How Employers Handled the COVID-19 Crisis: 3 Do’s and 2 Don’ts!
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What employers did well during the pandemic and what could be improved in future crises
Although 62% of companies have crisis plans, few were prepared for the sudden tidal wave of COVID-19. The health and safety risks posed to employees combined with the financial, operational, and reputational damage has made the pandemic an extraordinary emergency.
Reactions varied wildly across industries and countries, but those that fared the best incorporated flexibility, compassion, and receptive leadership into their COVID-19 response plans. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from employers’ handling of the crisis, including what they did right and what might be improved in the future.
What many employers got right during the COVID-19 crisis
1. Engaging and responsive leadership
One of the worst things that leadership can do in a crisis is bury their heads in the sand. Fortunately, a recent study by McKinsey on the U.S.-based employee experience during COVID-19 reported that 78% of respondents said their organization responded effectively.
Timely and effective communication from leadership has many benefits for employees. First, it helps everyone make sense of the crisis as much as possible and gives them some sense of certainty about the future. Second, it enables team resilience and connection. When leaders make themselves available and take charge of a situation, they can encourage dialogue and outside-the-box thinking that build a stronger team.
2. Valuing teamwork over individual control or recognition
In crises defined by uncertainty and change, organizations cannot respond effectively by relying on the decisions of a few people at the top. Building a network of teams or at least a diverse group of decision-makers has proven to be the most effective strategy.
Put simply, a network of teams with one common purpose can divide and conquer the varying challenges facing an organization. They can react more quickly, consider a wider variety of options, and problem-solve creatively. These teams often cover four key areas: employees, supply-chain or service offerings, customers, and finances.
3. Prioritizing employee wellness
80% of employees from the McKinsey survey said their company leadership acted proactively to protect their health and safety. For many, this took the form of making a quick decision to move to remote work to reduce infection risk. For others, this meant adjusting health benefits and allowing for greater flexibility.
Target, for example, completely waived its absenteeism policy and offered quarantine pay for 14 days to any employees affected by the virus. Walmart provided employees with free access to telehealth and behavioral counseling services through January 2021.
What employers can improve moving forward
1. Tailoring their response to individual employee needs
Crises do not affect all employees in the same way. Those with children and those without, for instance, were impacted very differently by COVID-19. Organizations can utilize technology, segmentation, and individual communication to create better responses to each individual's needs and experiences.
Some employees may need more flexibility and health benefits to take care of loved ones. Others may not experience much of a change and can work similarly to the way they did before. Identifying who is struggling and what they need can build team engagement, trust, and resilience.
2. Giving employees purpose
Helping employees understand exactly how their contributions directly contribute to organizational goals is a valuable tactic that mitigates stress and uncertainty. As Wharton Professor Americus Reed and his co-authors explain, "engagement happens when individuals connect their own purpose to organizational purpose by addressing, 'Why is the work I do important?'"
Company leaders can increase engagement during a crisis by consistently communicating the value of employees' contributions.
Moving forward in difficult times
Employees who say their organizations responded particularly well to COVID-19 are four times more likely to be engaged and six times more likely to report a positive state of well-being. Evaluate your response to this crisis and consider ways to improve response strategies to provide a better experience.
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