Employee Involvment and Communication

Defining ‘employee relations’…

According to Bratton & Gold (2007), employee relations refers to ‘an assortment of employer initiatives for improving workplace communications, for engaging employees either directly or indirectly in decision making and for securing employee compliance with management rules through disciplinary action’. There are a few different ways in which employers may choose to improve communications and engage employees in decision making. The three main strategies which can be applied to achieve this are known as ‘employee involvement’, ‘employee participation’, and ‘employee voice and partnership’.

Explanation of the difference between ‘employee participation’ and ‘employee involvement’…

Employee participation

Employee participation derives from a pluralist approach and gives employees the right to consultation on matters likely to affect the economic status of the employer or any proposed changes that may affect their employment status. This technique makes it possible for employees to have an input in some of the decisions which are made however it is often supported by some form of rules or legislations.

Employee involvement

Employee involvement describes the process of creating opportunities for staff to have an influence on decisions that are made and any other aspects that affect their jobsAccording to Heathfield (2010) ‘Employee involvement is not the goal nor is it a tool’. Rather, it is an ideology adapted by managers which believes that it is valuable for staff to contribute to continuous improvement and the ongoing development of their personal performance and that of the company. ‘This involvement increases ownership and commitment, retains your best employees, and fosters an environment in which people choose to be motivated and contributing.’ (Heathfield, 2010)

Employee involvement is about a management desire to encourage individual employees to be committed to the organisational values – more a unitarist approach.

Different categories of involvement include:
· Sharing information
· Consultation
· Financial participation
· Quality improvements
· Individuals
· Community

Many organisations are now using social networking sites as a means of involving their staff, both for existing staff and potential recruits. Go online and find examples of how this works. What sort of information is provided? Which social networks are being used?

The latest and most innovative approach to employee involvement through technology is via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Bebo and LinkedIn. These sites encourage employee involvement as they enable them to voice their opinions and thus be more involved in the decision making process. These sites can be used to create a page dedicated to an organisation which is run by an allocated administrator who is responsible for dealing with all aspects of the website. This includes things such as considering ideas put forward by employees, addressing recruitment matters, advertising, team briefings, company newsletters and publications, company videos, company intranet and extranet.

Social networking sites can be used as a tool to improve efficiency of the recruitment process also. Companies can create a page with a system for applicants to apply for vacancies and applicants can also use the network as a resource to answer any questions or queries which they may have.

Another beneficial aspect of social networking sites for managers is that they can potentially examine the character and personality of possible candidates by seeing what they are like outside of the work environment.

Overall, social networking sites can be highly beneficial for organisations in a range of different ways when utilised effectively. They enable managers to monitor staff, improve communication, promote employee involvement, improve motivation, advertise, allow employees a say in decision making, and recruit new staff. In conclusion i feel that employee involvment is more effective than participation as involvment increases motivation and plays a part in maintaining a high standard within the workforce.

References:

1) Heathfield, S (2010) Employee Involvement [online] Available from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossarye/a/employee_inv.htm [Accessed 1 May 2010]

2) Wiki Answers, (2010) What is the difference between employee participation and employee involvement? [online] Available from : http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_employee_participation_and_employee_involvement
[Accessed 1 May 2010]