Whether you are just starting in your career or have been working for decades, you will inevitably run into problems with the employer-employee dynamic.
Employers can find themselves at a loss when employees don’t seem to be responding to traditional forms of communication. Emails, phone calls, voicemails, and even office visits can be met with silence. Conversely, employees may find themselves frustrated at their employer for not responding to questions or concerns more quickly.
Good employee relationships with HR will make an organization more trusting. It’s the benefits of technology and when it is implemented correctly, technology can be a valuable tool for enhancing trust within your workforce.
A survey about the current state of HR trust was conducted where 1,000 employees from organizations in the UK and Ireland with more than 250 people were asked a series of questions, and you click here to see more.
HR systems can still boost trust
If these problems of communication and trust impede swift resolution and progress in the workplace, such issues need to be addressed. One way of doing this is through modern technology. HR management systems can help employees organise the notice of concerns to their employers in a trackable way, even without advanced knowledge of how technology works.
This ensures that the employer receives the message quickly and has a clear picture of what needs addressing or changed for all involved parties. They will also be able to see the timeline of events and determine more quickly who is responsible for what, which can help reduce miscommunication.
However, there still needs to be a place where employers and employees can talk about concerns that arise with one another. Video chat software can allow for employer-employee conversations without sacrificing privacy or convenience. So, whether the issue requires fast action or only brief consultation, HR teams can use these tools to meet with employees in a way that makes them feel heard and supported.
Pandemic Employee Trust: The Current Situation
The survey results showed that despite its flaws and limitations businesses continue to rely heavily on employee feedback when making decisions about future changes or investments into infrastructure which will affect every level within the company including the management levels-something worth considering going forward.
It’s been tough going for businesses and HR teams as they adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are some positives. The study showed 32.1% still trusted their staff more before COVID 19 while 54.1% have kept that same level of trust before the pandemic.
If you’re a business owner with employees working remotely then these may be good numbers to throw into your next strategy meeting – because maybe keeping them updated will decrease turnover rates due to lack of communication between employer/employee relationships.
HR and Employee Mistrust
One of the most frustrating parts about the COVID19 pandemic is how difficult and impossible it can feel to get help from your HR department. At least one-third of surveyed employees said they found getting in touch with their human resources team arduous or close-minded, which isn’t exactly what you want!
HR departments need to be available and responsive for them not only to operate effectively but also to find ways where they can make themselves so. Unaddressed queries may bring about unnecessary stress which could harm morale among employees as well create problems within the company.
Feelings of favouritism surfacing
In this day and age, it is no longer just about being impartial. Companies are taking great pride in their diversity so that they can attract people from all walks of life into the workforce, but at an expense, even if you’re hiring because someone doesn’t get along with somebody else or has committed workplace violence before, there should always be some sort discrimination screening process to ensure fairness for everyone involved.
To avoid these situations, HR departments need to make their employees happy. This can be difficult since talent acquisition is an expensive and time-consuming process that requires constant attention from managers in charge of finding new hires.
Overall, 45% of the survey respondents were not satisfied with how impartial HR is. 43 % felt senior staff were favoured more than junior employees while only 12% thought junior-level workers had an advantage over them.
Conclusion
While there are many different aspects of HR systems, the intersection between newer and older forms of technology is especially interesting. For example, while department secretaries use specialized phone systems to handle calls all day, they have started integrating apps on their computers that allow them to communicate with employees in real-time.
Meanwhile, sales employees can find themselves using the same smartphone app each morning to check in with their supervisors about what is expected of them that day.
The point is that while technology is a necessary aspect of any modern business, a company cannot rely completely on newer methods of communication and organization.
As many small businesses have shown by maintaining a vibrant presence on social media, some employees or employers prefer using modernized tools for certain tasks. By having a more traditional system of communication, HR professionals can accommodate these different preferences without sacrificing effectiveness.
This is necessary because while it is easy to think that all employees want the same things or need the same support, this simply isn’t true. The unfortunate reality of today’s business world is that there can be a gap between what employees want and how employers perceive their needs.
HR systems provide a pathway for both parties to discuss these issues openly, which can greatly improve the workplace atmosphere and they are useful not only for resolving day-to-day concerns but also for bridging the communication gap between employers and employees.
