Now more than ever, organizations all over the world are focusing on organizational health and stability as well as employee ambitions while dealing with the implications of COVID-19. Trying to protect jobs and general income from changes due to a potential economic backlash and the new realities of a remote workforce.

With the right planning and smart tools, employers all over the world are finding new ways to deal with ever-changing realities.

Changing Workloads

Remote working situations are likely to require more flexibility and effort from the entire workforce. Managers should go around their team to find out what is working well and what is not. Can the employee do their work as well as they used to in the office? Or will they need more help to finish certain elements? Are they working too much? It is best to find this out as soon as possible so that you can adjust the workload accordingly. A helpful tool here can be Timesheets Registration as the manager will be able to see what employees are logging in terms of hours. Keep the conversation open and make sure that all employees do register all their hours.

Training and Mobility

What kind of an impact does the remote working situation have on organizations differs for each one. Some companies will be able to keep up the work relatively easily except have to get used to not being in the office. However, if the financial security of the organization depends on reducing the workforce then you need to find out who, and what consequences that will bring with it.  Some employees, while already identified as a successor, may need extra training before they can take over a position that will become vacant. It is key to plan your workforce and identify your talent for succession. Succession Planning in combination with Performance Management can help you do that.

Culture

Do you have an identifiable mission statement that employees feel matches what your organization stands for? This is difficult to measure but important to keep track of nonetheless. This will define how everyone within the organization works together and whether there any any issues that need addressing. There should be a mix of fun and personal development options combined with a focus on hitting targets and working hard.

Strategy

Any good plan that works toward maintaining the health, stability, growth and employee ambition of the organization starts with a well defined mission statement or purpose strategy.

The next step is to set up the strategic goals as those are the reasons why you work toward what you want to achieve as an organization. The better these strategic goals are established, the more employees will be able to get behind it and collectively work to achieve them. While organizational health may depend on reassuring shareholders’ and protecting their interests, the key is to go beyond them and share the responsibility of a healthy organization among the entire workforce.

Strategy works to inspire trust in employees, trust that will make them want to stay with the organization for a longer period of time. Employee retention is, after all, the key to setting your organization up for future success.

Tools to Help

Besides the aforementioned Web Apps; Timesheets Registration, Succession Planning and Performance Management, there are other smart tools and standard solutions that help organizations define clear goals, plan the workforce, and stay on top of employee development and general well-being.

Leave and Absence

While working remotely may seem less intensive without the commute to the office every day. It is anything but. People may be working too long, or feel that they should not take up any annual leave. The Leave and Absence functionality will give managers an overview of team members who have not been taken time off. This may be a good topic for discussion as time off remains important for the focus and motivation of individual employees.

Health & Safety

The Corona virus regulations require a 1.5m distance in any social situations. That includes wanting to return to the office. The Health & Safety Web App allows you to support employee safety and help them adhere to the regulations more easily. Employees can submit unsafe situations in the office through a personal dashboard and can include anything from letting the safety manager know the disinfectant spray is running low, to hallways that are too narrow to stay at a distance.

Workforce Planning

Anticipate tomorrow’s needs based on the growth, health and stability of the organization. Workforce Planning includes any resources necessary to do the work that is required of employees, e.g. available (lease) cars, job forecasts for potential new recruitment demands, etc. It also includes forecasts and holistic overviews of the impact growth or shrinking may have on the budget.

About us

FourVision is Microsoft’s global leading Dynamics 365 Human Resources implementation partner. We have successfully implemented HR platforms in a variety of industries across multiple Microsoft environments for over a decade. FourVision also delivers an impressive suite of Web Apps that extend Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources. Our Web Apps will help your organization prepare for the future. See more about our solutions here!