9 March 2022
It is no surprise that the COVID pandemic has had a huge influence on the way businesses are run – but there is also been a switch in the way that people, and HR leaders, approach work. Employees have had a moment and room to reconsider their lives. For some they have found they much prefer the work-life balance that remote workplace models have created. For others they are looking forward to returning to the office and then some want that hybrid nature.
Irrespective of whatever the “right” way is (because there is no right way), it will create challenges for Employers. A one solution fits all approach will unfortunately not work.. Part of this approach is at the core of the “Great Resignation” trend that we’re seeing creeping closer to our shores. Employees will resign to get what they want. We know that there is ridiculous amounts of money out there too incentivising people to make that jump.
As we start to see the pandemic in our rear-view mirrors, and return to a version of normalcy is impending, it is time to assess what HR has learned from the last two years and how we incorporate that into leadership in the future.
A lot of that centers around Employees and Middle Management. Now is the time to re-engage the team. Initially during the pandemic, a lot of people tried to replicate culture from the office environment into peoples homes. It simply did not work. After a while, a different lens needed to be applied and workplace culture was redefined. Now with another shift, this process has to happen again. Employers simply cannot think they can resume back in the office without some sort of induction or training. For example some Employees may never have been in the office, how will they know what the expectations are if they are not provided with that information?
Now we are encouraging people to think about the culture they have for the team and the setting they have. Perhaps it is a different culture across a different setting? One thing we have learnt is flexibility and with flexibility comes adaptability. Rather then having a blanket rule, it is perhaps worth considering what happens when you trust your team.
The businesses that are retaining their Employers are the ones that have an Employee centric focus.
We encourage you to think about what your strategy is when you start looking to return to the office. There are a number of different ways we can help you get the best out of your team. Do you want to sense check something or develop a strategy? That is where we can help.
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