What Is Employee Relations? Definition + Career Guide

What is employee relations? 

Employee relations refers to an organisation’s efforts to maintain positive employee relationships. The goals of good employee relations include inspiring employee loyalty, increasing engagement, reducing turnover, and creating a positive company culture. 

In your research into employee relations (ER), you may find that this discipline shares similarities with human resources (HR). In addition, some companies may use ER and HR interchangeably, while others may outline distinct functions and responsibilities for professionals in each discipline. Check out the chart below for some possible differences to keep in mind. 

Companies can employ several methods to optimise relations with employees. Some strategies include the following: 

• Regarding employees as stakeholders and contributors to the company

• Seeking employee input when making company-wide decisions 

• Addressing employee health and safety 

• Creating a sense of belonging, even with many in the workforce working remotely in the wake of COVID-19

• Sponsoring employee-led resource groups (ERGs) around shared characteristics such as gender, lifestyle, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or interest   

• Coaching employees to perform at their best level

• Taking a stand on issues that employees care about, such as social justice or climate change

• Supporting career growth and professional development  

Employee relations examples

If you’re in an employee relations role, you will likely participate in several junctures of an employee’s experience with your company. Examples include:  

• Onboarding new employees 

• Managing conflicts among staff 

• Analysing performance 

• Establishing health and safety practices

• Helping employees manage work/life balance 

• Offering events and incentives outside of work 

According to the 2021 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, 20 percent of respondents (HR executives) identified employee well-being as an important part of how the workplace should be reimagined [1]. 

Employee relations jobs

Employee relations roles come with various titles that could include specialists and managers. They may also be referred to as labour relations. In each role, you will work to help create and shape a company’s culture and the employee experience. As of June 2024, a quick search on Naukri revealed more than 8,000 employee relations job listings. Additionally, data from Glassdoor India suggests the average salary for someone working in employee relations ranges from ₹6,30,000 to ₹9,50,000 [2, 3]. 

To get a job in employee relations, you may need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business management, labour relations, or a related field. You’ll also need a few years of experience working in HR, and a master’s in business administration or human resources can be a plus for higher-level roles. 

Explore the possibilities further with the following three examples of employee relations roles. 

Employee relations manager

Average base salary: ₹9,50,000 [3]

Employee relations managers lead employee relations teams within a company and oversee the work of team members. Additional duties might include collaborating with company leaders on setting policy and training managers in best practices in employee relations. 

Employee relations specialist 

Average base salary: ₹6,30,000 [2]

Employee relations specialists promote employee well-being, including assisting with work-related challenges and helping employees enhance their performance. Professionals in this role may also advise employees on complying with government and company policies. 

Employee relations consultant 

Average base salary: ₹5,93,500 [4]

Employee relations consultants advise companies’ human resources departments on policies and procedures, decision-making, recruitment, training, etc. In this position, you will help companies optimise their dealings with employees. It typically requires extensive expertise, including an advanced degree, certification, or a postgraduate diploma from an organisation like the Indian Society for Training and Development, and professional experience. 

How to build positive employee relations 

Developing employee relations benefits everyone involved. Explore four methods to help achieve the goal in your current or future role. 

1. Create an employee relations strategy. 

Having a clear strategy can make it easier to implement employee relations efforts and measure their results. Three steps can help put this into action: 

• Identify employee relations goals, such as increasing employee engagement, improving employees’ performance, and reducing employee turnover.

• Identify the actions you’ll take to achieve these goals, such as conducting exit interviews with departing employees and then using insights to enhance current employees’ experiences. Another action might be to improve employee appreciation by offering gifts, rewards, and other recognition for excellence. 

• Identify the metrics you’ll use to measure progress. For example, you might track employee engagement according to the number of employees who attend non-mandatory meetings or company social events. 

2. Define company culture. 

A strong company culture that employees believe in can inspire them to stay with the company longer and even perform better in their roles. Try the following three steps to begin: 

• Work with leaders to refine the company’s values and mission statement and identify ways to connect the values and mission to employees' work.

• Unite employees around the company’s long-term vision by inviting employees to share what it means to them.

• Specify and strengthen the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Share these efforts with employees and request their input.   

3. Establish open and honest communication. 

Streamlining internal communication among managers, employees, and leaders can contribute to a healthier workplace and encourage everyone to share valuable ideas by taking steps like the following: 

• Invite employees to discuss their challenges openly regularly and schedule time to listen to employees’ experiences, thoughts, and feelings. 

• Work with managers to develop documentation of new policies and procedures. Documentation might include demo videos or written instructions. 

• Ask employees about their career goals and how their work aligns with them. 

Explore employee relations with Coursera 

Employee relations is a broad field and can provide various opportunities across many industries. With the right skills and experience, you can make a difference for companies and employees. You’ll engage in tasks like optimising company policies and procedures and shaping a positive company culture that ensures everyone receives fair treatment and adequate resources for success. 

Continue learning about employee relations and developing skills to help you succeed with online programmes on Coursera. For example, you can begin learning the fundamentals with Employee Relations, a beginner-friendly course from HRCI. You can also explore options like HRCI’s Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate, which can add a credential to boost your resume or CV.