Workplace Culture and Employee Engagement During COVID

If you’ve been following this article series so far, you’ll have already read about the shifting nature of the retail workforce.

You’ll know that we now operate in a candidate’s labour market – with fewer candidates having a large range of employers to choose from – and how the COVID-19 crisis has transformed the expectations retail employees now have of the companies they work for.

We know that retailers are struggling to attract enough staff to fill the roles they have open, but that’s only one face of the coin. On the flip side, retailers need to focus on the staff they already have and make sure they are happy and content in their work. An unhappy workforce will be less productive and more likely to be looking elsewhere for job opportunities, so keeping them onboard should be a priority for HR officers.

This is where workplace culture and employee engagement come in.

Employee Engagement

Only 36% of US workers presently feel engaged at work – a figure which drops to 20% when you expand the data pool globally – and the proportion which feel actively disengaged is rising.

An engaged workforce is more productive and more resilient to change – such as the challenges brought about by the pandemic – they are less likely to seek alternative employment, suffer from unhappy workplace experiences, or take time off sick. Therefore, creating an engaged workforce should be an area of focus for HR officers as we move into 2022.

With the worst of the pandemic [hopefully] behind us, returning workers will likely be feeling a range of emotions. They will be wondering how secure their jobs are and whether another lockdown will have them all sent home again. They will also likely have some fond feelings about the lockdown as well, such as being able to spend more time with their children and other loved ones, so employers must be aware of and be sensitive to the cognitive dissonance their staff may be feeling.

One of the biggest reasons for a disengaged workforce comes from working under disorganised and poor management.

Employees need to have confidence in their leaders and know that they are not just there to tell them what to do, but also to listen to their concerns and assist them with navigating some of life’s worries and concerns. Obviously, we’re not suggesting that managers should be counsellors, but when an employee is struggling, they should try and help to the best of their ability and within the boundaries of propriety.

"Amid changes in workplaces and the economy, building an engaging workplace with great managers remains centrally important," writes Gallup. "During tough times, it predicts the resiliency of the workforce. During recovery times, with lower unemployment, it predicts the retention of star employees. During all times, engaging workplaces with great managers build organizational reputation and employment brand."

Workplace Culture

This is what we mean when we talk about workplace culture. Too many companies have a completely siloed organisational structure where every level of employee is segregated from those above and below them.

Creating an open and equal culture at work sends the message that, even though the hierarchy is there and exists for a reason, it doesn’t mean employees can’t come to them with their problems or engage with them in other ways. Creating this kind of culture isn’t easy, but those companies which achieve it will see new levels of contentment and satisfaction in their workforce and the effects of increased productivity and reduced absences and resignations in their bottom line.

Creating a workplace culture means breaking down those barriers between staff and getting them together to focus on a single goal. Team building excursions are a fantastic way to achieve this. However, we’ve all been to more than one of these events which makes us want to turn inside out from cringing, so make sure you choose team building activities which are genuinely fun and have a good balance of socialising to go with the "work".

Once staff know they can socialise and enjoy themselves with their managers, they will be more relaxed around them at work and feel more like they work alongside them instead of under them. Just creating an atmosphere where staff know they can talk to and engage with their colleagues and managers will go a long way to establishing a positive and motivating workplace culture.

Final Thoughts

Nurturing employee engagement and a positive workplace culture has arguably never been more important than right now. With retail employees having more power than ever to pick and choose the companies they work for, making sure they are happy and content at work will give your brand the best chance of retaining the best talent.

Employee engagement and workplace culture are going to be hot topics at HR Retail 2022, taking place in April at the Hyatt Regency Austin, TX.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.