Our key takeaway from recent virtual group discussions was trusting your employees and monitoring outcomes rather than inputs is the best way to boost business during and following the pandemic. A disconnect between management and employees will cause a business to fail. Read on to the end to find out how you can be a leader who fosters a community of trust and gets the best out of your team.
Each week, we are joined by global HR leaders to brainstorm, share learnings, and collect insights on how organizations can come out on top of this crisis. You can also be a part of one of our upcoming virtual group discussions.
Here's what we learnt from this batch of sessions:
1. Make mitigating risk for frontline employees your first priority
One of our attendee's firms focuses on field employees interfacing with doctors, which obviously puts them at risk of contracting COVID-19. Make sure your company provides all employees with necessary health resources, whether it be sanitization tools, advanced medical care benefits, and protective equipment. It is pivotal to be employee-first during a crisis that helps your business runs smoothly.
2. Control what you can control, and admit that some factors are outside your control
As proactive leaders we all want to feel like we're in control of everything at all times. One of the biggest learnings our attendees cited was that COVID-19 has taught us that the theory of absolute control is a fallacy. With so much global uncertainty, keeping your head down and focusing on what you can do today to help the business succeed is a winning mindset and will help build an employee first culture.
3. Develop new functions to make HR a strategic partner for business growth
Many attendees are beginning to create new positions in their HR departments, like Chief Health Officer, or Chief Engagement Officer, to help further delineate roles and make sure HR is as agile and versatile as possible. Streamlining processes and building capabilities is the best way to make HR a crucial strategic partner both now and moving forward. Trust us, this is easier than it sounds.
4. Give your employees WFH training and the tools they need to win while at home
So many aspects of WFH fly in the face of the skills many employees have spent decades establishing, so teaching them new ways to do business remotely is crucial to help them transition. Some of our attendees have offered sessions on working from home and managing a family, introductions to new softwares, routine building while working from home, and more. In addition, some firms provided laptops, VPNs, and upgraded internet plans to their employees to ensure seamless performance and fortified cyber security.
5. Build trust with your employees to ensure strong outcomes and keep engagement high
Now, as leaders, it's crucial that we work on our precise communication and functional empathy to keep our teams engaged and motivated. In a time of chaos knowing that your boss has your back is a huge part of emotional safety at work.
These sessions have so far been a treasure trove in terms of learnings and we will ensure the word gets out for every organization to implement and navigate this stressful, changing period together.
