The Employee Relations Coordinator working in a corporation is responsible for handling communications between upper management and employees. This type of job is usually found in midsize and larger corporations and industries. In smaller corporations the functions of the Employee Relations Coordinator might be assigned to the public relations or personnel department. The purpose of the employee relations department is to keep employees informed of happenings within their jobs and the company as well as keeping them satisfied with their jobs. In this way employees will be more productive and effective when performing their work.
The Employee Relations Coordinator acts as a liaison between management and employees. He or she is responsible for bringing employee problems to the attention of management. The individual may also be responsible for communicating management policies to the employees.
In order to fulfill these functions the Employee Relations Coordinator will have a number of responsibilities. The individual has frequent meetings with the personnel director and top management during which they will discuss both new policies and changes in existing policies. During these sessions the coordinator also finds out if there are any messages or information that should be communicated to employees. This information can encompass anything from major policy changes, such as reductions in employees’ pay or fringe benefit changes, to something relatively trivial, such as the date of a company baseball game or the prizes for the company’s bowling league.
The Employee Relations Coordinator is responsible for finding the most effective way to make employees aware of the information. In some situations the individual finds that writing memos to department heads is the answer. The department head can then pass the information on to employees. In other situations each employee may receive a personal memo or notice.
The coordinator may decide to use other forms of written internal communications such as flyers, posters for bulletin boards, and newsletters. The individual is responsible for developing, creating, and writing these materials. He or she may do this or pass the task on to an assistant. In the event that an assistant does the writing, the coordinator will be responsible for editing and checking the information for accuracy. The Employee Relations Coordinator may have special times set aside in which employees can come and discuss problems with the company, their job, or policies. The individual will then try to arrive at a solution or take the situation to upper management to resolve.
He or she might also conduct informational surveys of employees to obtain their opinions, needs, and interests so that management can better respond to them. For example, the coordinator may find through surveys that a large group of employees would be willing to pay for child care in the company building. The individual would take this information to upper management, who might then respond by opening a company-run child care center.
The Employee Relations Coordinator is often responsible for creating and implementing employee events to boost morale. The individual may, for example, develop company softball teams, bowling leagues, or basketball teams. He or she may plan picnics, parties, and other special events for employees and their families.
The Employee Relations Coordinator may arrange and implement seminars, conferences, or meetings for employees. These may be used for a variety of purposes, from honing skills and training to bringing employees together. The individual will often use these functions to have top management give out awards or special honors and single out employees for outstanding service to the company. The coordinator works with other departments while performing his or her functions. He or she may inform the director of the public relations department of employee honors or achievements so that press releases can be written and sent to the media. The individual may work with the community relations director when employees are sponsoring an event for a local charity or nonprofit organization.
In the event of corporate layoffs, the Employee Relations Coordinator may work closely with the personnel department. The individual might be expected to explain and help implement management’s plans for programs for laid-off employees. For example, he or she may work on a program offering résumé writing classes. The individual may also be expected to explain to employees the problems that created the layoffs. He or she may do this through written communications or by speaking to employee groups.
The Employee Relations Coordinator constantly strives to learn employees’ needs, opinions, and interests and to discuss the possibilities and methods of responding to them with management. His or her main function is to have employees perceive the company and its management in a positive way. Depending on the structure of the corporation, the Employee Relations Coordinator may report directly to the president, vice president, or chief executive officer. The individual might also be responsible to the public relations director or the personnel director.
Earnings for Employee Relations Coordinators vary from job to job. They may range from $25,000 to $56,000 or more depending on the corporation. Generally, the larger the corporation and the more the responsibility of the individual, the higher the salary will be. Earnings will also be higher for those working in large metropolitan areas.
Employment prospects are fair for individuals seeking a job in employee relations and will improve in the years to come. There are currently many midsize and larger corporations that employ a person for this position. More companies are beginning to follow the trend of using employee relations in order to create a more satisfied work force and therefore more effective and productive workers. Employment possibilities may be located throughout the country.
The Employee Relations Coordinator may advance his or her career in a number of ways. The individual may locate the same type of position in a larger, more prestigious corporation, which would result in increased earnings. The Employee Relations Coordinator may climb the career ladder by becoming the director of public relations in a corporation. The individual may also move into the position of personnel director or director of human resources.
Employee Relations Coordinators are required to have a minimum of a four-year college diploma. There are a number of positions in which graduate degrees are preferred. A broad educational background is useful to individuals in this field. Courses in public relations, marketing, communications, journalism, English, business, writing, psychology, group dynamics, negotiation, and arbitration are helpful. Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits Employee Relations Coordinator should genuinely like people. They should be personable, with an understanding of people.
The individual needs the ability to fulfill all public relations functions. He or she should be able to write clearly, factually, and creatively. The Employee Relations Coordinator may have to develop and write memos, letters, releases, proposals, newsletters, posters, and flyers. A good command of word usage, spelling, and grammar is necessary. The Employee Relations Coordinator should have good communications skills. He or she must be articulate and have the ability to speak to large groups of people. The individual should be equally comfortable speaking to management and to employees. The Employee Relations Coordinator needs a total understanding of both employee attitudes and those of management. He or she should be persuasive, have the ability to negotiate and arbitrate, and understand group dynamics.
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