We are living in very uncertain times due to the COVID19 scare where no human being, company or country is immune to its impact. There has been a global decline of the economy since revenues have tanked and many have lost their livelihood. This also means the ones that are still employed are operating from a place of stress regarding losing their jobs in the near future.
Working remotely during this time has led to a lot of employees feeling isolated and disengaged. But this period is equally stressful for a lot of companies and their HR professionals. Keeping employees motivated has become the highest priority for the HR in order to ensure work productivity and to sustain the company.
We have listed below tips to help HR professionals best manage and support employees during this pandemic:
- Keep your expectations realistic:
The pandemic has impacted the productivity of every industry and it is obvious every company wants to keep accomplishing consistently in order to stay afloat. But it is necessary for HR professionals to identify what is realistic at this point for the employees to achieve. They should adjust the expectations in order to prevent employees from feeling overworked.
HR can provide support by getting feedback from employees about what impact the remote work is having on their well being. This can help them determine which compulsions can be eased for certain employees in order for them to perform better.
For instance, forcing employees to log in to their systems at sharp 9am everyday despite knowing they were working till late the previous day is a little harsh and unreasonable. As long as they are delivering quality work and achieving their current project goals, HR needs to go a little easy on them and keep expectations more realistic.
- Encourage and maintain regular communication:
Maintaining a good work-life balance is crucial for ensuring good mental health of employees. A sureshot way to achieve this and make employees feel cared for, is to step up communication. HR professionals must maintain regular and clear communication with employees to ease out their stress and address all concerns at the earliest.
A lot of companies have been forced to downsize in order to cut costs, which has made employees fearful of losing their jobs. Maintaining communication will help HR professionals share fact-based information with employees about the company’s course of action and prevent employees from believing any untrue rumours.
- Train staff for new skills:
A lot of companies have found innovative ways to ensure their employees make the best use of this time without compromising on work productivity. One such activity is training employees for new skills through online learning courses.
To successfully execute and deliver training, an LMS or a learning management system is a very easy-to-use platform. It facilitates the creation, management and deployment of training sessions for employees. You can easily pick an LMS by listing your training goals and choosing one that aligns well with those goals.
Take Inquisiq for instance. When you compare Inquisiq with Violet LMS, you will learn that the former offers a free trial. A LMS is something that will be used frequently which makes the free trial crucial to properly understand its features.
Conclusion:
Everyone around the globe is struggling in some way or the other due to the pandemic. At the same time, everyone is also trying their best to make an impact. The difference is that not everyone has the same capability to combat this situation. Your employees too are trying hard to deliver work to the best of their potential. It is your job as their HR leader to stay connected with them, support them, and recognize their achievements however small they may be in order to see them through this uncertain time.
