17 Strategies to Boost Attraction, Retention, and Motivation During COVID-19
How organizations and employees respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic will be a defining moment for all of us. Many organizations are experiencing sudden economic fallout as social distancing mandates take effect. Others with a direct role in fighting COVID-19 have found that they need to stretch themselves in new ways to meet unprecedented demands. In this time of uncertainty, what can organizations do to ensure they are attracting, retaining, and motivating the employees they need to not only survive – but to thrive during recovery?
Attraction Strategies
1. Speed Up Hiring Process
Consider new methods for interviewing such as virtual interviews, virtual job fairs, and tech-enabled job tryouts Leverage technology like Zoom, Calendly, or text-messaging to ease communication with candidates.
Share this article with candidates to help them prepare for a video interview.
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2. Use Creative Job Titles
Consider creative job titles that inspire and showcase impact/purpose – for example instead of HR Generalist, why not “HR Power Ranger”?
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3. Offer Sign-on Bonuses
Provide a bonus for high demand jobs to attract talent.
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4. Utilize Third-Party Recruiters/Staffing Agencies
Engage a third-party recruiting/staffing agency, such as QTI, to help source and/or hire high-demand jobs on a permanent or temporary basis.
Spend less time, resources, and money on sourcing, screening, interviewing, and hiring procedures to allow more time for other necessary activities.
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5. Temporarily Increase Base Pay for High Demand Service Roles
Consider offering a temporary base pay increase for those roles that are performing essential duties and in high demand.
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6. Connect with Businesses that have Laid Off/Furloughed Employees
Partner with other local businesses to find permanent or temporary employment for laid off/furloughed employees.
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Retention Strategies
7. Offer Flexible Work Hours/Schedules
Consider offering staggered shifts or longer days to allow for an additional day off during the week.
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8. Offer Opportunity to Work Remotely for Jobs That Typically Can't Do So
Consider back-burner projects or new organizational initiatives that would allow employees to work remotely, when the typical nature of the job wouldn’t
For example, can a maintenance technician help research latest trends in machinery and tools to increase efficiencies/impact post-recovery?
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9. Re-allocate Employees and/or Responsibilities to Balance Workload
Assess essential duties for business operations and consider reallocating across other employees/jobs.
Assess transferrable skills from employees performing nonessential work to assist in high demand work areas.
Add back-burner projects to the mix of duties if any employee needs more work.
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10. Temporarily Waive or Relax Attendance Policies
Consider temporarily relaxing attendance occurrence policies, relieving employees who may need to be tardy or absent for situations beyond their control.
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11. Develop Paid Time Off Donation Policy
Develop a policy which would enable employees to donate their earned paid time off hours/days to employees in need.
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12. Offer Opportunity for Negative Balances in Sick/PTO Banks
Consider temporarily allowing current paid time off or sick leave policies to sustain negative balances during this time.
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Motivation Strategies
13. Temporarily Offer Premium Pay/Bonus for Extended Working Hours or Hazardous Conditions
Consider offering premium pay for employees working extra or critical shifts or for those who are at greater risk of COVID-19 exposure.
Some options could include a per hour dollar amount, a flat dollar amount per shift or an overall bonus amount, varying for full-time and part-time employees.
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14. Provide Small Denomination Spot Bonuses for Extraordinary Work
Consider offering spot bonuses/gift cards for employees who have shown extraordinary work, effort, and/or are going above and beyond.
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15. Re-train or Cross-train Employees
Train staff for new roles and/or responsibilities.
Consider free online training (e.g., LinkedIn, Cousera) that might be available now for employees to learn new skills that could help with current and future business operations.
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16. Recognize Employees
Recognize the wins for employees on a more frequent basis given the need now is higher than ever.
Consider peer-to-peer recognition (e.g., point programs, virtual high-fives, etc.) in addition to awards and top-down recognition
Continue to recognize birthdays and work anniversaries through virtual celebrations.
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17. Engage Team in Improving Business Operations
Consider brainstorming with and/or empowering team to identify cost saving or revenue generation opportunities.
Consider an incentive for employees in generating these ideas to save money, for example for every $1,000 identified as savings, pay a one-time 5% incentive payment for cost savings.
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Now more than ever, employers need to thoughtfully consider talent management strategies to optimize outcomes for all. As we come together to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, please contact us if we can help your business with its talent strategies or any other HR needs.