How Will You Hold Onto Employees Post COVID?

For those employers breathing a sigh of relief because things seem to be getting back to normal again. . . Savor the moment! If you've been around for a few years, you'll remember that before calculators, it was "normal" to add a few numbers with a pencil and pad. Or correct a few typos by re-typing an entire page. As time progressed, it became "normal" to correct those errors with correction fluid or (Wite-Out). While some things will certainly get back to "normal," others will certainly not.

If you've been reading recent "return to work" articles, or reports on the future of work after the pandemic, you've likely been hearing words or phrases like, flexibility, hybrid scheduling, cultural connectivity, trust, or work-life balance, more than you did pre-COVID-19. If I were a betting man, I'd place my bets on two things occurring: 1) Employees will place greater demands on their employers; and 2) Employers who emerge post-COVID with their workforce intact, will be those most willing to meet at least some of those demands.

Are you preparing for the affects this will have in your labor market? Do you know what your competition is doing, or thinking of doing? Are your peers more in tune with their employees (or your employees), than you are? Based on our recently conducted Benefits Benchmarking Study, which included questions on post-COVID-19 vaccinations, testing & treatment and return to work policies, it's pretty clear there is no single course of action being taken by employers.

We've heard from over 6,000 respondents in 75 industry verticals, located in over 40 cities across the country, representing over 7 million members. While certain generalized patterns have emerged across a large subsection of respondents, more consistent thoughts, ideas and strategies seem to emerge within subsections (cuts) specific to industry verticals, locations and size.

For those employers who want to emerge from this pandemic with a workforce largely intact and highly productive, how you adjust your thinking regarding benefits, workspace, connectivity & work-life balance, will all be crucial in how your workforce responds. Knowing what your employees want, what your competition will be doing and how you respond to both, will be absolutely key to retaining & attracting a highly motivated workforce.