This is how employee motivation and appreciation work in times of COVID crisis
Employees are the heart of every company, and they keep the wheels turning. Without committed and motivated employees, no company can successfully manage this crisis. But how can companies sustainably motivate and value their employees during the crisis? And what do employees really need during this pandemic?
Why is the COVID crisis a major challenge for employees?
The COVID crisis is unpredictable new regulations, new challenges, new fears. The situation changes daily. This does not leave a company’s employees unscathed: employees have to introduce and observe additional hygiene regulations in their own company. They have to cope with the uncertainty of customers who keep asking new and numerous questions. Financial worries can also often arise, especially for the self-employed or small business owners, who are particularly affected by the impact of the COVID crisis. Equally affected are families who now have to manage their daily lives together due to home office orders, closed schools, and daycare centers. The list is long and the uncertainty, worries, and fears of employees are great.
Politics plays a central role during the pandemic, with new decisions being made every day that have a significant impact on everyone’s daily lives. Here, it is especially important to communicate current changes and decisions of the company to the employees “just in time”. Communication, openness, and transparency within the company are crucial in order to give the company’s own employees more security and not to lose them halfway through the crisis.
The transparency that is expected from politicians is expected just as much from the management level in the company. Don’t beat around the bush, but put the facts clearly on the table, make appropriate decisions, and derive measures. At the same time, however, managers should also empathize with the situation of employees, take their fears and concerns seriously and respond to them. Not an easy balancing act for employers in COVID times.
How can employees really be motivated?
First and foremost is an appreciation of employees. Expressing gratitude is also of elementary importance, especially in the current time of crisis. After all, saying thank you for successful and good performance has a positive effect on personal perception and recognition, but also on the general atmosphere and motivation in the team. Both can easily be expressed with words or through small gestures, such as issuing a voucher for a joint lunch for the time after the scheduled home office.
Special leave days and overtime reductions for the post-crisis period are also motivating tools so that employees have additional, worthwhile goals insight to work toward. Bonus payments for additional work performed are also a popular motivational tool. However, these are less appropriate in the current time of crisis, when society’s propensity to consume continues to decline.
But how can employers motivate, appreciate and even support their employees during the pandemic to better cope with the daily routine shaped by the new regulations?
Digital initiatives and employee benefits used properly, especially during the COVID pandemic, can provide lasting motivation. Here are a few examples of how this can work:
Digital food stamps: The benefit for all!
Eating and shopping tax-free for employees and their families.
The lunch break is an integral part of every company’s daily work routine, where employees can exchange ideas and spend time together. Small and medium-sized companies, in particular, are often faced with the challenge of creating an attractive lunch offer for their employees if they cannot offer their own canteen due to the size of the company or a wide range of lunch options with regard to their company location.
The solution? Modern, digital product alternatives to the classic paper meal voucher that can be used in any supermarket or restaurant. The benefits provider Swiggy offers precisely these digital meal vouchers, which companies can use not only to take advantage of tax benefits but also to show appreciation to their employees right now. After all, food is also eaten in the home office!
Digital health management in the company
An equally important issue during the COVID crisis, besides maintaining day-to-day business operations, is to protect the health of one’s own employees, because the physical and mental health of the workforce is the highest and most important “asset” of a company.
But in the home office, workplace health promotion measures are often difficult to implement. Company-provided fitness cards and membership cards also currently only serve their purpose to a limited extent, as gyms and sports facilities remain closed in many countries.
The alternative: digital, workplace health promotion, in which the health of one’s own employees can also be strengthened in the home office.
Digital, workplace health promotion offers employees the opportunity to stay healthy and fit regardless of time and place. Online offers are easy to integrate into everyday life, as employees can choose the time of activity themselves and thus remain flexible.
This is precisely the approach that the company Heyooo is taking, in that it has set itself the goal of enhancing people’s quality of life and thereby making companies more successful. To this end, Heyooo has developed its own digital health platform with an associated app, which now comprises a nationwide network. This includes varied fitness, health, and wellness offers. So every employee can find his or her favorite activity at any time online or offline.
We have sparked your interest in digital employee benefits in the age of COVID? Then share your thoughts and comment on what else we can do to motivate our employees.
