By Emma Sturgis

Failing to establish, foster and maintain healthy relationships with your employees could end up costing your small business a great deal. Finding ways to improve employee relations can have benefits that extend well beyond individual relationships. From improving workplace morale to reducing turnover, healthy relationships are essential for ensuring a healthy business.

Hiring the right candidate

It only takes a single dissatisfied employee to cause problems for the whole office. Identifying the best candidates for a position and being able to recognize which applicants will be a better fit for the company are the first steps towards fostering positive employee relationships. An ineffective or slapdash applicant screening or hiring process can be a major liability. It’s always a good idea to establish a certain culture within your business and be able to identify what type of person will fit with it. That way, you will be more likely to hire employees you know will contribute to your office in a positive way.

Improving communication

Even the most dedicated employees may run into trouble sooner or later. Improving communication among the staff and ensuring that problems can be brought up, discussed and resolved with minimal resistance is one of the single most effective ways you can improve the quality of your employee relationships. Making certain that staff and associates can be heard when it counts is never a matter to take lightly. Everyone in your office should know you have an open communication policy. Employees should feel comfortable bringing any concerns to you as an employer.

Recognizing and rewarding accomplishments

Expecting employees to go the extra mile without providing them with encouragement, incentive or taking the time to celebrate their efforts and accomplishments is a mistake. Employers who fail to properly recognize their staff could be contributing to higher levels of burnout and problems with morale. Businesses that make a point of showing their appreciation may find it much easier to unlock the true potential of their staff. This will help your employees know they are benefiting from the effort they put into your business.

Tracking and monitoring performance

Attempting to improve the quality of employee relationships often requires a long-term approach. Developing an employee performance development plan and identifying which metrics of performance to track and monitor can produce a great deal of useful insight. Monitoring the performance of their staff also makes it easier for businesses to identify which of their efforts are producing the best results.

Allowing employee relations to sour can quickly result in a toxic workplace environment. Business owners who find themselves struggling to keep their staff motivated and engaged and organizations that wish to ensure their employees remain committed in the long-term would do well to find ways to improve employee relationships. Inspiring professionals to reach greater heights and making sure that all employees, staff and associates are more likely to look upon the company with pride are issues that no employer can afford to discount.

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Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2.