The pandemic situation has landed many businesses into chaos. In various countries, companies were closed down, and work from home was adopted. Some businesses somehow survived and some have shut down. This has not only affected the companies but also the employees. The work culture had a major setback with this situation and post lockdown it will be very difficult to get back to the normal situation.
Now in most countries, the lockdown has started opening in different phases. Now businesses have started opening and soon, the employees will be called back to their respective offices. But the scene will not be the same as before. Many changes will be introduced in the workplace which will be difficult to adopt in the beginning, but we will get used to it.
One of the most challenging things for the employers will be employee engagement as the employees have been comfortable with work from home policy. It will be a challenge to get used to normal office culture.
Here are some of the strategies which every organization will be adopting for improving their employee engagement.
Providing Good Counseling Sessions
In the beginning, it will be very difficult for the employees to follow back to their normal office routine. Organizations have to carry out various counselling sessions regularly so the employees feel stress-free and easily adopt the work culture. There is a great chance that employees will feel disconnected at the office, which will ultimately affect their work performance. As the coronavirus pandemic is not over yet, employees will not be too keen to rejoin the office. So, it is very essential to organize various counselling sessions to get back to the normal work culture.
Providing a Flexible Working Schedule
During the corona pandemic, employees have managed to maintain a balance in professional and personal life. They have worked in a relaxed environment at home without compromising the quality of work. It would be very difficult for them to work in a strict schedule. In the beginning months of post lockdown, the businesses should focus on building a flexible work schedule. That way employees can easily adapt to the normal working schedule. And, when they are comfortable with the working schedule, the normal working schedule can be adopted.
Providing High Safety Standards
People will be worried about the post lockdown period is the safety standards at the workplace. Everyone is worried about getting infected with COVID-19, and this will be the major concern of every employee while entering the office. Some major essentials to create a safe working environment includes providing protective gear to employees like masks, gloves, and hand
sanitizer. It is important to provide a safe transportation medium for the employees. As travelling in public transport is not safe at this time, it is better to avoid that. Next is to regularly disinfect the workplace including the furniture at the office. A regular temperature check is also important and if someone at the office is detected with high temperature, it is recommended to take him to the hospital.
Be Careful While Distributing Work
It is quite evident that many businesses have suffered losses in this pandemic time. As soon as the lockdown is over, everyone wants to get back the same pace of working. But to recover your losses you need not put the workload on the employees. Don’t overburden your employees with work just to gain profits! They have already been in a stressed situation during the lockdown and nothing will be worse than loads of work. They will work according to their caliber. Overloading the work can create job burnout among the employees. Even the machine gets destroyed when it is overused!
Give Recognition To Your Employees
Employers may not realize but employees are really working hard to manage their work properly from home. Instead of stressing them more, employers must praise their work. It is evident that businesses are facing losses and might not provide salary hikes. The best in this situation is to at least praise their efforts and keep them motivated. A small mail of appreciation by employers can motivate their employees.
Organizing Team Building Activities
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the social connection has hindered as people have started living in their own space. It will be difficult for employers to work in a team and make social connections, post lockdown. Teamwork is very important while working in a company. So, employers need to organize various team building activities post lockdown so the employees can efficiently work in a team. Two Hour Blogger gives you an insight into trending topics that can be helpful at your workplace too.
Social Distancing At The Workplace
The ending of lockdown does not mean that coronavirus has completely vanished. Maintaining social distancing is still important. An arrangement in the office is required where employees have distance in their seats. Even in the canteen, full safety arrangements should be made. Food should be cooked with proper safety measures. All the floors should be disinfected and tables should be cleaned properly. Regular sanitization of the area is also required.
So, these were some basic employee engagement strategies that need to be followed at the workplace post lockdown.