As we are nearing the two-year anniversary of March 2020, when the world changed from the coronavirus pandemic, it is time to reflect on the changes and difficulties that have come with shifting to full-remote or hybrid workplaces.
For companies that were not used to remote work, March 2020 threw them off balance, scrambling to create online workplaces in the panic of the initial news of covid-19. Now that we are two years out, ask yourself whether those temporary fixes were ever mended or if they are still the basis of your online workplace.
Because remote work is here to stay (link to typical experience article), it is essential that managers take stock of their remote operations to ensure workers have the tools they need to be efficient, productive, and successful. Managers should survey their teams if there are long-running issues stemming from the switch to remote work that they have put off fixing. Now is the time to resolve those issues directly with team members.
In addition to realigning your workplace after two years of remote work, it’s important to take the time to reach out to employees that may have been struggling throughout the pandemic.
Pandemic fatigue, or the overwhelming feelings surrounding life during the pandemic, is very common in people of all ages. The March anniversary of the start of pandemic restrictions may bring up feelings of fear and worry as it brings back memories of the first month of the lockdown and changes to society as we once knew it. Checking in with your employees around this time of year shows that they are valued and will give them an opportunity to build community at work during a tough time of the year.
After talking with employees on a personal level, it’s important to see how to better support them remotely and then implement changes that can increase productivity and efficiency. Making time in the first part of 2022 to realign with your employees is essential to success during this year.
Follow Sharp Decisions on LinkedIn and Twitter for more updates. For job postings, see our Careers Page.