The reopening of businesses and lifting health and safety regulations has led many to believe that the coronavirus pandemicâs end is near. Though youâd think this would be good news for employers anxious to get back in full swing, they still face some challenges. While some employees are ready to return to the workplace, other job seekers worry, making it necessary to bring on new talent to fill the void.
Hiring a new team is not only expensive, but itâs also time-consuming. The fears and adjustments over the past year also make it challenging to acquire qualified professionals. How do you accommodate those that have grown accustomed to remote working? What do you do to ease the anxieties about COVID-19?
As returning to the workplace presents employees and job seekers worry amongst alike, what can employers do to get them on board? Continue reading for some suggestions.
Understand Job Seekers Worry
Employers interested in rebuilding their workforce will need to empathize with people and the impact current times have had on their lives. They need to know that you care about their concerns. Employees want to feel that theyâre more than bodies helping to improve your bottom line.
Business owners that can showcase their empathy through words and action have an easier time getting qualified people to join their organization. Evaluate job seekers worry of returning to the workplace post-pandemic. Some of the most significant are vaccine mandates, health and safety regulations, work-life balance, and finances.
Take Action
Now that youâre aware of the significant job seekers worry, consider what actions you can take to eliminate or ease these pressures for employees and new hires.
Vaccine Mandates (Incentive Programs)
Vaccinations are everyoneâs best chance at reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19. Be that as it may, there is still a lot of controversy surrounding whether enforcement is the best option. Though employers have the power to do so, some individuals are protected based on their disabilities and religious beliefs. Not to mention, there is a large number of people that are firmly against vaccines.
Job seekers worry must tread lightly with making employees or job seekers feel forced to do something they may not be ready to do. While you may not wish to force anyone to get a vaccine against their will, offering incentives could encourage your team to protect themselves and others.
Remote or Hybrid Solutions
Some employees have benefited from remote working solutions. Being home enabled them to find better work-life balance and boost their emotional health. As mental wellness is essential to workplace effectiveness, employers should develop solutions to accommodate their team.
One way of doing this is by allowing employees to work on a remote or hybrid schedule post-pandemic. You can offer individuals with existing medical conditions, religious beliefs, or strong opinions against vaccinations to work from home. A hybrid workforce would mean employees alternate between in-house and remote work. This method limits exposure eases fears and improves work-life balance.
If youâre going to take this route, youâll need to ensure that you complete an extensive background check for employment for new remote workers. Since they wonât be in your presence, you want to ensure theyâre capable and trustworthy of completing tasks and accessing sensitive data from home.
Increased Salaries/Perks
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in financial turmoil for many people. Millions lost their jobs, resulting in a variety of problems. Most people exhausted their savings accounts, some fell behind on bills, and others racked up debt by using loans and credit cards to get by. Ultimately, people need stable, high-paying jobs to dig themselves out of this financial hole theyâre in.
Essentially, if employers are going to get qualified professionals back in the workplace, theyâll need to consider raising salaries or adding perks (more days off, free or discounted childcare, etc.).
Itâs excellent that COVID-19 vaccines and declining new cases have sparked the beginning of the end of chaotic times. Though it seems that post-pandemic is near, getting back to ânormalâ wonât happen overnight. As job seekers worry work hard to reestablish teams in the workplace, theyâll need to consider taking actions like those listed above to encourage qualified individuals to come on board.
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