ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENT IN THE POST COVID-19 ERA: THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE WELLBEING AT WORK
Summer is over and the return to work becomes a reality. 2022 has been a year of adaptation and changes in which people have opted for a gradual return to the office. Although some are still committed to a 100% face-to-face model, others have decided to give the hybrid format, which combines teleworking and face-to-face work, a chance.
What challenges do HR departments face? Changes are challenges that need to be faced in order to offer maximum comfort to employees. Part of workplace wellbeing involves adapting the workspace, i.e. creating a place where employees feel comfortable and do not feel that going to the office is an obligation.
In addition, organisations should promote healthy work environments, as this is one of the best ways to attract and retain talent. Why is employee wellbeing important? When employees feel comfortable in their workplace, it improves their productivity, creativity and reduces the likelihood of talent leakage within the organisation.
But why should we take so much care of the talent we have in the company? When we have employees involved with the company, the results are seen in tangible and intangible terms. In a post-pandemic environment, high employee turnover has become one of the main handicaps of human resources. Once we have attracted the best talent, the next step is to work on retaining it. Having the ability to keep employees engaged is an important advantage for the organisation. As mentioned above, productivity is significantly improved, in addition to having a workforce with a high level of satisfaction.
When we achieve a low turnover rate in the company, it means benefits for the company and saves us from having to deal with tedious search and recruitment processes. Therefore, it is key to develop strategies to retain talent. Here are some of the most important ones:
- Encourage teleworking or hybrid work arrangements
- Evaluate employee performance on an annual basis
- Offer bonus schemes to employees
- Create wellness plans
- Offer online and customised in-company training
In order for employees to achieve the level of wellbeing that the company aims for, human resources departments must reflect on the importance of knowing and observing the working environment as leaders of companies, understanding the social and economic space and time in which we find ourselves. We must understand this as a new opportunity to propose and carry out new strategies that meet the needs that the pandemic has left us with, as well as resolving other problems that have been present in companies for some time.