Hays US Viewpoint

Hays has been working to make sure we are helping businesses through these changing times. The shifting scenarios have led to many people seeing an increase in their productivity since working from home. In fact, our recent survey revealed that 48% of staff felt their productivity had risen compared to working in the office.

To help support businesses, we have created a New Era of Work report that provides advice on considerations for now and the future, to facilitate getting your team back into the workplace and to establish this new way of working. We have also launched a free online training portal, Hays Thrive, designed to help your staff access wellbeing, remote working and health and safety courses. There is also a learning management system to create your own custom training programs. We know what a difficult time this is for many of you, and we’re doing all we can to provide extra support.

Take a look at a few of the business leadership lessons we have learned from this crisis:

1. People first, always
It’s during times like these that we release where our true priorities lie – our health and our people – whether that’s our friends, families or colleagues. Keep perspective about what really matters, and focus on making sure you’re doing the right thing at all times and your people remain first in all the decisions you make.

2. We are stronger together
A collective effort is always required to overcome great obstacles. As we look outside, we realize this global pandemic will only be beaten if all of us stay home and practice social distancing. So the workforce must be united in their understanding of what needs to be done for their organization and come together to have a material impact.

3. Communication is key
The secret to securing a sense of shared interest is effective and authentic communication. Whether you work in a small enterprise or a large global corporate, regular and consistent communication with your colleagues at all levels is vital during a time of crisis to acknowledge immediate concerns, address these with the right solutions and show a roadmap for both the immediate and long-term future. Being transparent will help maintain trust within your team and make sure you’re still as visible as ever – video messages and video calls have never been more important.

4. Lean on other leaders
Being in any kind of leadership position is of course a great privilege, but the responsibility can weigh heavy during these challenging times when you might have to make some tough decisions. Lean on your leadership team to help you to maintain an effective and engaging company culture, keep a positive team morale and drive the decisions that will make a difference.

Want more advice on key considerations when planning your return to work strategy?

Download our New Era of Work guide now