How to Stop Your Employees From Fighting
Employee feuds can spell bad business for a company. Employees in conflict may lead to an increased turnover rate and lowered productivity. Enact policies that regulate employee behavior and address issues as soon as your hear about them in order to create harmony in the workplace.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Address the fighting situation directly. Meet with each employee separately and in private to give them a chance to air their grievances and make their cases. Create an open door policy and let employees know that they may approach you in confidence when they have a problem. You may even try a conflict resolution session with the employees in which you mediate and work with them to find a solution that stops the fighting.
-
2
Enact office policies with a zero tolerance for fighting and certain other behaviors. This means that all employees are treated the same way under these policies. Many office conflicts spring from perceptions that certain employees get away with behaviors not tolerated in others.
-
-
3
Create an environment that fosters team work. Encourage team projects and let employees know that their successes depend on each other.
-
4
The "Wall Street Journal" reports that the best way to deal with office conflicts is to focus on who you're hiring. Start at the interview phase and consider personality just as much as you would qualifications. Look for people who would mesh well with other employees. The "Wall Street Journal" reports that some companies even have trial run days in which finalist candidates spend a day on the job working with current employees. Watch how these candidates interact with others so that you can make a strong hire.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Keep a record of all employee incidents so that you can refer back to these notes if you must fire an employee who refuses to stop fighting.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
