It’s hard to believe, but at the beginning of 2020, we experienced record low levels of unemployment only to take a 360-degree shift in about a month toward record-high unemployment, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This startling turn of events taught business leaders a lot of lessons, and by the looks of things, we’re still learning to adapt as the illness evolves. A number of changes have happened and are still happening as a result of the pandemic.
Here are some of the lesson’s managers have learned from COVID-19.
Remote Employees are More Productive
Today, 58% of the American workforce is now remote. That is a huge shift from before the pandemic. Part of the issue was that many managers simply didn’t trust that their workers would still be productive when working from afar. But the research, along with our latest practical experience, shows that remote employees are more productive, not less:
- One study showed a 13% performance increased when workers went remote.
- Another study showed a 35% increase in employee productivity.
- Yet another study showed that 76% of remote workers say they are much more productive because they experience fewer distractions.
This has been a valuable lesson to managers during the pandemic; 85% confirm their staff is now more productive, which is why many companies plan to keep remote work as at least a flexible option long after COVID-19 is done.
Technology is More Important Than Ever
uring COVID-19, it is technology that has allowed our teams to cope with social distancing while keeping communication flowing. This has taught managers that having technology skills is an important prerequisite for any new or existing hire. While our initial scramble to go remote was hard, today, tools like video conferencing and instant messaging are critical to our workforce. In the future, it’s likely that most managers will continue to hire talent that exhibits technology acumen, no matter the industry they’re in or type of job.
There is Opportunity in a Pandemic
Companies learned quickly in today’s COVID environment, that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Companies shifted their service delivery mechanisms to build up existing or add on new e-commerce options for their customers. Managers learned to establish social distancing and cleanliness rules for service workers. Staying creative in our approach is what has kept the doors open in a lot of companies. Surprisingly, some companies have learned to thrive despite the challenges of COVID-19. The lesson for managers was simple: Think outside the box in order to keep things moving forward.
New Partnerships are Important
In 2020 managers also learned to forge new partnerships with companies to help them get the job done. Many have turned to staffing agencies like Stellar Staffing Solutions for faster time to hire and a ready-made pool of skilled workers to free up management teams to concentrate on other areas of HR.
Talk with our team. We can help you meet your goals through COVID-19 and beyond.
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