Last November, we hosted an insightful webinar, with leaders across different industries discussing the best possible ways to re-engage employees post lockdown. The panelists include Huyen Luu - Head of People Development & Learning at L’Oreal, Son Nguyen - Chairman at MVV Academy, Duy Le - CEO at KMS Solution, and Daan Van Rossum - CEO at Dreamplex as our Moderator of this event.
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ince the ease of the lockdown in various countries and several organizations resuming office work, business leaders have been dealing with one major issue - re-engaging their employees.
Being in a lockdown for some time changes the norms and behaviors of employees. Getting them engaged once again could be a daunting task. So, we decided to collaborate with Dreamplex and invite some of Asia’s finest leaders to share the best adaptable practices in bringing employees closer than ever, at a time like this.
Here are the highlights of this event.
Common struggles companies encounter in engaging employees
The difficulty each organization faces in re-engaging their employees is subjective to their business nature and the impact of the pandemic on their daily operations. Knowing these challenges will help you understand that your organization isn’t the only one suffering the effect of the pandemic.
1. Adapting to the surge in business
The pandemic caused a surge in business for some organizations, especially in the healthcare industry. Son Nguyen, CEO of MVV Academy, shared that with a spike in their client base and the staticity in the workforce, employees had a tough time keeping up with the constant calls, checkups and were exhausted most of the time.
While he believed that it was beneficial for business, employees had a tough time involving themselves in other activities outside work, making it more difficult to get them in the engagement loop once more.
2. Alteration in traditional training practices
Like other aspects of business operations, companies also had to deal with the gap in training procedures. Holding the usual office training sessions became impossible at the company because of the lockdown.
To make up for training and development sessions, employees and leaders adopted the use of nontraditional training programs, which was later affected by the surge in online learning, as other businesses and economic functions moved to cyberspace.
3. Assuring employee safety
Huyen Luu from L'Oréal also stated that their greatest challenge was ensuring that employees who needed physical contact with clients observed all safety protocols.
HR and managers found engaging this staff particularly difficult, as they were more concerned about their safety during the lockdown. Due to the inflexible nature of their work hours and workspace, experts in this industry only had their health demands catered for.
4. A change in the onboarding process
Duy Le from KMS mentioned that the company recruited quite a number of employees during the lockdown. Due to restricted mobility, they haven’t properly introduced these recruits to the office and staff. So, indulging them in certain activities has been difficult and they’re cautious about overwhelming employees with a virtual onboarding process.
Practical steps to re-engaging employees
Now that you know some of the common challenges organizations face in engaging employees. Here are some adaptable policies and best practices that organizations can use in getting employees interested in their jobs and other company functions once more:
1. Apply the hybrid work model, but on a voluntary basis
Adopting the hybrid work model is the safest approach to reducing the pressure in transitioning back to the work from office model. Instead of having all employees resume work at the office, give them the opportunity to decide where they’d be more productive and comfortable.
At L’Oreal, Huyen shared that they opened the office at a 50% capacity to allow their diverse workforce to choose what works best for them while ensuring their safety at a time like this. For the married, Gen Z-ers, parents, and other members of staff who are hyped to work from the office, the doors are always open, as long as they don’t exceed the 50% capacity.
2. Leveraging the power of digital technology
Organizations can now adopt the use of digital applications in performing their daily business functions. Managers and HR professionals can host fairs, conferences, and other events effectively with the use of digital applications.
It is encouraged that organizations should have a mixture of both physical meetings and virtual meetings, depending on the purpose of that event, to get maximum results and help employees connect more frequently.
3. Organize mini-engagement activities
Instead of organizing big engagement activities occasionally, focus on hosting smaller ones that require less logistic efforts, preparation, and topic research. Mini-engagement activities are easier to manage, which prompts employees to partake in the entire planning process.
Huyen also stated that this had been a common practice at L’Oreal where they dedicate 1.5 hours on Fridays to engagement events that require contribution and interaction from the audience. These events aim at getting employees to share their interests and passions. For maximum results, organizations are advised to hold these events for 8-9 consecutive weeks.
4. Employ engagement event experts
According to Duy Le, organizations should employ an expert in events hosting who handles the budget and activities that each engagement exercise requires. These experts ensure that employees maintain interaction and continue to feel like a part of a bigger team. They could simply engage employees in conversations about vaccination and other areas of interest in relation to current situations.
5. Teach empathy through exemplary leadership
Duy Le also encouraged leaders and employees to show empathy to their colleagues at all times. He claimed that showing compassion is another way to ensure that employees don’t feel the need to crawl back into the cage.
Leaders are expected to exercise empathy when dealing with employees post-lockdown, as they might’ve been through life-changing events. So, being patient with them is extremely important.
6. Learn to listen to the voices of your employees
Employees love being heard, especially when they have contributions or complaints. Instead of making presumptions on what employees desire or don’t, conducting surveys is the surest way to get your answers. With the survey results, actionable plans can be made, thereby making employee satisfaction a top priority.
7. Prioritize employee well-being
To make employees feel appreciated and more dedicated to their role at the company, it is important that you show concerns about their mental and physical wellbeing. You can send out healthcare packages, employ an in-house health professional, or help create an appealing home office for them.
8. Collaborate in the real world
Once in a while, have employees meet in a fun environment. Asides from the regular team meetings, organize hangouts, dinners, and other small events where employees can feel safe. This is a common practice at KMS, as Duy assures that this is the best approach for managers to meet new hires more frequently.
Check out the entire webinar by watching the full event below.
