8 Steps to Workplace Conflict Resolution

Wherever there are people, there will always be conflict. Employee conflict is bound to happen at any company, regardless of size or industry. Ensuring that your company culture is strong and you are hiring the right people can limit many potential issues and conflicts, but it doesn't prevent them from ever occurring.

When conflict does arise in the workplace and impairs the productivity and performance of your employees, refer to these 8 steps on how to diffuse it:

Step #1: Encourage the employees to work it out on their own. Before management or HR personnel step in, encourage the employees involved to try and resolve their issues themselves by thinking about their situation, communicating in a non-accusatory or non-aggressive way, maintaining composure, and staying respectful. If handled in this way, the majority of conflicts may end here.


Step #2: If there's still conflict, it's time for the managers/HR personnel to get involved. If the conflict still exists after Step #1 and it's affecting the work performance of the employees, it's time to get their managers and/or the company’s HR personnel involved.
Step #3: Listen to both/all sides of the conflict objectively. Privately speak with both/all sides of the conflict. Be sure to stay respectful of privacy and listen with an objective ear. Taking anyone’s side may be viewed as choosing a favorite and will therefore only aggravate the problem and cause it to worsen. It can also cause negative feelings and resentment.
Step #4:Identify the real issue - it could be hiding. When speaking with employees privately, try to identify the real, underlying issue. Perhaps the conflict is only a small piece of a bigger problem that has been building, or maybe it has nothing to do with the other party or work. It could be a personal problem that is carrying over into the workplace. If personal problems are the issue, suggest taking some paid time off (if they have it available) or even unpaid time off to resolve their personal issues.
Step #5: Bring both/all parties together to discuss the conflict. Once you've identified the real issue, bring both/all parties together to discuss the conflict with an emphasis on staying professional. Like in Step #1, encourage the employees to think about their situation, communicate in a non-accusatory or non-aggressive way, maintain composure, and stay respectful.
Step #6: Find a common ground, encourage compromise, and work out a solution. Finding a common ground between both/all parties of the conflict can help bridge the gap that separates them. This is the first step toward working out a solution and/or compromise.
Step #7: Make sure no negative feelings are left behind. If either/any of the employees are left with unresolved negative feelings, the negativity can fester and become another, bigger problem down the road. That’s why it's critical to ensure that both/all parties have been heard. If they feel understood, it's easier to come to a solution/compromise that makes them feel positive about the outcome and valued as employees.
Step #8: Be positive and learn from the conflict. Workplace conflict doesn't always have to be viewed in a negative light. Treat conflicts as opportunities for employees to learn about each other. Clearing the air and working through a conflict can actually bring everyone closer.

Take Proactive Measures to Prevent Workplace Conflict

Besides creating and maintaining a strong company culture, defining acceptable behaviors that apply evenly throughout the company in an employee handbook and offering training to all employees on how to avoid and handle workplace conflict are great ways to take proactive measures against it. The best method is leading by example. Behave the way you want your employees and coworkers to behave, and you will be able to see a difference!

Contact us today if you'd like some advice on how to hire people that fit into your company culture and will be less prone to conflicts.

Hiring and Drug Screenings: What HR Needs to Know

Substance abuse by employees is a serious issue for many companies. Drug and alcohol abuse impact work productivity and also cause employees to be absent more often.Impairment on the job is a significant safety risk. To combat these problems, some workplaces implement drug-free policies and institute these policies with drug testing. HR departments can choose to include drug testing as part of their pre-employment screenings, and they can also enforce random drug tests for current employees. However, drug testing is controversial and can be costly.

How can HR departments determine whether drug testing is right for the company? It’s important to examine the pros and cons before deciding to use drug testing in the workplace or as part of a pre-employment screening process. Here are some of the factors you should consider.

Drug testing can be expensive

Before implementing a drug testing initiative, it’s important to think about how the costs will impact your company. The most common type of drug screening is urinalysis, and the reason it’s so common is because in addition to being a non-invasive method, it’s generally the least expensive. Paying for a lab to test the samples still must be factored into your budget. The cheapest option is a non-specific screening, which can show false positives. In order to obtain the most accurate results, a follow-up test should be done after a positive screen. Many organizations save costs by performing only the initial screening, but this can cause them to lose out on great applicants whose tests resulted in false positives.

