While most leadership roles have been tested over the last year, the importance of the HR role in post-pandemic planning is vital to business success.
As HR leaders approach strategic planning in 2021, it seems like a recipe for disaster is looming when you consider:
a tight labor market
staggering rates of employee burnout (which existed long before the pandemic)
center-stage social issues
the long-term impact of the pandemic
However, with a people-centric approach that’s rooted in trust, it can be a recipe for positive business transformation - one that fuels happier, healthier, and more productive employees, and long-term business success.
Below, I’ve outlined two key actions that will set you on the right path:
Formalize employee well-being as a business mandate
Rethink and revamp your employee engagement, performance, and retention strategies
Formalize Employee Well-being as a Business Mandate
Did you know the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated burnout as a diagnosable condition - one that can manifest both emotionally and physically? What’s more, WHO cited work-related issues, such as demanding hours and expectations that often tear families apart, as the key driver of burnout. Despite research showing that working more hours does not suggest more productivity, employees wear “overworking” as a badge of honor.
In addition to burnout, there are many other ongoing disparities highlighted over the past year that need to be considered:
Healthcare
Education
Climate issues
Social issues, such as gun violence
We’re in a “syndemic” of sorts, and our post-pandemic world presents an opportunity to make the employee experience a corporate strategy and prioritize mental health as a business investment.
Mental Health as a Business Investment
Mental health coverage has not enjoyed parity with physical healthcare coverage in many states, despite federal laws that mandate the contrary. Nevertheless, it’s become abundantly clear that formalized mental health and work-life balance benefits are no longer “nice-to-haves” but must-haves.
Such benefits might include:
Hybrid offices and remote work opportunities
Parameters/limitations on corporate travel and networking events
Flexible hours and work schedules
Substance abuse support
Coverage for the employee’s family unit with increased resources for:
Life events such as birth and adoption
Crisis events such as divorce, job loss, serious illness, and death
Childcare
Eldercare (in Pennsylvania, this is even more important with growth of the “over 65 years” population)
Expanded (and effectively communicated) Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
Most importantly, a company’s Board of Directors must take responsibility for holding business leaders accountable and removing barriers to care. This may require board-level education and training on the pivotal role that they play in employee wellness.
Rethink & Revamp Employee Engagement, Performance, & Retention Strategies
Although unemployment compensation has had a prominent place in recent conversations around retention, it’s not the only factor driving the tight labor market. People leave their jobs because supervisors or employers aren’t meeting their needs.
Employees want a sense of belonging, meaningful work, and validation that their contributions matter to the organization. Because most people resist change, a company culture centered on these values is far more likely to retain employees.
Engagement and productivity are two sides of the same coin. Below are strategies and tactics you should assess and revamp if needed:
Onboarding Programs
Onboarding programs influence a new employee’s first impression of both organizational and team leadership. Set the stage with a strong foundation that shows you value hard work, but not at the expense of employee health and work-life balance.
Training Programs
Make the shift from the traditional cookie-cutter training programs to self-directed programs that are tailored to employee needs. This may require more clearly defined job descriptions, expectations, and capabilities, so that each employee understands what specific skills may need further development. Such skills may vary among employees in similar roles, so it’s imperative to personalize training programs to fit the needs of that individual, in that particular role.
Customized Development Plans
Rather than the traditional annual performance reviews, collaborate with your employees to create, monitor, and regularly review a development plan - a plan that factors in not only what you need from them, but what they may need from you when it comes to growth opportunities.
Inclusivity
Adopt a more holistic approach to create a workforce that’s truly diverse and equitable in terms of education, race, culture, gender, physical or developmental disability. Be an organization that no longer automatically demands a college-educated new hire when it is unnecessary for many entry-level jobs.
Internal Talent Mobility
Organizations and managers who don’t facilitate growth and advancement - or who pressure individuals into roles that aren’t a good fit - risk losing their employees. For example, not all employees associate “growth” with assuming a leadership or managerial position. But this does not mean they are any less valuable! Some want to advance within an area of technical expertise, which could extend their value outside the existing team or department. Therefore, when creating opportunities for internal mobility, don’t just focus on the roles you need to fill, and then blindly fill them. Think about the strengths of each employee and how the organization can best utilize them.
Leadership Development Training
Make leadership coaching a norm for the organizational influencers in your company (i.e. business executives, managers, supervisors). As business and employee needs continue to evolve, so, too, must leadership tactics to capitalize on their most precious “human” resource.
Closing
Ultimately, our post-pandemic world presents an opportunity for much-needed creative restructuring, where trust is at the forefront.
Employees are seeking employers they can trust to:
prioritize their physical and mental health and well-being
recognize them as valuable contributors to the business
give them more opportunities for both personal and professional development
be involved in activities that tend to the needs of the broader community
Hopefully, these insights stimulate your thinking as you approach HR strategic planning for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. Creating a successful post-pandemic “employee experience” will require expertise from both the “benefits” and “people” sides of your HR department. Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all-approach, so it’s important to tailor any plan to the unique needs of your business and employees.
Get in Touch
Are you an HR professional? Have you been catapulted into higher-level strategic planning that requires a significant understanding of your employees? If so, I would love to hear from you! I offer the benefits of psychological science and decades of specialized experience in work-related "people" issues.