The Great Resignation & Demand for Workplace Flexibility… continued
As we examined in our previous blog, two recent changes in the workplace brought about by the pandemic that have challenged HR departments worldwide. The first, a phenomenon dubbed The Great Resignation, where there’s a wholesale trend of employees leaving their jobs to switch careers or leave the workplace altogether, resulting in a shortage of workers as economies recover from shutdowns. The other, the hybridisation of the workplace, where employees, in a new position of power, are demanding greater flexibility in the hours and physical location they are working in. In a study conducted by Citrix, 88% of knowledge workers say that when searching for a new position, they will look for one that offers complete flexibility in their hours and location.
In their SPARK blog, ADP identified some strategies relating to scheduling to beat the Great Resignation. In this blog, we share some tips on how to adapt to these challenges and others using our workplace visualisation software.
Gather availability in advance
Finding out in advance what preferences employees have in terms of their availability to work is preferable over creating schedules that don’t work for people. This will create buy-in from employees and avoid frustrating negotiations over schedules.
This is especially pertinent when managing overseas teams. For example, if family dinner time is important to an employee they may balk at having a meeting scheduled every night at that time because it’s convenient for the schedule of other members of a project group.
OrgChart Now Timezone Chart
Ask for personal work style preferences
Find out not only what hours certain people might like to work but also how they like to perform their jobs. Some may prefer to work remotely whenever possible while some may thrive with in-person collaboration. Tracking preferences and matching the schedule to them may be considered a big win for those people.
Having this established up front and easily available for everyone in the team to see will avoid conflicts in scheduling and enable a more open work environment where everyone’s boundaries are clear.
Visualising the Hybrid Workplace in OrgChart Now
Keep track of employee skills
Over the course of the pandemic access to professional programs and online courses have been more prevalent. If an employee has learned a new language, taken a class, obtained a certification or earned a license or a degree to enrich their skills, it should be noted and taken advantage of to help further their careers or align with their interests.
Relook at compensation
As discussed, The Great Resignation has seen many employees leave creating an increased strain for those left behind. Pay increases may be necessary to retain staff. Utilising compensation management in various HRIS systems can help track and manage the details, but using OrgChart Now is a great way to visualise and present the data to various levels of management. Areas where compensation may lead to potential employee exits can be identified and addressed.
Compensation management in OrgChart Now
Reorganise teams following departures
Retention efforts won’t work in every case and when employees leave, adjustments have to be made promptly to dampen the effects on the rest of the team. OrgChart’s Open Positions functionality allows vacant positions in the organisation to be highlighted and visualised easily, realigning teams following resignations. Charts can also be used to view the effect of open positions on the budget and headcount for groups or departments. When rehiring, the important metrics of potential candidates can be displayed such as employee rating, salary requirements and skills.
Restructuring Workforce Teams in OrgChart Now
The changes brought about by the global pandemic has not only precipitated The Great Resignation but has shaped people’s attitudes to work. In Part 2, we have offered some tools to help address the needs and challenges brought about by this competitive landscape. If you would like a customised demonstration of how our workforce visualisation software could be used in your organisation please make a request today to speak with one of our experts.
