Employers need to work harder to engage and retain staff for business resilience if they want to thrive post Covid-19, reveals a new study.
According to the hiring report, carried out by Execu|Search Group, voluntary employee turnover is on the rise, despite the pandemic. Around 18% of employers saw an increase in voluntary staff turnover in 2020. Additionally, 95% of professionals said they would be open to new opportunities despite not actively job searching. Employee experience, it seems, is being overlooked – leaving many staff stressed, anxiety ridden, and ready for a change despite the pandemic.
The report attributes voluntary staff turnover to staff being unhappy with how their employer has handled the pandemic. In fact, around 25% of employees said they disagreed with the way their employer has handled the Covid-19 crisis.
INCLUSION CRITICAL TO STAFF ENGAGEMENT
In short, firms need to work harder at ensuring their staff are engaged and feel included, especially if firms want to retain their best staff and thrive post pandemic. Talent engagement is critical to workplace inclusion and building business resilience as the market evolves in 2021, confirms the report.
The 2021 hiring outlook report entitled, 3 Strategies For Building A Resilient Workforce During Uncertain Times provides some key pointers on how to improve employee engagement amid the pandemic in an evolving market. “These are critical as Covid-19 continues to run its course in 2021, and companies and employees face the unknown,” notes the report.
PRIORITISE EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
Firstly, upskilling is critical to staff retention this year. The report revealed that 85% of professionals would change jobs if they were offered more opportunities for professional development. So companies need to ensure there are adequate upskilling and training opportunities if they want to retain key talent.
Secondly, companies need to prioritise employee wellness. According to the study, over 50% of employees reported not getting mental health support during these unprecedented times. However, employee wellness is vital especially as staff report “unplugging” as their number one challenge while working remotely. Employers therefore need to improve on their employee wellness programme provisions.
Finally, employers must provide more flexibility, particularly for remote workers. Staff are demanding flexibility for remote work, yet employers are slow to adapt, revealed the research. Around 78% of said they would prefer flexibility to be fully or partially remote, regarding their work schedules. Yet 57% of employers have no long-term plan for remote roles. Many firms therefore have a long way to go to ensure work schedules provide adequate flexibility to retain their top talent.
COVID-19 IMPACT ON STAFF MORALE
“While the Covid-19 pandemic may be temporary, its effects will be long-lasting on both the physical office and employee morale,” pointed out Lawrence Dolinko, CEO of The Execu|Search Group. “As companies focus on the former, many aspects of employee experience are being overlooked – leaving staff stressed, anxiety ridden, and potentially ready for a change.
“Since this can impact an organisation’s future, our 2021 Hiring Outlook is meant to guide employers on how they can build a resilient workforce for continued success during times of hardship and beyond,” he added.
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Mentoring opportunities can also boost staff engagement. Click here to read the article.
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