An important part of any employee retention strategy is handling employee complaints and grievances in an effective, sensitive, and timely manner. When employees sense that they are heard and respected, they feel a close connection to the company and ultimately work more efficiently. On the other hand, resentful employees can seriously impact the reputation of a company, as well as its bottom line. The following tips will help human resources (HR) professionals deal with employee grievances appropriately:
1. Never become argumentative.
When dealing with employee complaints, you may feel like you or another person at the company is being attacked unfairly. In these cases, you need to avoid appearing argumentative. This will simply define you as another enemy. Also, arguing can make people more resolute in their decisions, often causing them to dig in their heels for the sake of pride.
Complaints and grievances are a sensitive matter and you need to treat them as an exercise in de-escalation. Instead of arguing, you should present facts in a clear and persuasive light and completely avoid any adversarial words. The use of questions is also an effective way to get people to consider another point of view.
2. Listen more than you talk.
When employees are upset, they mostly want someone to listen fully to what they have to say. Frequently, just talking about their problems helps employees feel better. Avoid cutting an employee off or interrupting before he or she is finished. Ask questions to ensure that you fully understand the person’s point of view, and let the employee know that you are refraining from any judgments until you have collected all of the facts. This strategy makes people feel more at ease and can often lead to resolutions through discussion alone. Try to ask open-ended questions that make employees reflect on their experience rather than questions that have simple, informational responses.
3. Keep the grievance or complaint confidential.
Before you involve anyone else in the discussion, ask permission from the employee who first came to you. Often, employees hesitate to come to HR when there is a problem because they worry about maintaining their privacy. Some employees will happily accept the offer to consult with colleagues, while others may want to keep the matter confidential.
In some cases, employees may not have thought through the ramifications of involving another party, so try to point out the potential ramifications before making contact. Sometimes, the conversation will end with the person not pursuing the issue in order to keep matters private. In this case, check in regularly with the person to see how things are going and keep lines of communication open.
4. Refrain from rewarding complaints.
You should strive to resolve any complaints when they arise, but some employees may consider the attention they receive from the HR department a sort of reward. When employees seem to come back frequently with complaints, draw a line between what you can and cannot help with and stick by your decision. Recognize and deal with problems related to work and explain why you are unable to help with other issues.
While you should listen sympathetically to employees with complaints and grievances, you also need to work toward a quick resolution. Be sure to explain this to employees. One way to keep things brief is to schedule meetings with a clear beginning and ending time so that handling complaints does not consume your entire workday.
5. Be honest and consistent with the employee.
Clearly explain the company policy pertaining to the complaint or grievance and let the employee know what to expect moving forward. Never leave an employee wondering whether or not an issue can be resolved. If you are not able to help the employee, tell him or her that you cannot be of assistance and explain the reasons behind your decision. Employees understand that an HR professional’s power only extends so far.
On the other hand, if you make a decision that the employee does not like, stand by it and explain why you made that decision. Tensions can run high during these meetings, so it is important to stay calm and to walk the employee through all decisions in a respectful manner.
6. Know the company policy.
Understand how your company handles some of the most common complaints and grievances that arise in the workplace. Also, be sure that you know the legal ramifications involved with each of these specific situations. Learning this material will allow you to best assistance employees while remaining true to the policies that guide your responses.
Some of the most common complaints involve harassment, theft, discrimination, and violence. You must take each of these situations seriously because they have legal implications. Furthermore, each complaint has different implications depending on whether it involves only people at the company or a third party. Keep up to date about what such accusations mean for the accuser, the accused, and the company.