How Has the Coronavirus Pandemic Changed the Employee's Market?

The Covid-19 pandemic not only caused a global economic crisis but also affected almost every aspect of our lives. It is not surprising, therefore, that the coronavirus also introduced new rules in the labor market and significantly changed the functioning of many companies, including in the United Kingdom. In what way? Currently in the UK, as many as 2.33 million people work remotely, of which 71.7% (1.67 million people) began using the home office model after the outbreak of the epidemic[1].

What once seemed like a benefit for 'privileged' employees or those in certain positions has today become an obvious form of performing duties in the 'new normal.' Employees passed the remote work test with flying colors. Their efficiency during this time did not decrease; on the contrary. Therefore, many employers have permanently introduced it to their companies or opted for a hybrid model. Businesses that can afford it, e.g., design offices, graphic studios, creative agencies, etc., declare that they will not return to offices and work under the old rules.

Is an HR revolution happening before our eyes? The coming months will show. What is certain, however, is that the pandemic has changed the employee-employer relationship, and the former can no longer dictate terms as they did before. Is the employee's market a thing of the past? What should employer branding focus on today? These questions are answered by Agnieszka Surowiec, HR and Communication Director at Intrum.

Home office: new challenges for employee and employer

Home office: new challenges for employee and employer

Hot-desking, flexible schedules, home office – all these 'phenomena' were present in the Polish labor market long before the pandemic and are well known to HR professionals. More often, however, they were associated with corporations or work in 'young' tech companies, start-ups. However, the corona-crisis forced most companies in Poland to operate under new rules almost overnight, primarily to switch to home office work. Employees for whom Skype or presenting during online business meetings was foreign had to get used to the new reality. It was also a challenge for their supervisors, who, for example, instead of managing a team working in one office, suddenly had to manage many 'offices' simultaneously... and remotely. Each person working from home became a one-person branch of the company with its own needs and requirements. Employers thus faced the necessity of solving problems that had not arisen before.

Not only the 'new' form of communication taking place online, which, as it turned out, involved many difficulties, was a challenge in itself. Technical aspects also proved to be a significant problem. Employers had to provide their employees with equipment for remote work and ensure the security of client data that found itself outside the company network. Once these requirements were met, employees had to organize the remaining conditions enabling home office.

– Our experience shows that employees had no problem switching to remote work mode. We asked our Team how they assessed Intrum's functioning during the lockdown and whether employees had any difficulties adapting to work in new conditions. The main conclusion from our survey is as follows: home office work did not affect our employees' productivity. Moreover, 45% even stated that working this way increased their efficiency. This does not mean, however, that this situation did not pose any challenges for our team. Although over 80% of our employees received the necessary IT equipment for remote work (i.e., practically all who needed it) and a similar percentage stated that they had easy access to all company tools and IT programs, they still had to make an effort to organize, for example, a suitable chair for working at a desk, an additional monitor, or a faster internet connection to work comfortably from home – notes Agnieszka Surowiec, HR and Communication Director at Intrum.

For many employees in our country, this was not easy, because not everyone has a home office or an extra room at home to dedicate to performing work duties. In many cases, therefore, such a work corner, allowing for comfortable work and peaceful virtual meetings with colleagues, had to be organized from scratch. The task was made more difficult because a significant group had to reconcile work duties with home duties – due to the lockdown, children also stayed at home. Every day, one had to simultaneously play the role of an employee on whom others depend, a parent, a teacher, and take care of the home, etc.

– Before the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was important for the employer to help their employees maintain work-life balance. However, it is difficult to talk about balance between these spheres if the entire life of employees began to unfold in one space. Therefore, in employer branding activities, it was rather necessary to focus on showing the employee how to skillfully reconcile family and work duties, and if the employee's situation required it, to provide specific help. At Intrum, this worked because only 15% of our employees stated that it is difficult or even impossible to maintain a balance between private life and work while working remotely. On the other hand, 83% declared that they had no personal or family challenges adapting to remote work – comments Agnieszka Surowiec, HR and Communication Director at Intrum.

Medical care instead of MultiSport, i.e., employee benefits during the pandemic

Medical care instead of MultiSport, i.e., benefits during the pandemic

Working in the new reality also changed employees' needs. Those employers who noticed this issue and responded appropriately were well rated. Unfortunately, not everyone acts this way. According to the aforementioned Hays report, as many as 44% of surveyed employees admitted that the benefits offered by the employer are not satisfactory for them, and 52% have no influence on the choice of non-wage benefits that will be part of the offered package[2].

