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.

Getting the Most Out of Your 1-on-1 Meetings

For many managers, the classic 1 on 1 employee meeting can be an unpleasant experience. More often than not, these meetings occur as a result of issues or errors related to a particular employee that need to be addressed. While it is true that people make mistakes and they do need to be corrected, few managers want to deal with what can be an uncomfortable yet necessary meeting.

However, there are ways to get the most out of these meetings and ensure that they are productive, helpful interactions. The next time you need to conduct a 1-on-1 meeting, consider employing the following methods:

Schedule the Meeting Ahead of Time

Have you ever worked for a supervisor before that would call you into his office without warning for a meeting that would last almost an hour? If you have, then you know quite well how disruptive these impromptu meetings can be. 

When you need to meet with an employee, always schedule the meeting ahead of time if possible. While emergency situations will always require an immediate discussion, most meetings can wait at least a few hours until when both you and your employee are freely available to discuss things.

Encourage Bringing Questions or Other Topics to the Meeting

Although you may be meeting to discuss a certain topic, you should consider encouraging your employee to bring his or her own topics and talking points to the meeting. Doing this not only allows you and your employee to better leverage your time and get more accomplished, but it also helps keep the tone light and the meeting organized.

Try to have about 2 or 3 topics to discuss aside from the main matter at hand. If you find you need more time to discuss those topics, then schedule another meeting at a later date.

 

Have Follow-Up Meetings

Once you’ve wrapped up your meeting, you should hold follow-up meetings when you deem necessary. This can help you not only monitor projects your employee is working on, but also keep an eye on trouble employees and see if they are meeting personal goals and deadlines.

With these practices in mind, you can hold 1-on-1 meetings that are productive, upbeat, and allow you to set up for future success. All it takes is being conscious of how you approach your employee.

Should you find that your 1-on-1 meetings aren’t conveying the message to trouble employees, then it may be time to turn to a professional staffing agency. If so, then contact us at J & J Staffing Resources today. We can help you find the right employee for the job at hand.

Getting the Job Done: Best Practices for Deadlines and Goals

If you’re a hiring manager, you certainly know how challenging it can be to find the right person for the position you’re trying to fill. Time and time again, you’ve brought onto your team qualified, talented people with a wealth of background experience in their selected fields. Yet, once they start working, you notice something is amiss. 

Perhaps deadlines just aren’t being met or the employee does great work but doesn’t get enough done. Maybe tasks that should take a handful of hours to complete turn into long, drawn-out projects. While these issues can definitely be troubling, in most cases the solution to these problems can be something as simple as setting the right goals and deadlines.

Often times, the biggest obstacle for new employees to overcome is getting a good grip on how long it takes to complete particular tasks. While they have experience dealing with the tasks you’re assigning them, it’s important to remember that every company handles deadlines and goals differently. 

The next time you see your new employee is having trouble getting things done, try the following:

Make Instructions Abundantly Clear 

Sometimes an employee may not realize how complicated a task actually is and could end up missing deadlines due to not prioritizing correctly. If you feel that a project or assignment is fairly complex, you will want to make your instructions as clear as possible. This results in fewer questions for you later and a more thorough understanding of the task for the worker.

Set Realistic Deadlines

 

Setting deadlines can be tricky, especially when you are dealing with a new hire. Try to remember that a new employee will need a little extra time to get through tasks as he or she is still learning what’s expected of him or her. Try not to set tight deadlines initially unless absolutely necessary.

Set Milestones and Goals to Encourage Growth

A popular way to get employees to develop the right behaviors is through setting goals and milestones. You should always take time to meet with your new employee to agree on goals for their development. Many managers use this as an opportunity to correct poor behaviors, like being unpunctual or to further develop core strengths, such as attention to detail. 

 

By using the above behaviors, any manager can help improve the effectiveness of their new hires. However, should you find that these techniques are not working you may want to contact a staffing agency to help you find a more efficient employee.

If you and your company are in need of premier staffing solutions, contact us at J & J Staffing Resources today.

Trouble Employees: Bad for Business or Simply Misunderstood?

Although every manager has had to handle a trouble employee or two before, few bosses actually take the time to address and try to improve poor worker behavior. Instead of giving these employees a real chance by speaking to them directly, many managers either force someone else to deal with them or immediately try to find ways to let them go. The sad truth is that these types of managerial decisions range from irresponsible to reckless and may actually end up hurting your business as you lose talented employees.

Yes, there are going to be some employees who are more of a hassle than they’re worth, but sometimes a disgruntled worker is secretly an excellent employee with just a few hang-ups. If you can get to the root of what troubles your team member by asking the right questions, you may just find that you can turn him or her into a model employee. Next time you have a meeting with a trouble employee, try asking the following questions.

“What Do YOU Want Out of Your Job?”

Most bosses don’t take into consideration the idea that his company may be coming up short on giving employees what they want. We’ve all known that one employee that’s been with a business for over a decade and is greatly cynical and dissatisfied with how things are run. This sort of person tends to do little work, make snide remarks, and be a real source of negativity in nearly all situations.

