One of the most important factors in building a successful business is the relationship between an employer and its employees. A positive working relationship between the employer and its team of staff will help the company grow and drive results. Building strong relationships with employees should be a core goal of any business. After all, motivated and happy employees ensure greater productivity, as well as retention. Below, we outline some of the key ways that businesses can strengthen their relationships with employees.

Implement autonomy

Establishing mutual trust is one of the best ways to build great relationships with employees. One way to do this is to give your employees autonomy and allow them to make their own decisions regarding how they complete the work. This shows that you trust their judgement and are prepared to let them take responsibility and manage their workflow. When you allow your employees to become autonomous, you’re paving the way for their growth and helping build trust by letting them take responsibility for certain tasks, all of which can make employees more valuable to the company. By improving your employees’ value and competence over time, you’ll be able to further build on mutual respect and help ensure your team is engaged.

Provide constructive feedback

It’s highly important that your company’s leaders provide constructive feedback and openly voice any concerns professionally. Constructive feedback is crucial for an employee’s ongoing development as well as for strengthening the relationship. Giving clear and concise feedback clarifies expectations and creates a healthy communication flow. Also, always take the time to actively listen to your employees to show you appreciate their opinions. Any feedback and performance reviews should be given regularly, which will help increase engagement and maintain relationships.

Show you value your employees

Along with encouraging employee feedback, you must find different ways to show you value employees, such as taking an interest in their personal lives, having casual conversations and showing appreciation for good performance. Investing in your team shows you care about their growth, which will build strong relationships. One of the best ways to demonstrate you value your employees is by offering professional learning and development opportunities, such as online courses and conferences. Not only is this effective management, but you’ll be showing you value your people by creating new opportunities to help them learn and grow – which will contribute to a positive relationship.

Be consistent

As a leader, you must model ethical behaviour and communicate consistently. Consistent leadership is key and one of the most important factors for building strong relationships with employees. This includes defining goals consistently, then measuring results and actions with your team and analysing the results. Being consistent also means showing fairness and asking for consistency in employee performance and deliverables. The best way to achieve results is to establish a regular schedule for check-ins and communication, which will help maintain relationships with employees. Consistent leaders take the time to reflect on their actions and behaviours, which requires dedication and planning. You’ll want to lead by example and show your employees that you take your leadership seriously, which will no doubt foster great relationships.

Swisslinx can help you advance your career

At Swisslinx, we have an excellent team of recruitment consultants, specialising in financial services, digital and technology, healthcare and life sciences, as well as consulting. We follow a strong recruitment methodology that allows us to match the best candidates with quality clients globally. The Swisslinx team provides our clients and candidates with exceptional market knowledge, and as a result, we’ve built an outstanding network and established ourselves as a leading talent partner. If you want to find out more, get in touch with our team today and keep reading our blog for more insights.