The Role of an Employee Relations Manager

The human resources field has several areas referred to as disciplines. Compensation and benefits, risk management and safety, training and development, recruitment and selection, human resources development and employee relations are the primary disciplines. The titles of some disciplines evolve over the years. The employee relations discipline is one that's very familiar to human resources professionals because it has been referred to in the same way for many years.



Strengthening the employer-employee relationship is the primary goal of an employee relations manager. Given the nature of duties, a successful employee relations manager is an HR generalist whose competencies and knowledge include all the human resources disciplines.

Broad Range of Duties

The employee relations manager has responsibility for a wide variety of functions within a human resources department. Because the manager is involved in every aspect of developing strong employer-employee relationships, it's not uncommon for the human resources department manager's professional background to be in employee relations. An employee relations manager resolves employee concerns related to compensation, benefits, workplace safety, training, recruitment and development.

Meaning of Employer-Employee Relationship

The signs of a strong employer-employee relationship are enhanced employee engagement, low turnover, high employee morale and job satisfaction. Performance management is another aspect of the employer-employee relationship, as are other performance-related matters such as appraisal methods and supervisors' ability to conduct effective job evaluations. An employee relations manager plays an important role in developing an organization's performance management system because she is the human resources staff member whose understanding of the workforce is the most comprehensive.

Specific Duties

A number of activities fall under the umbrella of strengthening the employer-employee relationship. Employee relations managers design employee opinion surveys, analyze results and develop action plans that address survey responses. In addition, they calculate turnover rates and develop strategy to reduce turnover. Interaction with upper management to address long-range goals for retaining talented employees is often within the purview of an employee relations manager. Managers also direct the work of employee relations specialists who plan events such as awards dinners and recognition events.

Litigation Management

Senior-level employee relations managers and those with significant professional expertise handle informal and formal employee complaints concerning discriminatory employment practices. Resolving employee complaints requires knowledge of investigative techniques, negotiation skills and an understanding of labor and employment laws. Employee relations managers work with employment lawyers to minimize liability and represent the employer's interests. Employee relations managers are frequently the primary company representative during mediation, litigation and other legal proceedings.

References

• U.S. Small Business Administration: Human Resources Management
• HR Tools: Employee Relations: A Manager's Vital Role
• City of Austin: Job Description: Employee Relations Manager
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists
• Salary Expert: Employee Relations Labor Relations Manager Salaries

Resources

• HR
• Society for Human Resource Management
• National Human Resources Association
• American Society for Training & Development
• Workforce Management
• U.S. Equal Employmnet Opportunity Commission