Having a firm and healthy relationship between employees and their employers is one of the ways that a company is boosted. Studies show that employees who have mutually respectful relationships with their employers are more likely to be happy, loyal and productive in the long run. But how can this be possible? Democratic and authoritative nature Aime Fulgence Barawigirira, a Rwandan businessman based in Italy explains that sociologically, the employer respects his duty and his responsibility and the worker tries to keep his obligation respecting the employment contract. For the best growth of the company, therefore, the employer should be democratic and authoritative at the same time. Less conflicts, more productivity “Having a great working relationship with the manager and co-workers, creates less conflicts. A peaceful workplace has many benefits of strong employee-employer relationships, there is even no harm in evaluating this kind of relationship. With less or no conflicts, there are more productivity levels, and harmony among workers and their bosses,” he states. Comfort and appreciation Barawigirira adds that both employees’ and employers’ needs must be considered and protected against any problems. But most of all, employees should feel comfortable and appreciated. He also stresses that the reason as to why some workers lose energy to do their work to the best of their knowledge and capability is because they are less appreciated by the employees. Employers who are more available create a deeper connection with the employees hence being able to plan the way forward for the company together, Barawigirira adds. High performance Martha Uwase, an entrepreneur in Kigali states that most businesses find that productivity improves in line with the employer – employee relationship. For instance, a committed employee puts all his efforts in his work and even does what it takes to perform better with a good employer connection and assistance. Such people, the quality of their work shows for itself. Loyalty According to Uwase, a good relationship between the employer and the employee creates loyalty. This can happen if workers are treated with respect. Otherwise, without loyalty, the company risks losses as disloyal workers don’t take the company as though it’s theirs and just work for the sake. In addition, they can’t keep the secrets of the company. No company makes a good name with their dirty secrets exposed to the public. “To avoid hiring new workers all the time and all the expenses that come with it, it is better to have a great relationship with workers so that they grow slowly as the company grows. Remember workers act or behave depending on how you treat them,” she states. Communication with ease Uwase carries on that an open communication is key in an employer- employee relationship as it enables them to move in the same direction, towards one common goal. She says, having a common goal gives management and staff something to work toward together. This can improve morale on both ends, elevate trust between different levels of workers and keep management in touch with the employees they are in charge of supervising. Higher engagement rate It’s known that organisational relationships are directly related to employee engagement. According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management, “The majority of employees find the relationship with their employer to be very important to their job satisfaction.” This therefore crafts a close relationship that can make the employees grow and stay for the long term because they feel valued. Easier work assignment Uwase notes that it’s the role of an employer to know their employees’ strengths, weaknesses, and the current and potential range of their expertise. This is what enables them in assigning responsibilities to different workers. At the same time, it helps the employee to keep inspired, and thus accomplishing their given tasks easily. Some employers also prefer to assign specific tasks with the purpose of overcoming the weakness but also, when employees discover new strengths, they get excited and are encouraged to work more and even appreciate their work better. In the end, their efforts might attract clients.
