The Post-Covid Pandemic Workplace
Workplaces will never be the same after a pandemic outbreak. More than ever, employees are seeking secure areas where they can work independently and communicate effectively with other employees. However, many businesses do not currently have the infrastructure to support this level of productivity. The following tips provide insights into how you can create a higher-performing workplace post-pandemic by delivering value to your employees through effective communication and collaboration tools.
COVID-19 has altered how we socialize with others, both professionally and in our personal lives. Consequently, not only has the pandemic impacted our way of life, but it has also altered the method in which we run our enterprises. Although 2021 was a life-changing year for all of us, 2022 would not be much different in that regard. Many changes will occur in our workplaces, from where we work to how we work and with whom we work, and the technology we use daily throughout 2022. However, many of these modifications were already in place before the epidemic.
The future: The well-being of employees
Self-care and taking responsibility for one’s health and well-being is no longer considered a benefit of one’s job. The well-being of employees is an additional advantage that many firms are emphasizing to recruit qualified individuals. Additionally, the well-being of employees is now an opportunity for employers to assist employees in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Employee well-being has improved across the board, from physical to emotional, financial, social, and even job-related well-being.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced in 2019, (physical and mental) well-being moved from a concern for a single employee to one that impacts the whole family. It is heartwarming to observe that employers like Arthur Lawrence provide perks to their employees and benefit their families. Plenty of mobile applications can help the masses maintain a healthy work-life balance, facilitate employees’ capacity building, and provide ample information on how to live a healthy life amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
See Also: How To Harness Employee Mental Health Amidst The Omicron Outbreak
One benefit that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic is telecommuting, which would help the employees not get infected by the pandemic. As the pandemic enters its second year, workers’ worries about their personal and family lives have prioritized efforts to increase organizational advantages and benefits. A company’s ability to adapt is a valuable asset that pays benefits.
Employees’ well-being is directly proportional to higher retention
The results of a recent survey revealed that 62 percent of employees listed well-being benefits as the most significant factor in deciding whether or not to apply for a new position. A majority of Generation Z respondents highly agreed or agreed that benefits related to health and well-being would be an essential factor when determining whether or not to accept new job offers. The most significant and widespread employee well-being advantages, other than financial security, are emotional support and socialization opportunities. The financial literacy and training of employees of all ages are becoming more critical.
The study results revealed that more than 80 percent of employees wanted assistance and guidance from their companies on personal money, including retirement planning and financial education, digital budgeting, and access to financial experts.
According to a recent survey, more workers desire more alternatives for their mental health and financial well-being. According to the Global Wellness Institute, mental health benefits in the workplace will grow by 9.8 percent each year over the next five years. For human resources, this means moving away from a “one size fits all” attitude and toward one that acknowledges the individual needs of each employee and delivers individualized well-being benefits.
Hybrid working environment
The epidemic has altered our perception of the job. It is no longer acceptable for an employee to only seek employment based on commuting. Approximately 83% of workers want to work in a hybrid organization style. Working from any place is all about accepting responsibility for your job. Additionally, enabling workers to work from home or office promotes empowerment and increased productivity. One of the world’s foremost information technology-related corporations, Arthur Lawrence, has already adopted a “productivity anywhere work paradigm” in its operations.
Employees who telecommute to work, work from home, or use a mix of the two perceive their hybrid working environment as an essential bonus for their job situation. As a result, employers must develop work-from-anywhere practices that are practical. Most businesses adopt policies and processes to ensure that remote employees access virtual collaboration, coaching, and asynchronous brainstorming opportunities. Forming virtual communities of practice for remote employees and providing that everyone who works remotely has access to the essential collaboration tools for synchronous brainstorming are included examples. Additionally, firms must clarify how their management style is changing as hybrid working environments.
This involves expressing how they will create a fair and equitable workplace for all employees, regardless of where they work, how leaders will manage folks they only see on occasion, and how teams may achieve work flexibility while still meeting their goals. Leaders must reinvent how their company will work in a post-pandemic business environment and communicate this vision to their employees.
Shared principles and values
As an employee, I want to work for a firm that values the same things that I do. As an employer, I would like to recruit people who complement the company’s ideals. An organization’s expectation gap will occur if the company’s strategic apex and workers do not share the company’s fundamental principles. To close the gap created by the Covid epidemic, corporate leaders must ensure that all workers, regardless of their position in the hierarchy, have compassionate working circumstances.
In an internal study, most workers expressed a desire for their firm to impact the community at large positively. Individuals under 45 had a higher mortality rate, with an 80% mortality rate. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, knowledgeable employees are more likely to leave their positions if their employer’s values do not align with their own. Just one in every four employees is prepared to accept an appointment with a firm whose values do not align with their own.
Skills-based employment
The epidemic has altered the organizational structure and the cognitive habits of those in charge of the organization. High-performance firms seek ways to replace the void left by the departure of their key workers and managers. Employers should experiment with skill-based recruiting after the outbreak, which is the practice of picking workers based on their ability rather than only on the credentials shown on their CV.
Skills-based recruitment expands the pool of prospective workers. It provides present employees with a better view of their future possibilities by providing training courses suited to specific industries and job functions. Because degrees have shown to be a poor indicator of having in-demand abilities, the ability to demonstrate one’s mastery in these new skills has emerged as the currency of talent mobility.
According to Glassdoor,
15 companies, including Google, Hilton Hotels, and Apple, are prepared to recruit someone who does not have a college degree but who has the necessary credentials for the position.
The bottom line is that gone are the days of conventional employers. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a golden opportunity for employers to generate more revenue and enjoy their work while maintaining a healthy relationship with their families. In my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic is a blessing in disguise, and we should make the most of it in reshaping our employment structure.