Engaging Employees During And Post Pandemic

Best practices to follow

The COVID-19 pandemic has had positive outcomes on employee engagement and collaboration but mixed results on productivity, according to a new study focused on internal communication by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and Peppercomm. The survey of 403 communication leaders found nearly two-thirds of respondents say employee engagement at their company had increased while 58% reported that employee collaboration had improved as well. Overall productivity was mixed: 25% saw an increase while 40% said it had decreased. 

The survey, the second in a series of three COVID-19-specific communications, analyzed how the pandemic has impacted the workforce. 

In times of crisis, it’s natural for employees to seek out connections with colleagues and managers, especially with most of the workforce working remotely. For some, this has been a major adjustment, particularly for extroverts and those that work closely in tightly-knit teams. As the pandemic continued to keep many employees at home, businesses rapidly adopted tools and forums for employees to engage and collaborate. Anyone does not have a favorite Zoom background at this point? These engagement enablers should help productivity, even though we’re likely to experience peaks and valleys. Family and home responsibilities, lockdown fatigue, depression and anxiety, and summer weather can certainly have their effect, so business leaders must continue to listen, support and motivate.  

Interestingly, respondents reported that employee trust (49%) and satisfaction (32%) increased at their companies. Both are likely due in part to more frequent and consistent communication from and with leadership, and perhaps equally important, the human way leaders are connecting. Imperfect lighting, cameras at the wrong angle, ums and ahs are all to be expected in videoconferencing and streaming, and all make the executive more human to their audience. Employees, too, may feel more satisfaction because of the more genuine conversations they’re having with colleagues and how it’s okay to be on a video call with a family member or pet squawking in the background – all things that HR leaders should keep in mind even after a return to the workplace.

One point to bear in mind: Survey numbers suggested that leaders had been so busy sharing information out that many were not checking to see if employees were taking in the information or had ideas they wanted to suggest. Nearly one in four were not tracking at all and only about one-fourth (28%) surveyed their employees. Make sure you are regularly getting feedback from employees: Does how you’re communicating work for them? Are they clear on what is happening? Do they have feedback? Suggestions? If your communication isn’t a continuous loop, now is the time to adjust. 

Communication leaders reported they are working closely with other C-Suite functions, such as human resources, legal and risk to help employees transition safely and effectively back to the physical office. 

About one-quarter (27%) said they are planning for a phased or gradual return of their employees, while 12% said they will return all at once. Regardless of how and when you reboard, employees want to know they will be safe. Clearly, survey respondents understand this, and their role in the process. The vast majority of respondents said making employees feel safe when they do return to the office is paramount, and communicating this along with new protocols and procedures is critical to making a return to the workplace as smooth as possible. 

“We have two principles that guide us in our employee communication at all times and especially now,” said Tara Lilien, chief people officer at Peppercomm. “First, listen and don’t stop listening. Then let your purpose and values be your guide. Employees will remember the first day they step into their physical space again, and how you made them feel that day and in the weeks that follow. They’ll also remember how you responded during the tougher times you face as a company and team”
What does this mean for our workspaces?  Successful reboarding of employees to a physical workspace will have organizations rethinking the space itself as well as the function of existing spaces. It may even have an impact on real estate as companies consider how much space they need after seeing their teams collaborate and successfully perform their jobs remotely. 

Nearly half of those surveyed had not discussed changes to the physical workspaces or were unsure if their organization would make any changes. Examples of potential changes included increasing physical distancing of employees (closing shared spaces, creating physical barriers, adding plexiglass shields, more contact-less meetings), increasing shared space such as eliminating desk ownership, instituting temperature checks, and offering more WFH opportunities.

A key to success is creating reboarding plans that are inherently agile and flexible. Employees’ emotions can be volatile, health and safety guidelines often change and vary across geographic regions, and COVID-19 outbreaks will continue. An effective approach will account for continuous employee feedback and external factors that can disrupt operations.

Other components of a robust reboarding communication plan include processes and tools to gather employee sentiment and recommendations; training and resources for frontline managers to communicate seamlessly with staff; and in-depth scenario planning to identify where the plan is weakest and how to optimize it.