When a group of people gets together, this involves personality integration, as people get accustomed to each other and begin to develop relationships.
As a natural progression, workplace habits develop and some are negative and can cause issues within the company, which is the last thing you want.
Here are a few workplace behaviors to watch out for:
- Bullying – This is more common than you would think. Some people seem to derive pleasure from belittling others and in a hierarchical system, the bully is always the senior and may target specific individuals that they dislike for some reason.
- Sexual Harassment – In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as sexual harassment, yet the Harvey Weinstein trial and the ‘Me Too’ community clearly demonstrate sexual harassment is alive, despite all efforts to eradicate it altogether. This can work both ways and even same-gender sexual harassment cannot be overlooked. If an employee makes a claim regarding harassment, it must be investigated and this is a time to call in a specialist HR agency, where a team of employment law experts is at hand.
- Personality Clashes – Fortunately, this one doesn’t occur that often and when it does, things usually iron themselves out, so to speak. This can lead to physical violence in some cases, yet there would normally be signs and management should not dismiss comments from employees relating to rows and conflicts among staff members. Once a manager is aware of a conflict, they can always call in a leading HR agency to mediate. The agency can help you create a culture where differences of opinion are welcome.
- Cutting Corners – This occurs when employees are under pressure to meet tight timelines. A worker might not bother wearing a hi-vis vest while in the loading bay, or trying to lift something heavy on their own. Operating machinery when not qualified is another common mistake, which is caused by trying to save time, and hiring an HR agency can make the workplace a safer place.
- Complacency – This typically occurs with health and safety procedures, and that can lead to workplace accidents and injuries. You can engage the services of a local specialist in health and safety or use the Avensure small business health and safety consultancy service to carry out risk assessments at your place of work. Regular sessions remind key staff about correct manual handling techniques and to ensure that the right signage is in place.
Most media to large companies outsource all of their HR needs to a 3rd party provider, yet small business owners can also make good use of their many HR services, which include health and safety, recruitment, staff leave, and workforce scheduling.
Managers should lead by example and encourage the right behaviors. Your workforce is the most valuable asset you have, and that’s why you need to enlist the services of a leading HR agency.
