The good news is that, generally-speaking, employee engagement is moving in the right direction as organisations recognise the importance of emotionally-intelligent leadership. Employers have had to say good-bye to workers who are not just employees, but also friends and family. How do we increase employee engagement during the current COVID-19 health crisis? A lack of openness and honesty is going to lead to more fear. Driving Employee Engagement During the Coronavirus Crisis "Never let a good crisis go to waste." When the time comes, let employees know what you are doing to prepare to ramp up operations and how much you are looking forward to welcoming them back. 3. For many employees, the workplace provides a social connection and when that connection is lost (or changed temporarily), people begin to feel isolated. In an environment where information is withheld or not communicated properly, rumours take the place of facts. What to keep in mind when disaster strikes. It presents numerous challenges, not least of which is … Realize that what happens in one part of an employee’s life impacts all others. Cliff Ettridge looks at the recent Oxfam brand crisis, his time working at The Body Shop and how employee engagement sowed the seeds needed during times of brand crisis. 2. We mean besides that. Most of these are tremendously important for the ultimate employee experience, especially during a crisis. … 5. So, investing in long term employee engagement will result in higher sales, more visibility and lower recruitment costs. “The whole thing is really based on gratitude,” he said. “When someone shows a red, we say ‘thank you for that visibility.’ When we work a red to a yellow, we thank everybody. It’s in the worst of times that great leaders are made. Being laid off can be a very difficult time for employees; mentally, emotionally and financially. Leading with empathy, respect and support is not only the humane thing to do, it’s also a powerful way of reassuring employees yours is an organisation worth belonging to for the long-term. Ridge told us, “I decided, let’s not waste a good crisis. Encourage employees to reach out and remain in contact with you and their fellow colleagues. To republish this article, you must include the following notice along with the article: "Copyright © 2020 go2 Tourism HR Society. Privacy Policy | Website Use Agreement | Login Share everything. With that said, not only is it okay but encouraged, to connect with employees who have been laid off. Employee engagement during disasters and moments of national crisis. Employee Engagement Strategies The effort that employers make now to remain connected to their teams will be rewarded as engaged employees will be more likely to return and contribute when the business is able to return to normal functions. And the success has kept rolling. The news traveled to their employees at the Indian office and they started anticipating impact on t… Employee engagement is basically that your employees are happy to work for you. Amid the current global pandemic, find out how workplace tools help replicate workplace engagement and productivity in the new universal workspace. As employee engagement goes up, productivity goes up (as does retention and safety). Twitter. Email: Contact Us. The existing literature on employee commitment, employee engagement and employee crisis management capability building is discussed to develop a model and the model is validated using a case study of Taj Hotel Mumbai employee initiatives during the terrorist attack on the hotel. Striking a balance between pushing performance and maintaining morale will be a crucial skill in the coming weeks and months. As we look ahead, the world of recruitment will likely be very different post-crisis as impacted employers across the entire country will be challenged to recall and re-establish their workforces. The US leadership team decided to restructure their team and made announcements about the impact on jobs. Employee Engagement Managing employee experience in times of crisis while maintaining business continuity. Employee feedback is always important but it is even more important in times of uncertainty and crisis. Managing Change During a Crisis During times of crisis, organizational leaders should establish feelings of trust with employees by communicating accurate and clear information continuously. 2 days ago, RT @kwillism: "Build bridges, not fences." As founders of the global training company, The Culture Works, they work with organizations around the world to address employee engagement, leadership, and organizational culture. Employees will remember for a long time how they were treated during a crisis. As employees transition to remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, new insights on how to effectively manage virtual employee engagement during a crisis are emerging. Generate excitement around the return of employees and invite them to participate and contribute ideas to help rebuild the business. Employee distrust can grow during a crisis and can be the result of misunderstanding the intentions of others—especially leaders. Conversations surrounding the future of work have been happening for a while. During a global crisis, employee wellness can suffer in several different ways – whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or a combination of all three. In fact, 90 percent of workers say they are more likely to stay at an employer that takes and acts on feedback. Although there is no silver bullet for changing the employee experience during a crisis, there are improvements and progress that HR leaders can make today to positively impact how their employees work from home as their organizations build out digital workspace strategies to meet remote-first goals. The, Start an e-card and encourage employees to add a personalized note, photo or other image (Check out, Arrange a surprise video call with the rest of the team, Coordinate employees to decorate their vehicles with balloons and signs for a drive-by celebration, Coordinate a surprise delivery to the employee’s home (flowers, pizza or other meal), Take photos of video chats and share on social media (use the hashtag from tip #1 above), Plan a welcome back/thanks for sticking with us event for employees, Post/share photos via emails or social media – “We are getting ready to open… all we need is you!” (Check out the Daily Greeting videos on Predator Ridge Resort’s, Host video calls and invite employees to contribute ideas for reopening activities or events, Send links and resources for training that you know may be of interest to them, A number of industry-related training programs are offering online training for free or discounted fees in recognition of the COVID-19 crisis, including, Consider other free learning apps such as. That would be a difficult task given the state of the economy, but Ridge greased the skids by communicating with his people every day. An engagement strategy is essential during a recession. research was to determine factors that lead to employee engagement, well-being, and work effectiveness during and after a crisis. “In stressful times, I’m sometimes not conscientious enough to be mindful of all the many, many people who are helping me. Also Read: What Is an Employee Engagement Survey? ", Customer Service Certification on Diversity and Inclusion, 910-850 West Hastings Street ... During the time of a crisis, sales would fall, cash flows from receivable accounts could slow down and supplies could become scarce or costly. Engagement: For Bernard Coulaty, caring about people is required in the context of the health crisis, but it is also a question of helping employees to learn and grow. As employees transition to remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, new insights on how to effectively manage virtual employee engagement during a crisis are emerging. Say thank you. Organizations have to work overtime to bridge the gaps in the cash flow to fund their internal operations such as salaries, rentals, utility bills, vendors and other payables. How to improve employee engagement in a crisis Consider the Whole Employee. Thankfully, there is a lot you can do to help your people move up from the first two levels in Maslow's hierarchy. Not only does this practice help employees feel valued, supported and engaged but it can help organizations identify blind spots, improve and frame communications and ultimately, improve their processes and policies. When I am more mindful, more aware, more thankful, everybody’s more engaged, focused, and productive.”. Employee distrust can grow during a crisis and can be the result of misunderstanding the intentions of others — especially leaders. If you don't work proactively to relieve workers' concerns and let them know you value them, you risk lowering their engagement levels or losing them. Over the next decade the company’s market cap grew nearly 300 per cent. Human Resources departments pride themselves on preparedness for how well they can respond to a crisis, but the coronavirus pandemic is no ordinary event. He put in place a policy of “no lying, no faking, no hiding conversations.” This would be one company, he said, that would actually up the investment in employee learning and development during the downturn. That align with employee personal interests and/or development goals, help set them up for success they! Surrounding the future of work can create huge unrest among employees distrust grow! May have to call in experts, but also friends and family ” he said and can a. 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