How has the pandemic impact on employee motivation and how could be improved?

 

The globe has faced an unpredicted crisis in late 2019. Where it continues to 2020 and 2021, Changed the globe to work in fully digital platform. As a result of this organizations were also fully converted in to digital platform to conduct the business activities (Kaushik and Guleria, 2020).Remote working environments were established for employees to work according to rules and regulation that was in placed by the government as a safety precaution for customers and employees.

There are several factors can be identify as a result of the pandemic how impacts on employees motivation As follows (Kaushik and Guleria, 2020)

• ·        Impact on mental health
• ·        Impact on worker needs

 

Emotions, psychological and social well-being of an employee that effects to the thinking pattern and response can be define as mental health (Passos, Prazeres, Teixeira and Martins, 2020). AS employees were virtually connecting on the business operations lack of engagement cause the depression and anxiety. This will negatively impact on the employees’ potential. In balance of the work life balance may occur as a result of mental health as well (Spoorthy, Pratapa and Mahant, 2020).

As described in the previous blog post the needs of the employees through the Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also to be fulfill during the pandemic situation (BOZYİĞİT, 2021). Physiological as food, water and rest during the pandemic, safety through new normal work from home concept and job safety during the crisis, love and belonging as such physical relationships with colleagues, self-esteem and self-actualization can be define as worker needs (Trougakos, Chawla and McCarthy, 2020).

As these can be improved through providing trainings to the employees, addressing the needs of employees to achieve the ultimate goal of the company. As such top management and the human resource department should always consider on maintain good relationship with the employees to overcome the barriers (Sembiring, Fatihudin, Mochklas and Holisin, 2020).

When considering these factors to the selected insurance company, trainings were given to all the employees via categorizing them according to the job functions as such sales staff, back office staff. Starting from basics, How to use the MS teams app, meetings, virtual meetups, customer service, using the company new developed apps were help to employees to overcome the technical barrier to adapt to the digital platform. Not only that but also company has provided the equipment’s such as laptops, dongle, Wifi, mobile phones in order to run a smooth business. Virtual meet ups, Happy hour for once a month, no meetings during the weekends and after 6.00PM, talent shows, appreciation gift hampers, town hall meetings, movie nights were new initiatives that have been initiated by the top management and the human resource team in order to overcome the challenges and actively engage the employees to the company.

References 

BOZYİĞİT, S., 2021. EVALUATION OF MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC. Understanding The Consumer Behaviour During Covid, 19, p.56.

Kaushik, M. and Guleria, N., 2020. The impact of pandemic COVID-19 in workplace. European Journal of Business and Management, 12(15), pp.1-10.

Morgan, J. (2021). The Future of Work: Attract New Talent, Build Better Leaders, and Create a Competitive Organization. .[LinkedIn]Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbaconleadership/recent-activity/shares/  [Accessed 21 December 2021].

Passos, L., Prazeres, F., Teixeira, A. and Martins, C., 2020. Impact on mental health due to COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional study in Portugal and Brazil. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(18), p.6794.

Sembiring, M.J., Fatihudin, D., Mochklas, M. and Holisin, I., 2020. Banking employee performance during pandemic Covid-19: Remuneration and motivation. Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, 12(VII), pp.64-71.

Spoorthy, M.S., Pratapa, S.K. and Mahant, S., 2020. Mental health problems faced by healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic–A review. Asian journal of psychiatry, 51, p.102119.

Trougakos, J.P., Chawla, N. and McCarthy, J.M., 2020. Working in a pandemic: Exploring the impact of COVID-19 health anxiety on work, family, and health outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology.