WRITTEN IN APRIL 2020 DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
Do you manage a team?
Do you know how they are coping working from home?
Have you asked them how they are REALLY managing?
Have you listened to everything they have said to you?
Even the bad bits?
If you can answer yes to all five, then you can spin on, you don’t need me. Everyone else, read on…
Why your annual engagement survey may not be enough right now?
Annual employee engagement studies are a fantastic way to measure the strength of the mental and emotional connection that people feel toward their places of work. They tend to measure commitment, motivation, loyalty and trust – are used to track changes over time and to identify potential problem areas before the snowball into bigger issues.
All well and good in “normal” times. But these are not normal times – in many organisations the workforce is now displaced. Some might be working remotely, some might be furloughed. Some might be at home trying to work but feeling overwhelmed by other issues.
I’ve had conversations with people who are furloughed who feel incredibly uneasy, even guilty, that they are at home watching TV – receiving 80% of their salary while a colleague is at home trying to work receiving only 20% more pay.
Research will help you understand how your employees are feeling right now.
We all know that teams perform better when their voices are heard. So now is your chance to put together a simple temperature check, a quick 10 question survey asking some key questions around their commitment, motivation, loyalty and trust during this strange time.
Distribute the survey to all your employees and encourage them to respond in an anonymous way so they feel that they can answer honestly.
And then most importantly, listen to what is being said. Address areas of concern and communicate to everyone that you are seeking solutions. Your team will appreciate that their views have been heard so in turn,when the team is reunited, the transition should be smoother.
It’s now more important than ever to keep asking, listening and understanding your employees’ behaviour, perceptions and opinions. If you would like to chat through what research you could be doing right now, then get in touch for a chat. www.acemr.co.uk/contact