The trouble employee you have now could very well become this person if left unchecked. In order to stop this from happening, you need to ask then what it is that he or she wants. Sometimes, it’s an easily corrected matter of flex time, a more manageable workload, or a request for time-off. If it happens that the employee is demanding higher wages or a promotion, you can always tell him or her that it will be under consideration. In any case, asking this question goes a long way towards making an employee feel like he’s being understood.

“Do You Feel You’re in the Right Position?”

Sometimes the position an employee holds may no longer be what they want to do. This is particularly true with workers who’ve been with the same company for a considerable stretch of time. If you are seeing that the employee who has been slacking off has been working the same position for years, then maybe it’s time to switch things up. Ask them whether they’d be happier doing something else for the company. A change of scenery may be all that’s needed to improve morale and work ethic.

Larger companies that deal with multiple divisions or departments can be incredibly advantageous to an unhappy worker. Instead of simply allowing an employee to languish in the same position for long stretches of time, your business can instead use a move to a new department as a way to train him or her to be a more efficient worker and a greater asset to your company.

“How Can I Help You?”

The most important question you can ask an employee is “how can I help you?” This question not only gives you an opportunity to get a direct answer for what your employee wants or needs but it also shows that you are concerned about their work effort. It’s a subtle way to both show support and also troubleshoot the issue at hand. Make sure that at some point during your meeting with the employee that this question is asked. You may be surprised at what you’ll hear in return.

By asking all these questions and more, a manager can decide how a trouble employee can be helped and his behavior corrected. One should never be afraid to hold regular meetings to make these sorts of inquiries. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll find yourself keeping the right employees and getting rid of the bad ones far more easily. 

If you do find that some employees can’t be helped and you are in need of a staffing agency’s services, then be sure to contact us!

Great Employees Result from Great Management

Every manager has experienced firsthand the woes that come from dealing with bad employees. Maybe they’re unmotivated in their efforts, disruptive to your team, or highly combative when you speak to them. Sure, you’ve tried time and time again to correct their behaviors but ultimately have to say “goodbye” and let them go. No matter how many times this happens it always stings. 

So what’s a manager to do? You don’t want to have to micromanage your team members and you certainly don’t want to be “the bad guy” who has to constantly tell them they need to improve their attitude or work efforts. While assembling an exemplary staff of dedicated workers isn’t the simplest job in the world, it is one that is far easier to accomplish than most managers realize. The following are just a few practices managers can use to help them create and maintain the workplace dream team they’ve always wanted.

#1: Hire Only the Best (You Deserve It!)

Many companies tend to look at their first pool of potential hires as though they are the only people they might employ. Although most businesses post job openings with intentions of filling a position quickly, rarely does a hasty hire lead to a model employee. Instead of rushing through your hiring process and selecting the best candidate out of a handful of mediocre ones, take the time to conduct the sort of interviews and tests performed by staffing agencies.

Involve candidates in as many interviews as you deem necessary, and then have them evaluated by your colleagues or team leaders. If you feel that a candidate isn’t the best possible hire you could make, then say “thanks but no thanks” and move on to other possibilities. There are plenty of candidates to go around! Never be afraid to let a position remain open for application if you are unsatisfied with all the applicants. Your company deserves quality employees, not convenient ones.

  

#2: Regular Feedback + Support = Consistent Motivation

 

Do you remember when you did an amazing job in school as a kid and your mom put your report card on the refrigerator for everyone to see? Weren’t you swelling with pride? Didn’t you want to work hard to earn that attention again? Take a moment to think about that: The acknowledgement of a job well-done makes a person want to continue to do high quality work.

While a note on your break room fridge isn’t going to get someone to put in extra hours, occasional feedback and response to hard work will always encourage employees to apply themselves further. Even if what you have to say isn’t exactly “congratulations” or a pat on the back, you should always let your employees know how well they are doing. Even criticism (when given correctly and politely) is better to give than a cold shoulder.

#3: ALWAYS Be Available!

This brings us to you as a manager. You should always be visible to your team members and interacting with them regularly. Too many managers make the common mistake of sitting in their offices for eight hours a day with their doors closed. This conveys many things and they’re all negative: you’re too busy to be bothered; you’re different from everyone else and deserve preferential treatment; you’re not a part of the team unless a problem arises. Obviously, all these beliefs are going to be counterproductive to having an efficient and well-run team.

Instead of locking yourself away from your team and making employees feel shut off from you, try these approaches:

• Leave your door open so you’re seen as being available.
• Talk to your team members in person when problems come up. This makes you approachable when they have issues on their end.  
• Learn about each of your employees. If you can strike up a short conversation over topics such as their fantasy football league they’ll feel more able to talk to you. 
• Hold important meetings in rooms other than your own office. This keeps you active and visible throughout the building.

Finally, you should take the time to have regular one-on-ones with your team members. Aside from giving you an opportunity to check up on their assignments and important projects, these brief meetings allow you to give the feedback they need to do a better job and feel motivated.

Even though your team may be composed of many, many people, you must always realize that you are essential to keeping the group moving efficiently and enthusiastically.  A great team is the result of a group effort, but you are its foundation. Be picky with hires, be open with your feedback, and be an active part of your team. With these behaviors in place, you’ll find your dream team is being formed, one step week at a time.