The workplace will never be the same. Even before Covid-19, the way employers and employees interacted and the tools they used were evolving. Fast forward almost five months, and employers are still looking for ways to bring out the best in their employees as the lines between work and home life become increasingly blurred. The time is now for employers to create a work environment with people at the centre.
Many organisations are turning to continuous performance management tools, focusing more on frequent feedback, recognition, goal setting, and regular check-ins. The sum of all these parts is a strong support system with employees at its core. What’s more, it results in happier and more productive workplaces.
With that in mind, here are the best ways to support your employees and make work more human during this time:
Positivity
Gratitude, trust, and a positive outlook are at the heart of effective performance management. The best way to boost these attributes in the workplace is through a social recognition programme, which allows employees to recognise each other’s work and show their appreciation for a job well done through a social platform. The increased trust that results from such a programme should not be underestimated. Trust builds as employees feel comfortable sharing feedback with their colleagues and managers through a positive, shared experience.
Flexible goals
Business certainly isn’t as usual. As organisations evolve top-level strategies and long-term plans to survive these challenging times, managers need to help employees navigate the changes. On the performance and productivity side, this means being more agile and adjusting goals to fit evolving strategies and external impacts on work.
Indeed, employee targets must take into consideration how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted employees’ work. With many working remotely, productivity and engagement are in flux as people juggle home and work life. Look to adjust goals accordingly, even re-assigning tasks or adjusting priorities.
Regular check-ins
An increase in remote work has had many ripple effects, one of which is many employees are starting to feel a sense of isolation without the usual office camaraderie and water-cooler chat. For managers, it's vital to check in frequently with employees – whether over video, phone, or email – not only to understand how they're coping with their workload, but also to keep an eye on mental wellbeing. If you sense someone might be struggling, look at ways you can help. Perhaps adjust their workload and ensure they're aware of employee assistance programs that help employees cope with stress and promote mental health.
Simply asking “How are you,” “What’s gone well this week for you,” or having a quick discussion about goals can make all the difference to an employee who may be feeling anxious or burned out. Since these emotions can negatively affect productivity and engagement, and ultimately impact the organisation's ability to thrive, managers need to be equipped to navigate the stress employees are under as part of the check-in.
Positive feedback
Understandably, many people worry about the uncertainty Covid-19 has brought about. So when it comes to reviewing performance, now might not be the best time for continuous constructive feedback, especially since it can evoke a fight-or-flight response in some people.
Instead, managers should work on building trust and engagement with individuals and teams through friendly check-ins, adjustable goals, and frequent recognition. Nudge employees toward self-reflection and getting feedback from peers on their performance, as this not only reduces the stress involved when getting feedback, but it also empowers workers to take control of their development.
Employee-focused leaders
Employee morale and organisational success go hand-in-hand, especially in these uncertain times. If leaders can help employees bring their best selves to work, this can only mean good things for the business. As we emerge from the current crisis, this will hopefully mean a change for the better when it comes to manager-employee relationships.
Indeed, as the world of work changes around us, leaders are recognising the power of happy, healthy employees. The future workplace will hopefully be one with employee-focused leaders who recognise we’re all in this together.
Next steps
Early on in the pandemic, Workhuman, a leading provider of social recognition platforms, made special editions of its Life Events and Conversations products free until March 2021 to help mitigate isolation during the Covid-19 crisis. Workhuman also launched Moodtracker, a free employee pulse survey tool, to help businesses stay in tune with their employees.
In the first half of the year, more than 300,000 employees have started using Workhuman’s Social Recognition and Life Events offerings.
Visit the Workhuman Cloud and motivate your team with meaningful human connections.