The 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic has had a lasting impact to businesses worldwide. Businesses have had to make drastic changes and adapt quickly to survive in the economy where in-person activities are limited.
One major change businesses have experienced is that of employee’s working conditions changing dramatically for millions around the globe.
For employees, priorities have shifted and as a result so have employee benefits and perks too. But what exactly are these changes and what are employee expectations as you encourage more staff to join your business with recruitment.
We have outlined some of the major employee benefits that we have seen as a result of the global pandemic.
Flexible Working
The major change for employees is the need to work from home. Many non-essential businesses have not been able to open their offices to reduce in-person contact so employees adapting to work from home has been essential.
Some businesses are now offering support for employees to make their home working life better. Specific support or budget aside to create an efficient working environment from home is now a benefit that some candidates will look for.
Many companies have opted to take a blended approach, offering flexible home and office working giving employees more choice in what works for them. By taking some days in the office and some days home working, employees can feel more comfortable and have more balance in their home and working life.
Focus On Mental Health
Lockdown and isolation has undoubtedly had a large impact on the global workforce and facilitating benefits around mental health and wellness is another benefit commonly offered by businesses to employees.
The rise in awareness, support and benefits around mental health has seen a rise in recent years. Now as some countries of the world are emerging out of lockdown, the transition period for employees will call for the need for increased mental health benefits.
Adaptable Infrastructure
With the success for many businesses of working remotely, employee infrastructure has had to adapt to allow for smoother communication throughout the workforce. Whereas previously IT and infrastructure could be managed in house, businesses have adopted remote operations which can be especially tricky for new hires.
Employees are now anticipating a robust but easy to learn infrastructure system especially within the initial stages of employment. Laptops, phones and other hardware and software can often be a roadblock even with the in-person assistance so working remotely, businesses will have to adapt.
In-Office Perks Changing To Out Of Office Perks
Many businesses across the world pride themselves on having a fun and social working environment and when that environment either doesn’t exist or employees are only there sporadically, the in-office perks that once gave employees a chance to relax, boost moral and build working relationships need to be replaced.
Zoom quizzes were the hot topic of 2020 but now seem to have taken a back step, so how can businesses now replace the social aspect of their working environment?
Bringing the social aspect of a company online is difficult but if you know your employees well, there are plenty of options out there.
Conclusion
Businesses have changed the way they work which has had a direct impact on the workforce. Working from home, supporting mental health and including online social events have been some of the major changes that many businesses have made.
We at SPS International understand the problems that businesses face when finding new employees and offer a wide range of talent consultancy solutions for businesses around the world. Get in touch below!
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