We talk about a post-Covid world, but that’s just because the worst part of the pandemic is over. But the virus is still alive, so we must learn how to deal with the risks and accept that this is now a part of our lives. The Great Resignation also happened during the pandemic.
There was a little truth to this, even if it was just used to get people to click on links on the internet. Because of the pandemic, many people had time to think about their lives, try working from home, or take a lot of time off their job through furlough.
Because of this, many professionals realized they were no longer satisfied with their jobs and needed to change. But as things start to get back to normal, employers can’t relax and think that the “Great Resignation” is over.
Many experts are still searching for a position that helps make them truly happy, so they won’t hesitate to leave if something better comes along. So, what can business owners do in a post-Covid world to make employees more comfortable and keep more of them? Well, we’re here to inform you of the same thing.
Focus on employee health
Before the pandemic, showing employees that you cared about their health and well-being was necessary. Now, it is even more critical. Employees who think their health is at risk at work may feel frustrated and angry and won’t judge you care about them. This could cause them to give their notice instead.
Because of this, you need to show your employees that you are doing everything you can to maintain them happy and healthy, pandemic or no pandemic. This involves going beyond and beyond to help their physical and mental well-being. Some ways you can put the health and happiness of your employees first, both in terms of the pandemic and in a much more general sense, are:
- Giving paid sick days, especially for those who have to stay home because of Covid-19.
- Adding more safety measures to the workplace, like masks and places to clean your hands.
- Offering better health-care benefits, like health insurance, connectivity to mental health support, healthier drinks and snacks in the break room, and discounts or online subscriptions to local gyms.
- Creating a work environment in which employees are urged to take time off when they are physically or mentally sick.
- Having flexible ways to work, like working at home or a hybrid model, is a good idea.
Pay attention to your employees
One of the best ways to ensure your employees are happy and stay with your business for a long time is to create a communication culture and always listen to what they have to say. This is especially important when some people may be apprehensive about going to the office or work-related meetings and events.
There are different ways to listen to your teams. First, an open attitude lets workers know they can talk to their manager or coworkers if they have any problems or concerns. So it is essential to make this a part of your culture.
It would also be helpful if you asked the workers about their everyday experiences at work regularly through feedback surveys. One section of these surveys could be about Covid-19 safety measures. In the same way, telling managers to meet with their teams periodically lets them check in and address any issues before they get worse.
Using surveys, yearly reviews, and meetings to get feedback, your HR and leadership teams can learn valuable things to help them make fundamental changes. This also shows your employees that you care about their health and safety and are willing to make adjustments so they can have the best and safest time at work possible.
Give people options for how they can work
We’ve discussed flexible and hybrid working methods briefly, but this has never been more important. Since the pandemic, some businesses have let their teams work from home if they want to, whereas others have started letting people back into the office. On the other hand, many professionals are used to working at home or fitting their work all over their personal lives.
Some people have even chosen to make travel a regular part of their jobs. So, if your business doesn’t offer flexible options, your workers will look elsewhere for a happy company that can better meet their needs. This might include hybrid, fully remote, component, flexitime, or flexible work that helps employees more.
Keep the culture of your company alive
Lastly, many businesses had trouble during the flu epidemic, and one thing that won’t go away is the importance of keeping the corporate culture alive during hard times. Creating and maintaining a great corporate culture can be more complicated now that people work in more places and maybe even from home. But to keep your employees, you must keep your culture alive.
You can do this in several ways with remote and hybrid workforces, such as:
- Getting employees to work together and giving them the tools they need to do so. For example, tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams that help people talk to each other make it much easier for coworkers to work together.
- Opening new work traditions like virtual drinks, questionnaires, care packages, or game titles nights
- Having in-person events so everyone can catch up, as long as the employees are okay with this and the possibilities are safe. Check out this fun marketing strategy by Hiver, in which all of their employees worked together to make a video for World Music Day. It’s a cool rap song that shows what the company stands for.
- As part of an exemplary process for bringing new people into this business, video conventions with remote employees could be used to help the team members get to know each other.
- Having a process for people who come back to the office after working from home for a long time.
- Providing opportunities for training, growth, and activities that bring people together.
If you do your best to help your employees adjust to life after Covid, they will likely want to stay with your business for a long time. This also means paying close attention to their needs, giving them more options for how they work, and doing more for their mental and physical health.
