How HR Can Help Manage and Resolve Conflict in the Workplace

Workplace conflict occurs when individuals’ ideas or perspectives clash while collaborating. These conflicts can stem from various personal or professional issues. However, when a conflict reaches a level that disrupts the flow of work, it is crucial to intervene and find ways to address the situation effectively.

Addressing conflicts requires more than passive guidance from a distance; it necessitates active involvement and engagement. Human resource professionals are responsible for ensuring transparent resolutions for conflicts between two parties.

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Be an Advocate

Employees frequently seek assistance from the HR team in anticipation of resolving issues. While this approach may offer a temporary remedy, it lacks the sustainability of a long-lasting solution. The HR department must transcend this reactive role by embodying an advocacy mindset. Embracing a counselor approach, they should tackle discussions as enthusiastic proponents of effective solutions, aiming to prevent conflicts from arising initially.

Value Each Individual 

A conflict involving multiple employees can become more complex and challenging if not managed properly. HR managers should prioritize each employee involved, listen to their perspectives individually, inquire about their viewpoints, and then organize a group meeting to foster openness and inclusivity, ensuring everyone feels valued and understood. If you cannot control the employees, consider fractional HR services to introduce an unbiased party to facilitate the discussion and provide a neutral perspective.

Consider All Perspectives

In a conflict scenario, the primary objective is promptly resolving to enable all parties to operate at their peak productivity. One approach to accomplishing this is ensuring that everyone comprehensively understands the situation from all perspectives.

Given that HR managers possess an overarching view of each individual’s position, there is potential for them to assist others in adjusting their viewpoint and considering the situation from a fresh angle. Additionally, it is beneficial to address minor issues initially due to their ease of resolution.

Stay Genuine

Despite its seeming improbability, the mediator’s genuine intentions in conflict resolution are discernible to the involved parties. HR managers must truly prioritize the well-being of individuals and the attainment of favorable outcomes. Their approach should entail active listening, deep understanding, problem identification, and needs assessment, all executed sincerely to uphold authenticity and foster stakeholder trust.

Encourage Openness

Simply organizing a meeting and convening everyone in one place is insufficient to achieve a resolution. HR professionals must highlight the significance of transparent and candid communication. Without employees opening up and articulating the true reasons for the conflict, the essence of conflict resolution remains unaddressed. Hence, promoting an open discussion is essential to effectively delve into the core issues.

Avoid Disagreeing Over Email

While many enjoy expressing frustrations, email is generally unsuitable for resolving conflicts. Even skilled writers struggle to convey thoughts effectively at the speed of 40 words per minute. Capturing emotional subtleties proves challenging, leading to potential misinterpretation. Emails are also permanent and irrevocable, and impulsive messages can lead to regrets later on.

Encourage employees to address disagreements in person, over the phone, or via video chat instead of relying solely on written communication. While note-taking is acceptable, face-to-face interactions offer a more productive conflict resolution approach.

Uncover the Conflict’s Root Cause

When there are underlying issues in the workplace, noticeable conflicts often mask the true source of the problem. For instance, a dispute may arise over disobedience, but further investigation might reveal that the root cause is related to unclear job roles.

Addressing workplace conflicts without identifying the fundamental issue will only offer temporary solutions. Here are three approaches to uncovering and resolving these issues:

1. Active Listening: A key strategy recommended for HR in resolving workplace disagreements is to actively listen to all parties involved, considering the context, emotions, and underlying aspects of communication. Through active listening, deeper issues beyond superficial complaints are typically unveiled.
2. Employee Surveys and Feedback Tools: Anonymous survey tools can enable the collection of candid perspectives from conflicting parties and impartial observers. By connecting feedback from multiple individuals, a more comprehensive understanding of the situation can be formed.
3. Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Conducting a formal root cause analysis is a valuable technique in conflict resolution for HR professionals. This method involves deconstructing the issue into smaller components and repeatedly asking “why?” until reaching the core of the problem.

Encourage Staff to Resolve Issues Independently

In situations of office drama, the urge to intervene and resolve conflicts may be strong, but there are times when it is more beneficial to allow employees to address their own issues. Constantly involving yourself in every workplace dispute can lead to a sense of micromanagement, which is not ideal. Encouraging employees to collaborate and resolve conflicts independently can be advantageous for all parties involved.

When witnessing friendly disagreements or casual political conversations among employees, monitoring and evaluating the situation is important. If these disagreements remain amicable and do not intensify, they can serve as opportunities for employees to connect on common ground and engage in productive dialogues. 

Intervening too soon may inadvertently escalate tensions, especially if the employees perceive the issue as trivial. However, if there is a possibility of conflict escalation or discomfort for anyone involved, it is crucial to take appropriate action.

Endnote

HR should conduct comprehensive research since this represents a financial and interpersonally investment. When selecting external resources, ensure they have a strong reputation and a track record of working with reputable companies before involving them in resolving managerial issues.