Positive employee relations begin with first impressions made during the advertising, interviewing, and onboarding process. The employment relationship then continues, from maximizing performance and minimizing conflict to developing employees for future success. Of course, employee relations will suffer if employees do not feel appreciated, so rewards and recognition are also important. If conflict develops, the employer may have to manage the problems and possibly impose discipline or take corrective action.

When it comes to employee relations, employers can take one of two approaches: they can choose to control employees as much as possible because they believe they inherently can’t be trusted, or they can choose to trust employees and deal with any “bad apples” as they are discovered. Moving from a culture of control to a culture of trust requires a shift in organizational thought patterns, but it can be done.