Why learn to build and maintain positive employees relations?

Michael was hired by a large accounting firm four years ago, after becoming a licensed CPA. There were very few companies hiring when Michael began his job search, so when he received a job offer from ABC Accounting Firm, he quickly accepted it. ABC Accounting provides cubicles for everyone and requires employees to work a minimum of 50 hours a week with a 30-minute paid lunch each day. Meetings are not a common occurrence, as job assignments and changes are usually communicated via email. Michael is paid well for his work but does not look forward to spending all day, every day, in his cubicle. The lack of interaction with his coworkers and supervisors quickly puts him in a bad mood, and he is anxious to leave the office at the end of each work day. Recently, Michael went to after-work drinks with some co-workers and found that a majority of them shared his dissatisfaction with their working environment. Individual morale is low, and the firm as a whole is struggling to increase productivity and reduce turnover.

While each individual will react to different work environments in different way (some people thrive working alone, after all), it seems that ABC Accounting Firm does not have the buy-in of their employees and are doing very little, if anything, to improve employee engagement. If the accounting firm does not act and make improvements, they will see a number of negative consequences including higher turnover, decreased productivity, and overall poor employee attitudes and work ethic.

Employee engagement is essential to running a highly functioning team and should be a key component in every company’s business plan. Companies can help improve engagement and morale in a number of ways, which will have a direct impact on their employees’ attitudes and work ethic.