Employee Engagement During Covid-19

The aftermath of the second wave of COVID-19 forced businesses to reassess their responses towards workplace challenges and employee engagement.

While many organisations had already started to consider employee safety and security during the first phase of COVID-19, the brutal second wave brought about a drastic change in perspective. Organisations realise the need to become sensitive towards employee engagement and stability in order to retain them for the long haul.

We’ve put together a few pointers to explain how leaders can engage effectively with employees.

Be transparent and realistic to build trust

As per HR Cloud, only 36% of the workforce is actually engaged in an organisation!

Keeping your employees updated on major business decisions can help build trust. So, be transparent with them about your plans to mitigate the impact of this pandemic. Commit to their stability and growth but don’t over-promise — the failure to deliver will only end up demoralising your team further.

To put it simply, if your staff doesn’t know what is happening in the organisation, they will not be able to support and engage with it. Inconsistent communication is the biggest reason why employees feel insecure and disengaged.

You can stay connected with your team members via:

> Newsletters

> CEO letters

> Company updates

> Internal podcasts or communities, like Yammer, etc.

Emphasise your core values

The years 2020–21 have been very difficult as well as very different. But, whatever the changes, it is important to always stick to the core values of your organisation and maintain its culture. If you understand them deeply, core values are your guiding principles, especially during dark and uncertain times.

It is crucial to remind your employees about these values and show them that your organisation strives to uphold them. Also, encourage them to reflect these values in their interactions with customers.

Stay consistent with your feedback

In these trying times, your workforce needs consistent and constructive feedback to stay motivated and productive. The rapid transition to a work-from-home setting has pushed them beyond their limits. To counter this, try holding regular feedback sessions and daily huddles. This can help them cope with the forced changes.

However, leaders should always be ready to receive feedback as well. After all, it’s a two-way street. Follow an omnichannel medium to register and enable anonymous feedback. Additionally, give your staff a platform to raise queries and concerns.

Conduct regular surveys

To gain valuable customer and employee feedback, conduct surveys using inquisitive questionnaires. Design questions in such a way that team members can answer them honestly and transparently. Use open-ended questions to gather more perspective on their opinions.

Remember, these surveys may not serve you the right solution on a platter, but they will guide your focus in the right direction.

Acting on the issues of employees is the only way to show them you’re listening. Use your internal communication tools to make your efforts and actions visible to everyone. Your staff will naturally feel more engaged when they know their words are being acted upon.

Break the ice

Just because you and your team are working from home does not mean you can’t have fun together! Engage your employees in conversations and activities that they had in the pre-pandemic era. For example, virtual workshops, coffee huddles etc. You can organise extra-curricular activities such as virtual yoga sessions, games and birthday parties too.

Remote work is also a good opportunity to engage your team in learning and development activities that the confines of office would make impossible. It could be as basic as a training platform like Coursera or Udemy for that matter. This will keep them busy and also bridge any skill gaps — a win-win!

Celebrate all (small and big) victories

Remember, trying to juggle between work and home is tough. Now is the time to amplify wins―no matter how small or big they might be. For example, appreciate your team when they close deals; if a project gets completed before time or even simply for being punctual.

This will drive engagement and keep employees motivated at all times.

Furthermore, do not forget to reward an efficient worker. It could be small prizes like a day off from work or a food coupon sponsored by the company.

Being appreciated at a managerial level is one thing, but being praised among peers really makes employees feel a part of the team.

Deploy the right tools

A remote work situation can greatly impact employee engagement and productivity. Leaders have to work even harder to make remote staff feel like they are a part of the team.

Having basic tools in place will take you a long way in driving employee engagement. Cloud communication solutions also play a huge role in internal communication within the organisation.

Enable collaboration and team spirit

Having the right tools and activities for employee engagement is one thing. But, having a positive company culture is essential to boosting team spirit. By being there for each other in these challenging times, leaders can foster collaboration and empathy within the team, thereby improving their engagement.

You can do this by encouraging team check-ins and conducting regular meetings to discuss daily tasks. This way, people will come forward to help each other and develop team spirit.

Remember that the work-from-home setup is different for every employee. Each will have their own style of learning and working. Try to be there for everyone in your team and identify those who need guidance or help. Some might require hand-holding and some might work best in silos. Whatever style they adopt, keep in mind that there is no correct way of coping with the current situation, and different methods work for different teams.

Lastly, always remember that engagement efforts should be consistent, instead of simply being one-off attempts.

To put it in a nutshell

Driving employee engagement during a pandemic is as crucial as it is difficult. It is your employees who can guarantee great customer service for your customers and hence, greater revenues. Therefore, it is vital for them to be involved and engaged with the organisation.

Only when they are happy and satisfied will they cater to customer queries with excellence. Even if your staff is working from different locations, it is up to you to turn this crisis into an opportunity. Create strategies that help employees cope with and thrive through this pandemic.