There are two types of companies in the world; a conflict driven company invested with politics and a preferred employer. A conflict driven company is easy to identify through the attitudes of employees, the negative talk at the smoking area or the water cooler, the anger levels of employees, lack of knowledge sharing and a lack of motivation amongst team members. Mangers of companies often accept this situation as “the way things are” and do not realise the negative effect this will have on organisational performance.

Classic results from conflict in the workplace include; abusive behaviour from managers and employees alike, management by perception, a bad reputation, politics, lack of productivity due to low morale, miscommunication, lack of knowledge sharing and, ultimately, lower profitability. As the saying goes; a house divided upon it self will fall.

The preferred employer, on the other hand, brings in fun-in-the-workplace and flexibility. Employees have the freedom to express themselves and space to grow as employees and individuals. The team building in the company is on a friendly basis and everybody in the company works together towards one goal and vision, thus forming a cohesive, multi-disciplinary team.

An employer-employee bond develops that will lead to commitment and a low staff turn-over. People work and achieve set objectives because they want to work for the company and not because of need or fear. This in itself will have an impact on productivity and customer relationships. When employees feel good about their employer, they become ambassadors of the company and build its brand wherever they go.

Such a “preferred employer” scenario seems like an idyllic state and appears almost unachievable. So what is the solution? Being a preferred employer is a journey. It is what employers strive towards. But how do we achieve it?

The solution starts with providing people with role definitions. Each person is aware of what is expected and guided about what to do in order to fulfill on such expectations. Role definitions will eliminate duplications and the resultant “moving into each other’s territory” which causes a lot of conflict. Once roles are defined, decision making parameters can be set up which will allow management to give employees autonomy in their positions within boundaries.

To be able to do this, management structures and reporting channels have to be clearly communicated. The first step to all of this is the organogram which should provide a clear bird’s eye view of the company.

Employers are often scared to have that softer touch, thinking that employees will take advantage of the leniency and negatively affect productivity when, in fact, the opposite is true. When employers allow for mistakes, guide and support employees in finding solutions to problems and train them in recovery processes, a bond will develop that will spur employees on to achieve new productivity and efficiency levels.

Of course in order to achieve this, tactical issues such as the ergonomics in the company are of vital importance. An employer cannot expect an employee to believe that he or she is being cared for when they have to work in a hot or cold noisy environment without the right equipment or furniture to allow them to maintain a focus on their work.

Ergonomics should start with the induction process of a new employee. To set the stage for a positive working relationship and delivering top quality work, an employee should arrive at a new job with a desk, chair, computer equipment, all necessary stationery and an already set-up e-mail address and connectivity waiting and ready.

When the employee is given such a message that things are organised and efficient, he or she will keep to that standard. Part of the induction process should also be an introduction to all other employees, even if it is in an e-mail to other employees and an explanation of the organogram and reporting structures in the company. An employee should have a clear idea of what is acceptable within the organisation through an HR policy, and should know what is expected and how he or she will be rewarded for good performance.

During a workshop, a group of middle management employees were asked what caused unhappiness in their organisations. The causes of conflict were given as; bad ergonomics, disrespectful treatment of employees, inequalities, incorrect diversity management and management “sweating the small stuff”. It was also mentioned that technology issues will have a huge impact on frustration levels and result in conflict. There is nothing as frustrating as a computer that takes long to boot up or connectivity that is down when an urgent e-mail needs to be sent.

When a company is well managed and all of the correct HR processes are in place, it comes down to treating employees with respect and a genuine desire to care for them that will bring about a “preferred employer” status. When employers want that home away from home feeling where everybody is positive, committed and loyal, treat them like family. There is a lot to be said for technology and processes but, at the end of the day, it comes down to leadership and that human touch.

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