the first place, it is unreasonable for any employer to expect compliance with rules. There must be a clear organizational structure in place so that staff members know who they report to and this helps to instill a respect for authoritative positions. However in order to earn respect from it’s staff, management must undergo regular training to ensure they possess the necessary skills to manage the workforce well. Sufficient training must be given to staff members to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out their role. Performance appraisals should take place to assess performance, identify problem areas and to reward excellence. This is beneficial to both the company and the staff member as poor performance can be corrected and well performing staff members benefit from recognition. Reviews of conditions and pay should take place in order to keep up with change and competition. Competitors may not only ‘steal’ customers but could ‘steal’ a workforce if they can offer them more. Retaining a workforce will keep recruitment and training costs to a minimum. Monetary rewards are not always enough to motivate staff. It may be necessary in some situations to motivate staff using other incentives such as awards, promotional prospects, shares and staff discounts. It is necessary that management and staff have effective methods of communicating with each other such as email, newsletters or meetings. Staff must have means of expressing themselves and providing feedback upwards which can be done through surveys or even informal discussions. With effective communications, problems can be identified early and resolved quickly. Using the above mentioned practices a better working relationship can be established between management and staff ensuring the success of the company and the well being of its workforce.