Despite the cost of accurate drug testing, it is true that employees who abuse drugs can also cost the workplace in the long term if they are unable to perform on the job. Therefore, using drug testing as a part of your pre-employment screening process may be worth the expense in order to weed out applicants who will ultimately cost the company more in the long term.

Drug testing may invade privacy

Some individuals and organizations object to drug testing because they view it as an invasion of privacy which has resulted in many court proceedings. If you require drug testing as a pre-employment screening, applicants who object to the test can simply not apply. However, current employees may be offended by implementation of random drug testing and feel that they are not trusted, which can damage workplace morale. If employees did not initially agree to a drug test as a condition of their hiring, they may choose to contest it in court. Ultimately, you need to determine whether drug testing is worth the invasion of privacy--and the possible costs of legal action if employees raise issues on these grounds.

When risks are high, drug testing can be necessary

While costs and privacy concerns may be reasons not to implement drug testing, there are some instances where HR departments determine that the cons are outweighed by necessity. In workplaces where there is a high risk of injury, impairment may cause a much bigger problem than lost productivity and absenteeism. If employees are operating machinery or driving vehicles, it’s especially crucial to take measures to avoid accidents caused by drug use.

Ultimately, the choice to implement drug testing as a pre-employment screening or as a routine practice depends on the resources and needs of your organizations. No matter what, the goal of all pre-employment screenings should be to find the best people for your workforce. If your HR department determines that drug testing is the best way to ensure a productive, healthy, and safe workforce, then the pros may very well outweigh the cons.

The Top 6 Signs Your HR Department is Overworked

The Human Resources department is responsible for maintaining the status quo and growth of most organizations. Employee relations are mediated, recruiting is processed, legal paperwork is filed, and data is transferred by HR. Depending on the size of the company, there may be even more expected from HR!

With so many small business and startup resources relying on a functioning and efficient HR department, the signs that Human Resources is overworked can be glaring. Below are 6 ways to spot an overworked HR department:

1. Work Productivity is Down

Even the best HR managers will get bogged down and unable to complete their tasks when they have too much on their plate. Without time for proper planning and adequate resources, the recruiting process as a whole may suffer as well.

2. Core Procedures are Suffering

If basic tasks and responsibilities such as updating tax info or approving employee schedules start running behind, you know something needs to change. Make sure that the basic HR responsibilities are being met; otherwise there is a high chance that other tasks have taken precedence over these essential functions.

3. Attitudes Become Negative

The HR manager at your company is always upbeat, cheerful, and full of energy—at least until recently, that is. If a hardworking individual suddenly starts slacking off or even showing apathy, there may be an underlying reason for the change. Be on the lookout for signs pointing towards an overload of hiring or recruiting tasks that may be responsible for a change in attitude.

4. Health Has Been Compromised

Stress can be a strong indicator that someone is overworked, especially if it leads to bags under their eyes or always feeling tired and worn out. Keep in mind that a happy and healthy employee is going to find the best recruits and that a productive human resources recruiting process works best when everyone is giving their all.

5. Workforce is Growing too Fast

There may come a time when a company that was small last year suddenly finds itself with a huge amount of growth—but with the same small HR team it started with! When Human Resources gets blamed for sluggish performance with basic tasks and onboarding policy, it may be time to take a look at the responsibilities per size ratio of the HR department.

6. HR Budget Has Decreased

If the HR department finds itself understaffed and with overextended responsibilities, then it stands to reason that core HR functionality will suffer. Inadequate technology or high operational costs also contribute to a stressed office environment. Check to make sure the HR department is operating efficiently and has adequate solutions available to keep track of important documents and contacts.


Are your HR employees demonstrating signs of overwork or stress? It may be time to evaluate the likely source of the problem—the hiring and recruiting process. As companies grow, the responsibilities of HR extend in order to properly manage and maintain the increased applicant flow. If your HR department is at risk of overwork, consider a staffing solution such as outsourcing to keep HR happy and efficient by easing their workload.