In our previous article, we have talked about how investing in coaching can be one of the greatest decisions you can make as a company leader, as a well-functioning team is always the first step towards success. What you need to do in order to achieve that, however, has changed during the pandemic. COVID-19 put its mark on each business and individual differently, the only thing common is that our priorities and necessities have changed. As a recruitment agency, we notice that our clients are looking for different characters than before, and our candidates are more conscious when they make their choices. But how exactly can you still find the perfect addition to your team, and what can you do to keep the dynamics and make sure your employees are satisfied? We interviewed Zsuzsa Czagler, HRKOMM Award Winner Leadership Developer and Motivational Maps Business Practitioner once again to talk the matter through, and we brought you the most important conclusions!
COVID rearranges what people need entirely- most of us were quite frustrated during lockdowns, and as a consequence, we are more dependent on daily changes now. Living in constant uncertainty took away our “safe places” where our energy levels could be recharged in our previous everyday lives. For some people, arriving home after a stressful day of work was the perfect charging station, for others, being at work deterred their minds from stressful situations at home. As boundaries started to disappear between the two, it divided employees: many enjoyed the benefits of being able to do their jobs from home, spending more time with their families, and having more free time, while others found it a struggle they had to adjust to.
Our sense of safety was also triggered: people who work for multinational companies usually considered their positions were stable before the pandemic, but they were among the firsts who were let go of as the virus hit. Many people look for a more family-like workplace now, as belonging to a team that sticks together gets exceptionally more important.
If you switched to remote work due to COVID or any other reason, coffee table chats must have been an important element of company culture before. People discussed personal topics, news, and had a little bit of fun during working hours. Not only did these break opportunities disappear, but chit-chats started to evaporate from daily schedules too. Moreover, moods and feelings could not be noticed and reacted to, and people who had a harder time on some days had to function the same, without anyone noticing or offering help. Conversations quickly became strictly professional, affecting the culture heavily.
Zsuzsa recommends finding new ways to monitor these feelings, seeing each other and restoring the attentiveness of colleagues. Team building activities and daily gestures both play important roles in this, while ensuring that there are platforms for people to still connect with each other, either online or in person. The setting itself (working remotely or hybrid) is fully sustainable with the correct measures. Here at IseeQ we have also managed to keep our previous dynamics, hire new colleagues and still achieve our best results, and we always recommend other firms to give it a try.
Despite all efforts, people can still be affected by all the changes, and be pushed into a negative spiral. One’s mental health affects the employee’s performance, overall mood and work ethic, so it’s well within a company’s favor and responsibility to look after everyone. Each person should feel safe to ask for help from their managers or leaders, and in an ideal world, they should be providing their employees with sufficient support.
In case the leadership fails to notice, or won’t act on the struggles of a team member, sooner or later, it will affect the whole company, and the problems are going to multiply in size. A coach will be able to offer solutions to act upon and help both management and employees make healthier decisions for themselves and the company.
With all the difficult methods, processes, and platforms, keeping employees happy always comes down to one thing: paying attention to everyone and treating them with respect. After that, with great guidance, everything is possible.
