The recent PwC survey Future of Recruiting found that candidates today want more than just a job. They seek an employee experience that provides them with a sense of purpose and pride in their work and the organization they work for.
While fielded before COVID-19, the survey results are still relevant, says Bhushan Sethi, Global People and Organization Co-Leader with PwC.
Missteps to Avoid
Sethi says there are a number of best practices employers can, and should, follow during the pandemic to help staff—especially those who may be remote—feel their job is more than just a job.
One of the biggest missteps, says Sethi, is not understanding staff challenges—access to Wi-Fi, difficult home environments, etc. “It’s important to understand everyone has a different work from home experience. Some people may be caring for children or family members while trying to work from home. Others may not have all the tech resources they need.”
Perhaps shockingly, another PwC study, the CFO Pulse Survey, indicates that only 9% of leaders participating planned to offer targeted benefits based on what employees say they need help with. Only 7% said they planned to offer hazard pay for on-site workers in COVID-19-affected areas.
Sethi affirms that “a third of employees said those measures would make them more comfortable returning to on-site work.”
Best Practices to Follow
Sethi adds, “Best practices focus on ways of working we want to stick—improved connectivity and a deeper connection with colleagues as a result of this shared experience, leadership empathy and caring for staff wellbeing.”
The secret to attracting, and keeping, great talent? Purpose, says Sethi. Employees want to know what your company stands for and what role it plays in providing good jobs and what you’re doing to enhance the employability of your workforce, create transferable skills, and ensure health and well-being.
Big Benefits for Companies, Too
Many organizations are seeing significant improvements in skills and behaviors as a result of new ways of working that emerged during the pandemic, says Sethi, such as greater agility, faster decision-making, and more resilience and empathy. Sethi recommends identifying what has worked well and to encourage those behaviors and take steps to embed them into the culture.
Successful companies have strong cultures, says Sethi. “Fostering a high-performance culture drives innovation and ultimately enables revenue growth. Organizations are social institutions, a place for connection, growth, and development.”