Almost two years ago, a horrible virus pandemic sneaked up upon us, changing the way we live and work forever. Since the physical distance was recommended and mandatory to prevent the Covid-19 from spreading, businesses had to adopt a completely new work style to survive.
Adapting to the new normal was extremely difficult at first, however, we can now look back and notice how much our office culture has changed. This sudden change helped us learn a lot of things about business, employees, and people in general. Top leaders in every industry are using these lessons to upscale their businesses, why couldn’t you?
Reinvent hiring
When the pandemic started, a lot of companies shifted to remote work to prevent the virus from spreading on their premises. Due to the virtual work environment, hiring new employees took an entirely different shape! All interviews are held online, and even assessment centers came up with new ways of testing candidates.
As an office manager, it’s your responsibility to introduce a new hire to the team. One of the best ways to do so is by using new hire icebreakers to create a positive and friendly environment. On top of that, be the one that helps new employees with the virtual onboarding process. It will really help them adapt to the work and start being productive sooner.
Constant skill and knowledge improvement
Covid-19 has shown us that if we want to keep on advancing and moving forward with our work, we have to constantly keep on learning new things and skills. Since your employees are no longer working from the office, you need to find a way to keep them motivated to adopt new knowledge. On top of that, the employee market has significantly expanded because many businesses had to, unfortunately, close their doors due to this outbreak.
So, what does that mean to your business? Many great and talented individuals are in search of work. Therefore, you need to motivate your team to learn new things and adapt faster to surpass your competitors! Plus, additional knowledge will never go to waste.
Care for mental and physical health
Isolation, loneliness, and depression have really taken a toll on our mental and physical health. More than ever, employees have been complaining about various symptoms that cause a lack of motivation and productivity. So, it’s up to office managers to start really taking care of the employee’s well-being. How can you do that?
One of the best ways to keep your employees happy and healthy is by offering support to all of your colleagues. Even though Covid-19 has made us feel distant from each other, holding weekly or daily meetings with your team car certainly improves job satisfaction. On top of that, if you notice that your employees are struggling, refer them to a psychologist or a doctor that can help elevate the symptoms.
All virtual communication
The way we communicate was one of the most noticeable changes in our workplaces. From face-to-face encounters, we shifted to staying behind our screens and occasionally turning on our cameras to wave hi to our colleagues. This certainly brought people apart and made it difficult for managers to organize their workforce. So, what’s the solution?
Besides regularly checking in with your employees, you need to ensure they are engaged, motivated, and ready to tackle new challenges. To do so, consider introducing an engagement app, such as a Blink website, that will help you communicate, assign tasks and share important information with your team! So, make the most out of virtual communication by using the right tools.
Create a culture of trust
Shifting to remote work was challenging for a lot of managers. The new work environment arose from many different questions and problems, such as, how will they keep up with their teams and track their progress. However, the main issue that needed to be fixed there was a lack of trust!
If you don’t trust your employees and have the need to control them at all times, do they really have the freedom to do their own work? Create a culture of trust and transparency that will improve the work relationships and help you be more honest with your team and vice versa. After all, we’re all in this together. You all work for the same company achieving the same goals, so why not make it easier for everyone by creating a pleasant work environment?!
Conclusion
As you can see, even negative situations can have a positive outcome. Covid-19 is scary to us all, but if we stick together, we’ll be able to combat it as a team! So, learn from challenging situations and implement that knowledge into business strategies to improve your company!