Tips For Resolving Conflict Between Coworkers | HR Cloud (2024)

Conflict between coworkers is unpleasant and unwelcome. However unwanted it is, it’s also unavoidable. If left to fester and escalate, such situations can affect performance and output, and they could even lead to the exodus of valuable workers. Therefore, it’s imperative that coworker conflict gets resolved quickly and properly.

Whether minor misunderstandings, perceived harassment, or actual bullying, conflict in the workplace can also create a toxic atmosphere that may affect employees who are not directly involved in the situation. No one, except perhaps your competitors, stands to benefit from workplace conflicts. It may be human nature to avoid conflict, but avoidance is not a step toward resolution.

Thankfully, coworker conflict is not some undoable Gordian Knot. The following insights and practical approaches can help make resolution possible.

Healthy And Unhealthy Conflict

As unpleasant as it is, the conflict between coworkers is normal, and it’s not always unhealthy. In fact, some of the most productive teams are those in which the members feel comfortable and safe enough to express or address differences and disagreements. Those teams are usually the ones known for improved decision-making, greater thought diversity, and more innovative approaches.

According to CTLGroup HR manager Casey Swartz, a team of clones, in which conflict is entirely absent, is undesirable. Swartz explained that conflicts indicate that changes to processes and procedures are necessary. If any business wants to not only survive but thrive, it needs to adapt and make occasional changes to the way it operates.

In this sense, conflict is healthy, but as many managers, HR officers, and business owners know, that is not always the case.

New York City-based organizational psychologist Michael Woodward said that determining which conflicts are healthy and which are unhealthy can be a challenging task. He explained that healthy conflicts between coworkers can result in greater trust and that challenges to the status quo can be beneficial for a business. Conversely, unhealthy conflict is characterized by poor judgment—usually, because the conflicting parties made personal attacks and the situation became emotionally charged.

If such conflicts get ignored, the results could be far worse than an unpleasant atmosphere. According to VitalSmarts co-founder and author Joseph Grenny, every conflict that you ignore could end up wasting as many as eight hours of company time; this results from employees gossiping and engaging in other activities that waste time and decrease productivity.

Common Reasons For Conflict

In business, the core causes of conflict are usually:

Communication: A lack of communication between staff leads to feelings of sabotage, exclusion, or lack of control.

Skills: An employee may lack certain skills that another employee expects them to have. This can lead to issues with the delivery of work and may affect morale and confidence.

A lack of information: If an employee doesn’t have the relevant data to perform their job, they’ll feel frustrated. Similarly, if the information they have is ambiguous or incomplete, resentment may become an issue.

Environment: The workplace or current working situation can lead to disagreement. This is especially true in the case of remote working, where communication has become largely text-based. With text, there’s far more room for interpretation of tone than in face-to-face meetings.

Values: A difference in opinion and personal values may stir up conflict, especially if two strong personalities have differing opinions.

HR Involvement In Conflict Resolution

Some minor conflicts between coworkers will resolve themselves within minutes, hours, or days, because the aggrieved parties come to their senses, apologize, and find a solution. Others might reach a resolution after those involved receive a few wise words from a trusted colleague or a manager.

There will be times when HR will need to get involved for the good not only of those employees but of the whole department and the company. HR involvement in coworker conflict resolution should happen when:

• The conflict has got personal

• Employees are losing respect for each other

• Employee morale is becoming poorer

• Productivity and company success are being affected

• Employees threaten to resign or walkout

When HR involves itself in a conflict between co-workers, that involvement should be with care. SHRM-CP HR manager Amanda DeBernardi said that she spends approximately 30% of her time at work dealing with conflicts between employees. The experience taught her that the role of HR in conflict resolution is as a facilitator. DeBernardi explained that it’s crucial for the conflicting parties to know and understand that the results are in their hands, and that they are responsible for finding a solution.

Smaller companies, however, may not have the luxury of an HR department. In such cases, the owner may need to get involved, but if other more pressing duties distract their attention, there is the risk that the conflict could escalate and be left unresolved. SME owners faced with situations like that don’t need to despair, as they can approach an external mediator.

Alternatively, they can bring a trusted PEO onboard, and let that company handle HR issues. A PEO can handle all HR, payroll, training, and other admin tasks, and can mediate in disputes or assist with counseling sessions to get to the bottom of a conflict. PEOs offer several advantages, but with employee conflict, they’ll have the required resources on tap. They can get to the bottom of the matter quickly and in the most effective way.

Coworker Conflict Resolution Tips