Leaders must do one thing no matter which response stage the organisation is at
While the situations are changing, listening to people is critical no matter the stage of your response, said Steve Bennetts, head of employee experience in APJ at Qualtrics.
“An important thing we must remember is that businesses are still only at the beginning of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bennetts told HRD.
“As businesses reopen and restrictions lift, the truth is more change awaits, with HR at the forefront in leading the response. The top issues will differ for each organisation based on their own experiences during the pandemic.”
READ MORE: How can leaders plan a safe return to work?
Bennetts, who will be discussing how HR can build on their current leadership and manage the crisis in a free webinar, shared with us the top issues to prepare for in the ‘new normal’.
Understandably, some will need to focus on ensuring teams feel comfortable returning to the workplace, he said. Others will have to implement new programs and policies to satisfy new employee expectations, such as whether technologies are performing as required outside of the office.
Meanwhile, some businesses will need to consider how best to onboard employees who were stood down during the pandemic.
Whatever the business is dealing with, he reminded that it’s important to continue listening to and supporting employees.
“Listening is paramount to effectively managing and sustaining the workforce through these uncertain times,” he said.
“A robust listening program will tell you the top issues your workforce cares about so that you can take meaningful action. Without these insights you might be rushing employees back or taking action on things that are not important.
“Businesses need to let employees steer the return – to do this requires deep and responsive listening.”
