Coronavirus has affected businesses like never before and had a very human impact – employees are concerned about their wellbeing, their finances and the future. But Coronavirus is also accelerating the future and showing us the art of the possible. In terms of change programmes, digital transformation and flexible working initiatives, many organisations have made more progress during the last few months, than the last few years.

WorkBuzz teamed up with leading organisations from across the public and private sector, to understand how they were responding to the crisis and planning for the future. Broadly speaking, their actions can be grouped into three phases:

 

 

• Phase 1: Managing the Crisis – during the lockdown, organisations prioritised supporting employee wellbeing, leaders being visible and over-communicating

• Phase 2: Shaping Your ‘New Normal’ – as the lockdown in the UK is eased, rather than just adapting to the ‘New Normal’, HR leaders are looking for ways to shape it and design new effective ways of working, during a period of prolonged social distancing

• Phase 3: Embracing Lasting Change – beyond social distancing, they recognise there is a unique opportunity to design how they work and adapt to new flexible working expectations and business challenges

WorkBuzz’s new research report, Coronavirus: shaping your new normal and creating lasting cultural change details how:

• HS2 used wellbeing pulse surveys to shape its priorities and rolled out new leadership training and wellbeing webinars

• Home Instead Senior Care supported its key workers by introducing a new Wellbeing Toolkit and Mindfulness group sessions

• FMUK rolled out a ‘new normal’ induction programme, when it reopened its manufacturing plants, to embed new ways of working and social distancing measures 

• The University of Wales Trinity St David reinforced its values by asking colleagues to share a story about what made them proud to work for the University, during these challenging times

• haysmacintyre identified employees’ biggest concern about returning to their central London office was their commute, and what they could do about it

The report also outlines how the crisis will have a lasting impact on the world of work and how HR can minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities it presents.