Just as the economy is starting to build momentum anew, there is a looming danger for companies to lose their best talent. According to the Pulse of the American Worker Survey, 26 percent of American workers nationwide state that they will be looking for a new job once the risks of the pandemic have lowered. Even before that, Forbes states that 52 percent of American employees will be looking for new jobs this year, according to data from the Achievers’ Employee Engagement and Retention Report.
The Pulse Survey shows that among the migrating employees, millennials make up 34 percent, Gen X makes up 24 percent, and boomers make up 10 percent. Career growth is the greatest concern of most or 80 percent of employees planning to move.
Among them, 72 percent evaluated their skills, and 59 percent independently took skills training on the side in the pandemic. Company culture is the next concern, with 42 percent giving their company a score of “C” in that regard. A third or 34 percent of employees want to find a company that will offer remote work.
Help Your Employees Cope with the Pandemic Scientifically
All employees are stressed about the pandemic. A business can show its concern by offering the Covid-19 test for companies that screens for current and past infections. The company can then offer health care support that covers the long-term effects of Covid.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, some patients get Covid and then, after already testing negative, still show symptoms of serious illness. For some people who only got mild Covid, the lingering symptoms are even worse. This condition is called long-term Covid, long Covid, post-Covid syndrome, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).
Covid affects the lungs, causing persistent cough, shortness of breath, and gasping after just slight exertion. Covid 19 also affects the heart, with 60 percent of patients left with heart inflammation. This leads to rapid heartbeat, palpitations, chest pain, and also shortness of breath.
Neurologic problems are among the symptoms of long-term Covid. These include dizziness, headaches, fatigue, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, cognitive problems, and insomnia. Lingering physical problems include muscle pain, joint pain, and intermittent fever.
Covid 19 can also cause kidney damage with long-term effects. Furthermore, some patients develop diabetes after Covid 19. All these physical deteriorations cause mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
There is no available data on how long post-Covid syndrome lasts because some patients who fell ill at the start of the pandemic still have it as of now. By offering long-term health care support, the company shows its employees that it cares for them. It also helps in the retention of its employees and their continued productivity.
Train Employees on Remote Work Technology
To convince employees to stay, businesses must offer the option of remote work. The company’s technology and digital security must be geared toward this type of work arrangement. Training must be offered to advance technical skills to be able to work remotely effectively and securely. This is beneficial to the company because, according to research, a company increases profit by an average of $2,000 for every remote worker.
It is a win-win solution because a remote worker saves an estimated $7,000 a year from costs of commuting, food, and childcare services. Because of this, most or 99 percent of working people want to get a remote work job for life. If given a remote work option, 74 percent state that they will likely stay in a company. This is also why 64 percent of hiring professionals state that pitching a remote work offer enables them to find talents of high quality.
Remote work increases productivity as 77 percent of employees state that they are more productive when working at home. Seventy-five percent state that they work with fewer distractions at home.
Improve the Employee Experience
Showing that the company cares for employees’ health and well-being will go a long way in improving the employees’ experience and company culture. Forbes reports on a survey that employee experience is the highest priority of most or 92 percent of human resources (HR) leaders in 2021.
According to Forbes, the employee experience must be focused on the employee’s well-being throughout their stay and development. The employee must be kept engaged and allowed feedback. There must be a feedback system in place that is properly processed so that employee inputs are acted upon. There must also be regular communication between an employee and their immediate boss. This is very important to foster inclusion and belonging, especially in a remote work environment.
Increasing employee satisfaction with these steps is more cost-effective and efficient than losing long-term employees and recruiting, hiring, and training new ones. Gaining employee loyalty is one of the most valuable assets a business can have.
