Helping Employees Deal With Change: The Pandemic Edition
May 30, 2021
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Businesses found themselves in the midst of an extremely unusual situation when the Novel Coronavirus outbreak was declared as a global pandemic. Overnight, everything was shut down and businesses had to resort to remote work to continue operations.Although the remote work culture has been around for years now, the suddenness of the move made it stressful as a lot of businesses were not WFH-ready. Moreover, the addition of isolation to it mandated by the social distancing norms made it challenging.
In times like these, employees were forced to stay productive to ensure businesses stayed afloat. The rapidly changing work policies and increasing work demands can take a toll on employee well-being. This brings to light the need to help employees deal with change in order to make them feel supported.
Listed below are 4 recommendations for business owners and managers to help employees successfully cope with the changes brought forward by the pandemic:
1. Communicate clearly:
One of the major reasons for employees not being able to deal with change is the lack of clarity. With so many businesses shutting shop or laying off their employees, it is obvious for your employees too to feel nervous.
Make sure to clearly communicate how you are planning to handle the situation so employees stay informed. This will also help you squash any rumors before it gets too late. It is easy to stay connected with remote employees by using web conferencing tools.
For instance, consider Adobe Connect. It makes it extremely easy to conduct virtual meetings with its user-friendly interface. Moreover, the Adobe Connect pricing structure includes a free trial and affordable plans starting as low as $50.00 per month.
2. Recognize their efforts:
Managers may want to keep employees motivated by telling them to look at the bright side of things, but it is equally important to acknowledge the efforts employees are putting in. Make sure you recognize their contributions in this tough phase and appreciate them for it.
Change is scary, and employees performing well in such situations should be rewarded. Such gestures show employees they are valued and makes them feel comfortable with the new change.
3. Actively listen to their concerns:
It's always a two-way street when it comes to a successful change. If you expect employees to be able to handle the change well, you too need to take time to listen and understand their concerns.
Ignoring employee concerns can make them feel frustrated and lead to a negative work environment. Business owners and managers need to provide individualized support and understand how the crisis has impacted an employee’s life.
This will help you give them more targeted resolutions. It will also help the employee feel cared for, which is a great way of fostering positive feelings in these tough times.
4. Train them to adapt to the situation:
While people may have worked remotely before, the strictness attached to the situation of working from indoors is nerve-wracking. It makes employees feel isolated and can lead to a decline in their work efficiency.
Providing them opportunities to learn is a great way of helping them deal with the change in a better way. Employees feel more confident when they are provided relevant learning opportunities, which allows them to adapt to the situation in a better way.
You can also provide them soft skills training to help them grow their personality. It not only helps them learn how to communicate more effectively but also makes them more self-assured when dealing with a new situation.
Conclusion:
Business owners and managers need to be proactive so they can identify any signs of anxiety in their employees. This will allow you to show more support and empathy towards such employees to help them cope with the situation.
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