Love after Lock-Down: Re-engaging with Employees Post Pandemic

By Janie Warner, SHRM-SCP

Unless you have been living in a cave in a land far, far away, you are acutely aware of the effect of the global pandemic.  Upheavals in every aspect of business have been the norm – and employees, for the most part, have been able to rebound time after time.  It’s a testament to the resiliency of the vast majority of humans.  And as employers, we must say THANK YOU!

But now, we see light at the end of the tunnel!  Employers are preparing for many workers to return to the office space while many others will continue to work remotely.  Because of the emotional (and of course, physical) toll wrought by COVID-19, the dynamics and cultures of our organizations have changed – in ways big and small.  What can we do to prepare for another longed-for – yet feared – upheaval? 

It’s time to consider what employers should do to re-engage with employees and consider how we can learn from the “Lessons of the Lock-Down”.

Lesson 1: The more agile the business, the more successfully it navigated the pandemic.

Let’s face it: employers pre-pandemic often took a position of “it’s not the way we do things” to excuse not making changes.  Anything from flexible work schedules to laptops for employees, the expense or the hesitancy to try something new simply wasn’t in the cards.  The pandemic changed that.  Decisions about changes had to be made at the snap of the fingers – and those companies that were already in agility mode, never missed a beat.  Those who had been dragging their feet on addressing the changing demands of the workforce, had a more difficult time adjusting.  Suddenly, companies who never considered remote work solutions had every possible employee working from their homes.  Employees who had struggled with child and elder care issues because of work schedules, found themselves being allowed to vary their work hours to accommodate the myriad COVID mandates affecting daycare, school and senior activities facilities. In many ways, the pandemic forced good change to happen.  

Engagement tip: continue to be agile and flexible.  Just because life may be returning to a greater sense of normalcy doesn’t mean employers should suddenly go back to rigid employment practices.  Employees adapted and kept your business afloat.  The least you can do is return the favor by continuing practices that kept them working.

Lesson 2: All employees have experienced loss on some level during the pandemic.

It has been said that “no one likes change.”  Not true! It’s not the change itself that is distasteful, it is the unknown after effects of the change that is so scary.  The pandemic was frightening in many, many ways.  But the sense of loss felt by nearly every one – of all ages – has been profound. Loss of income, loss of routine, loss of feelings of belonging, loss of jobs, loss of sense of community, loss of school access, loss of varying degrees of health, and of course, loss of life.  All of these losses lead people to experience grief. And the 5 stages of grief apply no matter the level of that loss.

Because of these experiences, employees will navigate the grief process in different ways at different times – and some may get stuck in one stage or another.  It is that shared sense of loss that has propelled employees to feel more connected to their co-workers. And, as employers have offered empathy, compassion, care and understanding, employees have been experiencing higher than previous levels of respect and loyalty toward their companies. This has definitely been a good thing!

Engagement tip: continue to be caring, compassionate and understanding.  While we are returning to normal, not everything is back to pre-pandemic status.  Employees still need to know that their employer is empathetic to their situations so help them work through their personal grief processes. Keep the respect and loyalty going by repeating your pandemic responses.  Enhanced engagement will follow!

Lesson 3: Good employees always have choices!

During lock-down, many employers were in the unfortunate position of having to furlough, lay off or reduce staff because of limited demand for the companies’ products and services.  As demand started to improve and employees were called back, some employers found their best folks had been hired by other companies.  This lesson is important because it is ALWAYS TRUE! Even when unemployment numbers are at their lowest, if you have an employee who has marketable skills and a good work ethic, you risk them being lured away by your competition.

Engagement tip:  continue to treat your employees like the valuable assets they truly are! As life and work get back to normal, never forget that your best employees (and even some of the not so great) will have choices of where to work.  If you want them to stay, keep working on ways to engage them.  A truly engaged employee (those whose heart is in their work –and not just their hands) is more likely to continue with that employer who demonstrates every day that they are valued and respected member of the team.

Finally, remember the Golden Rule.  If we expect employees to engage with their employers and be mindful of corporate Mission, employers have to return that engagement with respect, compassion and care.  It will create an unending cycle of respect>engagement>respect>engagement that will be difficult to break. Treating others/employees as we/employers want to be treated is still the greatest business philosophy to model.  And in the age of post global pandemic dynamics, one of the MOST important lessons of all.