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How Do We Help Employees Who Don’t Get Along To Work Well Together?

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Last Updated on June 1, 2023 / Employee Relations

Two coworkers looking sideways at each other

HR Question:

We have two employees who don’t seem to like each other, and it is starting to affect their work. How do we help employees who don’t get along to work well together?

HR Answer:

It can be challenging when co-workers don’t like each other, but it’s our job as HR professionals to help employees work well together. Here are several steps you can take to improve the situation:

Seek to understand first

Investigate the cause or causes of the conflict. It’s easy to jump to conclusions about what is happening. Speak to the employees involved and try to understand the tension between them. Is it a personality clash, a misunderstanding, or a difference in working style? Once you understand the cause, you can work to address it and find a solution.

Encourage open communication

Encourage the employees to communicate openly with each other. You may need to facilitate a conversation to help them understand what open communication is like. If your employees are struggling to communicate openly, they may benefit from training in effective communication, including active listening and conflict resolution.

Serve as a mediator

Sometimes employees can be stuck in their own way of thinking or workstyle preferences and unable to see the situation from another point of view without additional support. In these situations, you can serve as a mediator to help both employees to see and appreciate each other’s perspectives. At Strategic HR, we have found using an assessment tool, such as the Everything DiSC, to be a valuable tool to help employees to better understand themselves and each other, as well as learn specific strategies to work together more effectively. Oftentimes, helping your employees to realize that their personalities are different and teaching them better ways to work with each other can improve their communication and strengthen their relationships.

Set clear expectations

It is important to set clear expectations for behavior and performance and make sure everyone is on the same page. Create a shared vision for the team and encourage everyone to work toward that common goal. Tell your employees that they don’t need to be friends, but they do need to be able to work together and should be professional in the workplace.

Lead by example

Model open communication and positive conflict resolution with your teams and peers. This can be a powerful way to put your expectations into action showing employees how to resolve conflicts and work well together.

Follow up

Follow up to ensure that the solution is working and that your expectations are being met. If one or more of your employees continues to not meet your behavioral and performance expectations, it would be appropriate to discipline them, up to and including termination. As always, be sure to follow any policies that you have regarding how to handle this type of behavior, and be consistent in your approach as you strive to help employees work well together.

Thank you to the HR Support Center and Robin Throckmorton, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Shareholder in Charge, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

One of the stickiest aspects of human resources management is Employee Relations. Are you having difficulties with employees not getting along? Are you struggling to manage disrespectful behaviors? Clark Schaefer Strategic HR have years of experience in employment relations. For example, we can facilitate the Everything DiSC assessment to help your employees work better together. Visit our Employee Relations page to learn how we can help you resolve some of your toughest people challenges.

 

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