Has the pandemic changed the employee's market forever?

How has the pandemic changed the employee's market?

For obvious reasons, with the development of the corona-crisis and companies switching to remote work, the ability to use the MultiSport card, co-financing for employee lunches, or organizing fruit Thursdays in the company ceased to matter. Employees began to appreciate other benefits. What kind?

Access to private medical care in first place

Providing employees with access to private healthcare already had a permanent place on the list of benefits, but in the face of the pandemic, this issue became even more important than before. Caring for employees' health, but also offering them psychological support in crisis, became a priority for employers. – Before the outbreak of the pandemic, comprehensive care for employees' health was an asset of the employer, but not a necessity. It can be safely said that now it has become almost an obligation of every company that wants to care for its team in these 'new' unusual conditions. Currently, employees live in permanent stress, the source of which is concern for the safety and health of themselves and their family. Quick access to a doctor gives the employee psychological comfort and a sense that, if necessary, they will quickly receive help – admits Agnieszka Surowiec, HR and Communication Director at Intrum.

Understanding and appreciating employees in difficult times

Understanding and appreciating employees in difficult times

Whether a given company survived the most difficult moments of the crisis and could maintain business continuity largely depended on the commitment of its employees, on how quickly they adapted to working in new conditions. One of the 'truths' of employer branding says that a company is as strong as its employees, that they determine the position of a given brand on the market. The Covid-19 pandemic indeed showed that this is true in practice. Employers can outdo each other in implementing new benefits, but as research shows, employees also count on simple gratitude and appreciation, which do not necessarily have to be financial.

These are values that cannot be overestimated in the current situation. Even the most tempting benefits will not replace the feeling of being appreciated for one's work in the unusual conditions in which we found ourselves. Only 28% of people surveyed by Hays believe that a culture of appreciation is promoted in their companies. As many as 88% of respondents admitted that a very valuable way of appreciation is a simple 'thank you' or praising for a job well done (85%)[3]. Why? Such behavior translates directly into employee efficiency and job satisfaction. Appreciation and noticing efforts also mean that employees have more energy to act (61% vs 23% of respondents who do not feel appreciated), a sense of meaning in work (70% vs 44%), and more satisfaction with the tasks performed (73% vs 32%)[4].

Post scriptum: are we facing another lockdown, and employees the necessity of remote work?

Successive records of infections that we are dealing with in October indicate that we have entered the so-called second wave of the pandemic. Is our country facing another lockdown? The answer to this question will be known in the coming weeks. On the other hand, it is very likely that companies that returned even partially to 'normalcy,' i.e., to work in offices, will soon again decide to operate in home office mode. There is also a group of employers who will face a new challenge for the first time: managing employees working remotely.

– This form of work is nothing new, and moreover, the corona-crisis has lasted long enough that companies have gotten used to the 'new normal' and introduced tools that allow them to function effectively when entire teams work on a home office basis. It is worth using their experience because they have tested what works in such a situation, what employees perceive poorly, and what should be avoided. However, at the same time, it is worth remembering that ready-made solutions should be approached with caution. This means that every boss and HR professional should listen to their employees, know and respond to their needs. And these can vary and change over time. This principle should always apply, but it becomes most important when employees work remotely, which is caused by the crisis and stressful situation of the Covid-19 pandemic – summarizes Agnieszka Surowiec, HR and Communication Director at Intrum.

[1] Data: GUS 2020.
[2] Hays, 'Salary Report 2020. Trends in the labor market.'
[3] PreeShare, AmRest and HRM Institute, 'Appreciation Index,' 2020.
[4] Ibid.

Summary

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the transformation of the labor market, permanently introducing the home office model and forcing employers to take a new look at benefits. According to GUS data, as many as 2.33 million Poles work remotely, and many companies, like Intrum, declare maintaining this form or a hybrid model. Employees who initially had to face technical and organizational challenges largely increased their efficiency, as confirmed by 45% of respondents in Intrum.

In the new reality, private medical care and a culture of appreciation have become key – Hays and Appreciation Index studies show that a simple 'thank you' and praise are valued more than standard benefits like a sports card. This is a signal for employer branding to focus on supporting employees in reconciling professional and private life.