As an HR professional, I have experienced the ups and downs of the corporate world throughout the years. From the oil and gas downfall in the early 2000’s to the great recession of 2009-2010. I remember being part of coordinating huge layoffs and participating in one-after-the other HR meetings to discuss the future of the organization and its employees. These events affected employees in so many ways that HR and management had the task of keeping employees motivated during these difficult times.
None of the above issues compare to the responsibility the pandemic has brought to the HR organization. For HR organizations the pandemic has been a test their human instincts, creativity and how to explore the best ways to keep employees motivated and engaged. The pandemic experience has hit many at their core.
I couldn’t agree more with Forbes when it states that the most urgent threat to the business’ success today is the deterioration of employee motivation.
I work with companies in different industries and all of them communicate that keeping their employees motivated has been a struggle. The mental hold that this pandemic has had on many has caused a lack of motivation and desire to continue working and giving their best.
My response to them is that now more than ever they must remain engaged in their employees’ personal and professional development. Without employees the company will not exist. To keep employees engaged and motivated, I advise clients to consider some ways to keep employees motivated and engaged:
Continued relationship building.
If you offer remote work and/or in office work, continued employee collaboration is key. Working remotely is difficult. Even more difficult is having to supervise a mix of remote and in-office workers. Supervisors must continue to build relationships, which usually happen in face-to-face interactions.
Being Sympathetic and Empathetic your employees’ personal situations.
Everyone has been impacted, directly or indirectly these past two years. An employee may not seem to be engaged to the point where his or her daily work has been affected. Instead of reprimanding the employee, take the time to sit with the employee and learn about his or her situation. I have known people that have lost several family members in their household, back-to-back. Sometimes all it takes is a listening ear and showing that you care.
Keeping the company’s mission and vision front and center.
According to Forbes, reading the vision out loud in team meetings or regularly discussing it, and making sure the team understands the “why” of their work will result in happier employees.
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
I tell my clients that transparency and communication are two key elements that elicit trust from your employees. If employees feel that there are changes occurring in the organization and management is not keeping them informed, morale will decrease. Make it a habit to have regular meetings to discuss not only company matters, but to discuss any topics employees would like to discuss. Be transparent. Employees know when you are not being truthful. A company I worked with recently had to lay off a few employees. After the layoffs, the CEO gathered everyone and clearly explained the reasons for the layoffs and the company’s financial situation. Employees appreciated the honesty in the CEO’s communication and remained committed to continue working to ensure that the company prospers.
Keeping employees motivated is never an easy task. It takes management and HR working together to come up with strategies to ensure that their companies hire, train, motivate, and retain employees. In developing these strategies, we should always keep the employees’ well-being in mind.