What I Saw While Attending Interviews with Uncooperative Employees: A Labor Perspective on Transforming 'Individual Issues' into 'Workplace-Wide Challenges'
Considering the significance of having a third party (a consultant social insurance labor consultant) present at employee interviews.
The other day, at the request of a client, I attended an interview regarding a case where employees in the workplace were not cooperating well with each other. From the HR representative, I had previously heard frank concerns such as, 'I want to give a warning, but the person won't accept it,' 'I'm worried it will be taken as harassment,' and 'The atmosphere at the site is deteriorating.' Such consultations have definitely increased over the past few years.
The main theme of this interview was K-san's way of communicating. It was perceived by surrounding employees as 'harsh in tone' or 'feeling like being blamed,' creating a situation where it was difficult to build a cooperative relationship. However, if one were to unilaterally point out the problems during the interview, the person would become defensive, strengthening feelings of 'I'm not wrong' and 'The people around me don't understand.'
Therefore, this time, we started by carefully separating and organizing facts and emotions. In what situations did certain words and actions occur, and how did those around them perceive them? On the other hand, we confirmed what K-san was thinking at the time and what the intent behind the remarks was. As a result, it became clear that K-san had experienced a serious conflict with a colleague, S-san, in the past, and a belief had formed that 'if I don't speak strongly, the work won't get done.'
Furthermore, regarding the relationship with the current colleague, T-san, frustrations and anxieties had accumulated, such as 'I intend to cooperate, but I'm not appreciated' and 'I'm being misunderstood.' What is important here is not to reduce these to 'personality problems' or 'the individual's character.' Many workplace troubles occur due to a complex intertwining of interpersonal relationships, past experiences, and the influence of the workplace environment.
In the interview, rather than deciding 'who is bad,' we shared the perspective of 'why is this happening' and 'what are the issues as a workplace.' I repeatedly conveyed the message to K-san that 'we are not blaming you as an individual' and 'we want to think about this as a theme to be improved across the entire workplace.' As a result, the person's expression and posture gradually softened, and they became able to accept, little by little, the impact their words and actions were having on those around them.
Ultimately, an agreement was formed to work together on environmental improvements, such as reorganizing communication rules and expectations for the entire workplace rather than stopping at interpersonal conflicts, and establishing a system where people can consult when they are in trouble. I feel this was a big step for both the individual and the surrounding employees.
What I want to convey to HR representatives is that the purpose of an interview is not just 'warning' or 'guidance.' By having a third party, such as a consultant social insurance labor consultant, present, you can organize emotional misunderstandings and visualize the differences between facts and perceptions. This protects the individual and, at the same time, leads to lowering the risk for the entire workplace.
Since around last year, requests to attend such interviews have become very frequent. It can be said that there are more workplaces struggling with human relationships and communication. It is important to introduce an external perspective and organize things at an early stage, rather than responding after the problem has become serious.
As an HR/labor representative, please try not to carry it all on your own, but to have the perspective of re-capturing 'individual issues' as 'workplace-wide challenges.' That accumulation should lead to building a workplace where employees can cooperate with peace of mind.