The post-crisis world: How to help employees and companies return to a “normal” working life.

Without recounting all the events, it is still important to mention the 4 facts that have impressed me the most since the beginning of this health crisis.

• The first is the number of people who have lost their lives because of this pandemic, more than 5 million in the world at the time of writing. In this regard, INSEE forecasts a 9% increase in mortality in France in 2020 compared to 2019 (an unprecedented increase for 70 years).
• The second is the containment of more than 3 billion people at the same time to try to reduce the number of contaminations.
• The third are the 25 million active inhabitants of France alone who could no longer carry out their professional activities from one day to the next.
• Finally the 4th, telecommuting for long months, for those who were lucky enough to keep their job without having to leave their home.

Theimpacts of the crisis: between upheaval and questioning

Faced with this unprecedented crisis, institutions, companies and communities have had to adapt and reinvent themselves in order not to disappear. At the same time, consumer habits and the pace of life have changed.

The city of Paris, for example, has lost more than 21,000 inhabitants in the last two years. The massive relocation of employees from business parks can be explained by the fact that some of the employees who can telecommute have chosen to move away from their place of work and gain more living space in return.

The year 2020 saw a 42% drop in investment in professional real estate compared to the previous year, a 20-year high. Some companies such as Wizi, Prévision.io or L’Institut Sapiens, to name but a few, have sold their premises abandoned by their employees.

Conversely, the slipper sector exploded with a 12% increase in sales compared to annual averages!

These new habits have not only advantages. In addition to soaring real estate prices in rural areas and employee isolation, the sense of belonging has diminished with distance. Integrating new employees can also be more difficult with distance.

More alarmingly, a survey conducted by MoovOne and published in November 2021 among 200 HR managers from companies in various sectors shows that more than 50% of employees in these companies have started to reflect on their pre-crisis daily life, and some no longer wish to return to it .

The situation, position and organization must be adapted. New questions about the meaning employees want to give to their professional and personal lives have emerged. Do employees really find themselves in the work they do every day? The MoovOne survey notes: an increase in fatigue (for 71% of employees), a loss of motivation (61%) and a loss of commitment (54%).

The MoovOne survey also looked at the different levers to be put in place to give back this “desire” to employees. We can cite as main elements: Recognition (74%), career development opportunities (61%), more attractive compensation, listening (53%), a flexible work policy (46%) and mobility opportunities (27%).

Adapting and reinventing ourselves to better find ourselves

Faced with this observation and these questions, companies need to reinvent themselves.

1) Hydrid work spaces and times

The organization of work has become hybrid (telework alternated with days of presence on site) when telework was not imposed. It is necessary to make employees want to come back to the company’s premises if the company still has them. It is important to review work spaces. No more soulless white open spaces. The idea is to adapt the employee’s office so that he or she can feel at home in the office. It is also important to think about the purpose of face-to-face work and the on-site space needed: what is better done in face-to-face than in telework? To give an example during a project, a simple sketch during a face-to-face meeting can avoid misunderstandings at a distance or lengthy meetings. Also, it is important to maintain social ties so as not to lose the team spirit that can diminish at a distance.

Human beings are not made to live in isolation, even if they have a good internet connection. We can compare telecommuting to dating sites, sooner or later the need to meet physically is important. Isolation can have an impact on the employee’s health, body and social relationships. We often hear about “good company life” or “great place to work”, this notion cannot be summarized only by remote actions. Yes, behaviors may have changed after this crisis and the The values of companies may have evolved, but they must not lose their DNA. We must not forget that the story between an employee and a company begins with a job interview, integration, successes, failures, training, etc. We have seen that all these events can be done at a distance, but their intensity, the emotions released by these events are not the same as in person. So yes, it is important to reinvent yourself to better find yourself.

2) Individualized support

In this post-crisis context, companies must consider the employee by taking into account his physical and mental health. It is no longer possible to ask employees to leave their personal lives at the door of the company and focus exclusively on their work. Career coaching can also help them to give meaning to their professional life. Also, a skills assessment to help employees who wish to reorient themselves either towards other sectors of the company or towards new horizons is an important element to take into account during this period of uncertainty.

Another key part of this transformation is the company’s management line. The manager of a team can be compared to the timing belt of a car. A real managerial line, well broken in, will give the teams he “leads” the feeling of being well accompanied. To do this, it is important to work on the development plan for his teams (a course that can be tailored to the teams he manages). Coaching may be necessary to help employees regain connection and awareness of their needs. The implementation of a development plan for employees will allow them to regain the necessary energy.

3) Communication as a key to successful engagement

There are several tools that can be used to develop commitment to the company: recognition, flexibility, setting up highlights (group projects for example) and remote and face-to-face events. Another important element is communication. Good communication about the company’s direction, for example, can re-engage employees with their company. Finally, whether it is remote or face-to-face, the infrastructure, equipment and IT tools can also play a role in this balance of commitment.

Since this Monday, March 14, 2022, the health protocols are beginning to disappear in companies (lifting of the obligation to wear a mask and the rules of social distancing, for example), the return to “normal” life is taking place. Companies are once again “in control” of their health and telecommuting rules. This long-awaited return to normal life for some could potentially have a negative impact on the lives and habits of others.

Questions now remain, how many companies will keep a hybrid pace? How many will go back to the original way of working without teleworking or specific arrangements and what will be all the lessons of this crisis for the working world?

To be continued.

At SQORUS, we are ready to accompany you on this path, from help with selection à integrationto change management.

Do not hesitate to contact us to discuss it.

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