In the past few months, we have taken a deep dive into the many ways that businesses have changed due to coronavirus. We have examined how workplaces have adjusted to onboarding remotely and helping employees adjust to communications when working from home.
Today, we are taking a closer look at issues related to pivoting between a workforce that is possibly fully remote, in-office, or a combination of the two. For instance, many companies are struggling with adjustments as the virus numbers change to accommodate more team members in-office while still allowing for some remote work.
Address the Elephant in the Room
Whether your workplace is fully remote, partially remote, or in-person completely, it is important to broach the topic with your employees about the strangeness and uniqueness of the situation.
The elephant in the room, in this particular case, is the fact that no one knows what will happen next. The fluidity of any workplace situation lay at the mercy of the current numbers in the state and even in your city/town. Address this with your employees about how you will keep them informed, but that the situation could change as the numbers of cases increase or decrease.
Keep Communication Going
Juggling remote, partial remote, and in-person employees is a struggle. If you hold meetings in-person, be sure to make it easy for remote workers to be a part of the conversation with Zoom or Google Meet. Even employees in the office may want to take advantage of these virtual meetings so they can maintain a safe distance while still gathering necessary information.
Follow up after meetings or project updates so that everyone gets a copy of what was discussed and next steps that need to be taken. In addition, use workplace chats to keep the communication going such as Slack, Discord, Google Chat, or Microsoft Teams to keep everyone connected.
Pay Attention to Morale
Your workforce is what keeps your company going. Check in with your team members, not just about projects, but also about how they are juggling the shifts between work and remote, family and work, and the overall stress of this turbulent time.
Take extra effort to do small things for your team members whether it is a simple note of appreciation or a gift card to their favorite order-out restaurant. Choose something that fits your management style that lets your team know you have their backs and understand what they are going through.
The outbreak of coronavirus has us all reeling. Make sure that, as your workforce begins to pivot back to the office, that they have the support of their company leadership. For more COVID-19 resources, check out our resources pages at North Shore Career Center and MassHire North Shore.
