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What is Employee Relationship Management? 

Employee relationship management (ERM) is an important practice for office managers and business owners alike.  

ERM is a system that helps foster a positive workplace culture, increase employee engagement, and promote team collaboration. It allows employers to better manage their employees and build stronger relationships with them. 

Employee relationship management is the practice of managing both internal and external relationships between employers and employees.  

In other words, it’s the process of optimizing communication between employers and employees in order to create a better working environment.  

This process involves employers actively listening to employee concerns, providing feedback on performance, recognising employees for their achievements, and helping employees set goals for the future.   

ERM can also involve creating policies that ensure fairness in the workplace as well as fostering an atmosphere of openness—this includes ensuring that all employees feel comfortable speaking up when they have a concern or question. 

The Importance of Employee Relationship Management 

The importance of employee relationship management cannot be understated, as it offers many benefits. Here are a few:

1. ERM builds loyalty and trust

Perhaps the most significant benefit of ERM is that it creates a sense of loyalty, trust, and mutual respect between managers and employees.  

When you take an interest in your team members as individuals, listen carefully to their concerns and provide support, they'll repay you with greater commitment, improved performance, and increased loyalty.  

By working hard to build solid relationships with your staff, you'll also build trust, which is vital for effective leadership. Your employees need to know that you have their interests at heart and that you're committed to helping them succeed. 

Effective communication is essential for any successful organisation, but it's especially important when you're managing a team.  

When you invest in ERM, you'll establish a channel of two-way communication that makes it easy for your staff to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns with you.  

This, in turn, helps to foster a culture of openness and transparency, in which everyone feels empowered to speak up and contribute. 

In addition to improving communication, ERM also encourages collaboration. By building strong relationships between colleagues across the organisation, you'll create a culture in which people are willing to work together, share ideas and pool their expertise. This can lead to better decision-making, greater innovation, and improved outcomes for all.

4. ERM fosters a positive culture

Finally, ERM can help to foster a positive culture within your organisation. When you take an interest in your employees' lives beyond the workplace, provide opportunities for personal and professional growth, and support your staff in achieving their goals, you create a sense of belonging, satisfaction, and pride. 

How to Prioritise Employee Relationship Management in the Workplace 

To prioritise ERM, you must make it a regular part of your workplace culture. Start by setting up a regular one-on-one meeting schedule with your employees.  

These meetings are a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level, discuss ongoing projects, and provide constructive feedback. Remember to praise employees for their accomplishments and offer honest feedback when things aren’t going well.  

Additionally, make sure to offer opportunities for professional development, such as training sessions or industry events, to give employees a chance to grow and expand their skill set. 

Another important aspect of ERM is offering support when employees are facing personal challenges. If you’ve built a strong relationship with the employee, they’re more likely to trust and confide in you if they are encountering difficulties.  

As an office manager, it’s important to handle these conversations delicately and with compassion, offering resources and support, such as counseling or mental health services. 

Use inclusio for Effective Employee Relationship Management 

inclusio is a cloud-based platform that companies can leverage for effective employee relationship management, allowing management to better track different initiatives, especially those related to diversity and inclusion.  

It also allows for greater employee engagement, as employees can learn about different initiatives through a gamified approach. Inclusio offers detailed data and diagnostics, allowing organisations to better gauge the effectiveness of different workplace initiatives too.