As a leader, you might prioritise the wellbeing and happiness of your team members, and it can be distressing when this goes wrong. However, you do not have control of everything that goes on in your workplace. This might lead to you feeling at a loss when it comes to taking action. Then, here are some of the key steps that you should take to address problems with your workforce and to secure an excellent team for your company’s future.

1. Address Workplace Conflict

Everyone has the right to work in an environment free from distress. However, anywhere a lot of people gather has the possibility of conflict, including in your office or factory. This conflict can include very serious allegations, such as sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination, as well as squabbles that involve jealousy and competition. You might not be able to stop these from occurring completely, but it is up to you how you handle the issue that has occurred.

To ensure that workplace conflict does not derail your business and the company culture that you have worked so hard to achieve, you should ensure that issues are addressed immediately and that all members of your team feel comfortable coming to you with any experiences they have had. You should ensure that you hear from every party in the conflict and that your HR department is aware of the conflict. You might also consider outsourcing your HR and finding a company that specializes in addressing workplace conflict resolution through mediation, training, and resolution strategies that are individual for your business.

2. Keep Open Communication

Every employee likes to feel as if they have heard and listened to, especially when it comes to workplace issues and ideas. What’s more, employees can give a lot to your company and revolutionise your processes and the structure of your working day, if you give them a chance to do so. Although you might feel as if you need to steer the ship alone, this is not the case. Instead, you should take as many opportunities as possible to get feedback from your most loyal employees and keep an open dialogue about what could be done better and what they are unhappy with. Not only this, but you should consider staging open meetings where your employees are able to share their vision for the company and introduce ideas that could help to solve some of the most integral problems within your business. Doing this will make your staff feel extremely valued within your company.

3. Praise Them

Praise can boost the moods of your employees and allow them to know that they are on the right path, especially if they think you mean it. If you do not do this, they might feel confused as to their role within your company, and they might feel lost and concerned that they are taking incorrect action. This praise does not even have to be substantial. Simply giving them verbal reassurance that you are happy with their productivity can encourage them to meet deadlines and create high-quality work. You could also decide to give them a small gift or reward or plan a party during the summer or the holidays that can allow every single member of your team to celebrate their achievements.

4. Host One-to-One Meetings

Many people feel uncomfortable speaking up in public and would prefer a private forum to raise their concerns and discuss any matters that are troubling them. This is why you should always set up regular one-to-one appraisals with your team members where you can discuss their progress and set goals for them. This can help them to feel as if their career is going forward rather than backwards and can allow them to have specific areas to work on during the day-to-day running of your company. This can also give them the chance to discuss any pay rises that they might want, as well as any job opportunities that they might want to go for in the future. This is especially important for new employees who are on probation and who need to reach certain targets to become permanent members of the team.

5. Give Training

If your employees do not feel that they know what they are doing, they might stop putting in so much effort throughout the working day and might look around for simpler positions that they feel comfortable in. This means that you should offer training courses for all of your team, whether these lead to a qualification or not. Although training might already be an integral part of your onboarding process, it is just as important to ensure that you give your current team members the opportunity of ongoing training throughout their time with you. This will allow them to hone their skills and learn new details about your industry.