The unprecedented breakdown of the global pandemic in 2020 has led all of us to difficult roads and journeys. Businesses across all industries are scrambling to cope up with the pandemic environment. Certainly, the impact of the lockdown and its after-effects are breathtaking. While we are trying to adapt ourselves to the new normal, the workplace landscape looks different. Over the past few months, a lot of changes have been witnessed in the way of working. Now that most organizations have already taken necessary safety precautions to restore work to normal, what matters is bringing back productivity and delivering better experiences.
- So, what’s the ‘new normal’?
The look and feel of the work culture have entirely been altered by the pandemic. What’s next, no one knows! To get past with this crisis scenario, business leaders and HR professionals have started planning and executing necessary steps to manage the workforce. Many businesses have adopted work-from-home policies to ensure consistency and productivity. Businesses that are operational have taken the utmost care in protecting their employees by implementing safety measures like social distancing, hygienic measures, rotational shifts, etc. So, basically, work is no longer confined within the four walls of the office. The workplace dimensions have transformed beyond traditional methods.
As per one of the surveys conducted by Fortune, 26% of business leaders think “new normal” means more employees remotely working from home.
2. Reinforcing Engagement
Driving employee engagement is detrimental to the success of an organization. Considering the uncertain future of work, the role of HR has become challenging. The sudden fall in the economy has created stressful situations for employees. The effect of the irregular lockdowns has left even high-performing employees demotivated and stressed. Though the HR leaders are trying their best to cope up with the challenges but, to enhance better productivity and outcomes, realignment of processes and effective communication strategies needs to be emphasized. The flexibility of work schedules, development initiatives, recognition, and employee wellness are the areas that need to be focused on. Regular communication with employees can help a great deal.
3. Joining the Dots
To bring in a sustainable workplace, there has been a shift in the organizational values towards a holistic approach. Employee health and well-being is a prime concern for businesses now. While employees have been provided with health benefits and security by organizations, now greater emphasis is laid down on the mental wellness of the staff. Almost every organization is investing in employee wellness programs to understand the pulse of the employees and deal with sensitive issues tactfully. Boosting workforce productivity is aimed at by protecting their physical, mental as well as emotional well-being. Organizations have now started implementing flexible work environments and revised pay policies, thereby fostering relationships with their employees.
4. Remote Work
Previously, very less companies had the strategy of remote work programs. But after the outbreak of the Covid-19, work-from-home is encouraged by most of the companies to maintain accountability and smooth functioning of the business. Considering the health risks, various protocols have been enacted to promote remote work for employees. Regular interactions through different communication channels are sought-after by HR professionals and line managers to offer support and enhance better engagements.
Here’s a podcast from the Chief People, Operations & Customer Services Officer at Aviva Life Insurance India Ltd., Amit Malik on “How to keep communication open for remote employees”.
5. Attracting Talents
A brand’s face value depends a lot on its people. Based on the experiences of top performers, HR professionals should identify and adopt strategies to find out what exactly is required to offer new talents and keep the existing people satisfied. Most of the companies have now started working on attracting A-players to keep the consistency intact. HR experts have moved on to digital hiring now for faster results. Interviews are streamlined seamlessly and on-boarding of the fresh recruits is done virtually using different HR tools and platforms. Performance evaluations are also done digitally to maintain productivity levels and drive engagement.
McKinsey suggests, “To break from the inertia of the past by dispensing with suboptimal old habits and systems. A well-planned return to offices can use this moment to reinvent their role and create a better experience for talent, improve collaboration and productivity, and reduce costs.”
Wrapping It Up
The post-pandemic period is a crisis scenario which requires an adjustment in the way we work. Each one of us have to fit the new normal. Now that businesses are re-opening post-pandemic, there has been a significant change in the workplace right from company policies to employee safety and business tie-ups. The internal policies and guidelines of companies have been reformed to stay updated with the latest trends of the local and state norms and regulations. Many layoffs and furloughs have been witnessed after the financial crisis due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Keeping in mind the safety and health of the workplace, managing the efficiency of the employees can be challenging at times. The workload seems heavier than before.
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