More than ever, your teams value flexibility and expect some agility from management. Why not view this as an opportunity to restore trust, loyalty, and engagement while maximizing productivity? Take a few steps:
- Rethink priorities and adjust performance review criteria accordingly. Are financial targets still the best way to measure employee performance? Are previously established goal for each position still relevant and realistic?
- Rethink meetings. Some people on your team may appreciate – even need – the weekly meetings or daily check-ins; other may dread them or see them as a nuisance. Consider how often you really need group and individual meetings and whether some interactions can be handled via an email or phone call.
- Consider whether and how often workers need to be onsite. Some of your employees may like remote work, especially if they are juggling work, family, caregiver, and other responsibilities. If possible, don’t make unilateral decisions about who has to work onsite and when. Hybrid onsite-remote schedules may be effective if everyone is committed and engaged.
- Review your paid time off (PTO) and paid leave offerings. People may be hoarding vacation time in anticipation of illness or childcare needs. However, you don’t want sick or exhausted employees coming to work because they don’t feel they can take time off.