SARAH HAMILTON
Director of Human Resources WORKHUMAN.COM
1) Describe company brand/culture related to managing for performance in the WFH world we will be living in
The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly put the strength of our workplace connections to the test. The social bonds and connections we have with our colleagues have been interrupted. Leaders had little time to prepare for lockdown, and many employees are trying to balance childcare and home-schooling duties alongside their work responsibilities.
Workhuman® conducted a pulse survey of more than 3,000 full-time U.S. workers in early May across various industries. According to the findings, 38% of workers experienced a form of burnout during the pandemic (for working parents, the number was even higher – 42%).
Managers, leaders and executives need to be connected to their teams more than ever; not from a place of monitoring or clock-watching, but more from a place of caring and compassion.
Leaders need to recognize that everyone is juggling emotions and challenges.
The traditional workplace has been disrupted forever and as we get accustomed to a new normal, it’s more important than ever that organizations are listening to how their employees are feeling.
Leaders can utilize free employee pulse survey tools such as the Moodtracker™ to keep a pulse on employees’ feelings as they work from home in these uncertain times.
Moodtracker allows organizations to implement the recommended next steps to understand their workforces better, improve their culture, and achieve a higher level of employee engagement.
2) Regarding “global business ops”, cross-cultural communications is more complex, difficult. Any tips?
Flexibility is going to be a major ask and expectation moving forward. Workhuman is a global company, so setting up a specific time when people can and can’t work isn’t necessarily going to work due to different time zones. We’ve been recording meetings so employees have a chance to go back and listen to them if their schedule didn’t allow for attending it live.
The pandemic has also forced us to be more effective in how we’re thinking about meetings and whether we need to be there, or if we can give people more time back on their calendars. People are being more diligent around what their calendars look like.
According to Workhuman’s report, The State of Humanity at Work, promoting flexibility and allowing employees to work when and where they choose is also one way to achieve better work-life harmony.
Those who do are more likely to report being highly engaged (55% vs. 44%) and happy at work (86% vs. 78%).
3) Performance measurement in the WFH world; how will it change?
In good times and bad, social recognition and gratitude for your friends and colleagues lifts and binds us in a way no other business practice can, and keep employees engaged.
Particularly while employees are working remotely; continuous feedback and check-ins are extra important for boosting employee productivity and performance.
According to our pulse survey conducted in early May, 62% of workers said they have not been recognized since the pandemic began.
The average score workers gave their managers was 65/100 for how well they boosted motivation and engagement during this time.
Utilizing continuous performance management platforms like Conversations could be the solution, providing an easy way for people to stay connected and measure performance.
Ongoing feedback, mentoring and check-ins go a long way in setting goals, keeping employees engaged and boosting performance.
Workers were also asked how often they felt a sense of loneliness and isolation in the past two months since the pandemic began; 42% said they felt this way once a week or more often, and 10% of those workers said they felt lonely every day.
According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact, costing the global economy an estimated $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
The key to driving engagement right now is to focus on programs that support social connection.
