Igniting the Tech Change in a Post-Pandemic Workplace
How Companies Are Shifting Focus to Health and Safety as Turnover Accelerates
By R.J. Frasca
Current employees are leaving behind the uncertainty and burnout of the pandemic and setting their sights on new jobs now that COVID-19 cases in America are on a steady decline. Healthcare workers who put their lives in jeopardy caring for COVID-19 patients are searching for roles that prioritize their physical and emotional health. Essential workers, such as grocery store associates, want better protective measures and higher wages to offset their exposure risks. Newly remote employees who had to perform their daily duties in a virtual environment while expanding caretaking roles are demanding a better work-life balance. Organizations risk record voluntary attrition if they don’t shift their focus to protecting employees’ health and safety.
Prudential’s Pulse of the American Worker Survey found “a significant number of respondents said they switched jobs during the pandemic (20%) or plan to look for a new job when the threat of the pandemic decreases (26%).” Reasons for this include people feeling disconnected from their employer, being burnt out, and experiencing the effects of dwindling company culture. Individuals are looking for an employer that prioritizes health and safety in the workplace, which have become critical components of a post-pandemic world.
So how can companies ensure they meet this newly defined employee experience? The answer may lie in capitalizing on emerging technology to enhance workflows and pinpoint gaps in health safety to improve overall employee safety. These efforts will be able to create a more positive employee experience and a passageway to retaining quality employees, recruiting new talent, decreasing budgetary spending, and surviving the “turnover tsunami.”
Evidence has shown that outbreaks become costly for the health and safety of an organization, such as the $10.4 billion in direct costs for hospital and outpatient visits during peak flu season. Risk management departments need to have robust health management solutions to mitigate the spread of influenza or other contagious viruses that can be devastating to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Below are three workplace technologies organizations can adopt to provide better risk management solutions to ensure new and current employees feel more at ease as they return to work:
• End-to-end health and safety solutions: Utilizing a holistic health and wellness technology platform promotes a positive employee experience while staying compliant with current health and safety guidelines. A robust health and safety solution should serve as a central data repository and provide organizations with the following capabilities:
• Distance monitoring and contact tracing ensure physical distance regulations are being adhered to and streamline contact tracing to save time and money if an employee tests positive for viruses.
• Health analytics provide actionable insights to steer a business in the right direction while giving tips on business operations improvements to ensure employees’ health and safety.
• Employee app to conduct daily health screenings. Questionnaires are provided to staff members to gauge potential virus exposure and symptoms, conduct self-reported temperature checks, and provide real-time notifications before entering the workplace.
• Pre-employment screenings: A hiring surge can be overwhelming, so businesses need to invest in solutions that provide a safe and efficient onboarding process. Screenings include the usual pre-employment background checks, criminal background screenings, credentials, and references, but now companies are adding COVID-19 testing requirements to ensure the safety of new and existing employees. Bringing new people into the company as pandemic restrictions begin to ease can be an uncomfortable thought for some, so partnering with an accredited screening firm will help ensure the strictest and most efficient performance of protocols.
•Learning and development systems: One of the benefits job seekers are looking for in their employer is the opportunity for growth. Offering classes for employees will advance their skill sets, build positive company culture, create a more robust workforce, and ensure health and safety training protocols are communicated. To mitigate potential health risks during training and development sessions, employees should have the chance to participate in the programs virtually. Those who may not have technological capabilities at home can work on-site in a socially distanced learning annex.
Utilizing technology platforms and taking the necessary steps to incorporate health and wellness plans into daily operations demonstrates the value an organization places on employee care. The tools used to restructure priorities that adapt to the new future of America’s workforce will help businesses reduce risk, enhance workflows, retain current staff members, and recruit new talent to move forward and continue to offer unparalleled excellence for stakeholders and the community .
RJ Frasca is Vice President of Marketing and Product of EBI Inc., a leading background screening provider. Frasca brings over 20 years of marketing and product experience with companies such as Yahoo, Microsoft, Time Warner, and Verizon.
