The Road to Recovery: 5 Ways Leaders Can Engage Employees Returning to Work

One of the many repercussions of COVID-19 is people taking significant amounts of time out of work, either for health reasons or because their employer has temporarily suspended operations to combat the spread of the virus.

Efforts to contain the outbreak also included widespread remote working, which meant that many managers now face the task of supporting employees as they return to workplaces having spent several months doing their jobs from home.

This is undeniably a challenge for leaders. So what steps can you take to ensure that people return to work feeling safe, engaged and positive?

1.    Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation

In many cases, workers who are struggling with the stress of returning to work will look to their managers for guidance and reassurance.

One of the most positive things you can do in this situation is to be upfront and honest about the unprecedented and uniquely demanding nature of the current situation. This will demonstrate to employees that any concerns or questions they have are perfectly valid and will be acknowledged by management, rather than being dismissed or ignored.

Coming together with your staff and jointly recognizing the difficulties created by the pandemic will help to create a sense of unity that will put the business in a stronger position to move forward and tackle its current challenges head-on.

2.    Gauge levels of readiness to return

It's unlikely that everyone will be willing to return to the workplace at the same time.

Some people will have had enough of working from home or being on hiatus and be eager to get back into the routine of their regular jobs. Others, however, may be struggling with the mental strain and anxiety created by the health crisis and have concerns about returning to life and work as normal.

One of the key responsibilities of a business leader in this scenario is to engage with the entire workforce to get an idea of how people are feeling about coming back to the workplace. For those who are finding the prospect difficult, encourage them to share their concerns and look for practical steps you can take to make the transition easier.

3.    Show the steps you're taking to protect people

Those workers who have reservations about returning to the workplace could be reassured to see there are dedicated measures and processes in place to help them do their jobs safely.

This might include:

• Routine COVID-19 risk management checks to ensure the workplace is up to date with government and public health guidance
• Workplace provisions like screens and carefully positioned workstations to make social distancing easier
• Staggered working hours to limit the number of people in the workplace at the same time

It's also worth considering whether practices that were brought in as an emergency response to the pandemic, such as remote working, can be continued. This could be a temporary measure while the virus is still in widespread circulation and posing a serious risk to people's health, or, if it proves effective, a permanent change.

4.    Emphasize the positives of getting back to work

Many people gain enormous satisfaction and fulfillment from their jobs. Certain aspects of employment such as the challenge and stimulation of reaching professional targets and the sense of camaraderie and collaboration that comes with being part of a team, can provide powerful motivation.

Some people simply enjoy the structure and routine of going to work, not to mention the financial security of steady employment.

COVID-19 has shown that the everyday benefits of having a job can't always be taken for granted. This gives leaders the opportunity to remind employees of some of the positive parts of their lives they'll get back when they return to the workplace.

5.    Demonstrate a sense of purpose

Forward-looking, ambitious businesses will be thinking about how they can shake off the negative effects of the crisis and move forward with purpose.

Rather than a catastrophe that has befallen your business, could COVID-19 be viewed as an opportunity to make some constructive changes? For example, is this the ideal chance to introduce more flexibility into your working methods and modernize your communications?

Emerging from the pandemic with a sense of purpose and determination to make the best out of a difficult situation could give some much-needed inspiration to your workforce and help people to return to work with feelings of confidence, optimism and drive.