3 Cs of COVID: The pandemic’s impact on: company culture, comms and churn

With more organisations adopting hybrid and remote working, employers are at risk of losing employees as their culture deteriorates.

3 Cs of COVID: The pandemic’s impact on: company culture

With more organisations adopting hybrid and remote working, employers are at risk of losing employees as their culture deteriorates.

Communication is the backbone of any organisation, but, as a recent survey has revealed, many businesses have been struggling to maintain their culture during the pandemic. Alongside this, Reed Recruitment recently announced that it has seen a fivefold increase in remote roles advertised, which shows that remote and hybrid working is here to stay. However, the issues with the 3 Cs of COVID’ – culture, comms and churn – will only be exacerbated with remote working unless they are addressed.

Creaky communications

Communicating with employees has never been more important, with remote working, furlough and hybrid workplaces making it an essential, but more challenging, part of daily work routines. Yet interestingly, this research has shown the disconnect between what employers believe their employees feel and how they actually feel. 

For example, the survey found that less than half (46%) of employees say they have been adequately communicated with during the pandemic. However, when HR leaders were asked whether they adequately communicated with their employees, 97% said they do it well/to some degree. This ultimately shows a gap between the perceptions of HR leaders and their employees when it comes to evaluating how effective communication is within their organisation. For organisations to thrive in a remote or hybrid world, these disparities need to be addressed and employees need to feel connected.

Cutting back churn

The pandemic has also had an impact on churn for many organisations. The survey found that 42% of HR leaders feel that churn has increased in their organisations since the ease of restrictions, and 30% of employees are more likely to leave their jobs post-pandemic. Factors that impact churn include limited internal communications, infrequent performance reviews and feedback, and a top-down approach to HR. With employees no longer in the workplace on a consistent basis, employers need to prioritise these initiatives to keep employees engaged and happy.

Culture crisis

Organisations with strong company cultures and engaged employees frequently outperform their competitors. For example, HR Technologist notes that “Companies that have higher employee engagement experience 16% greater profitability”. Not only that, but with 42% of employees feeling that the culture of their organisation has deteriorated since the pandemic, this is something that needs to be addressed in the hybrid and remote working worlds. Building a strong company culture comes down to strong internal communication, listening to employees, and prioritising employee engagement. With the majority (44%) of employees surveyed feeling less engaged, this should be a critical focus for business leaders and HR teams.

Having the right processes in place gives employers and HR leaders visibility and insight into the performance, engagement and communication with employees. This is essential not only for the pandemic, but in the new world of work we live in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Seeman
Mark Seeman
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