In the last two-and-a-half years, there have been few certainties in the world of work—except for uncertainty.
The pandemic set in motion a series of transformations that have gone on to reshape work as we know it: from an overnight shift to remote work in many industries that has since morphed into the rise of hybrid work to the rise of new employee expectations amid the ongoing Great Resignation. When you factor in continued supply chain issues and questions about the future of the American economy, it’s no wonder that HR and business leaders are in a consistent state of inconsistency.
That upheaval is challenging leaders like never before to effectively tend to the needs of their talent, satisfy business objectives and, ultimately, align their people and strategic needs. If you count yourself among the many who are working to find their footing in these uncertain times, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Put empathy at the heart of your work:
Like never before, employers today need to be embracing the concept of leading with humanity, a reality that especially emerged amid the disruptions of COVID, where employees’ work and personal lives collided. And it’s a trend that’s not abating. Recent research from EY found that 90% of American workers say that leaders who embrace empathy contribute to higher job satisfaction; many of those surveyed even acknowledged leaving a previous job because of a leader who didn’t exhibit empathy. Given continuing concerns about turnover, leading with empathy can help businesses communicate to employees the value they hold for the organization, even amid ongoing uncertainties.
Tap into your talent:
Like in any challenging situation, relying on the talent of your entire team can help business leaders face the flux that keeps coming their way. Understand the skills of the leaders, managers and employees across all business units and be willing to redeploy talent to match the changing needs of the organization. Likewise, look outside of the business for assistance. Integrity Staffing Solutions works with partner organizations of varying sizes and industries who look to our deep expertise in staffing to help them find the right people for the right roles, a growing challenge as the skills needed to power organizations through today’s changes will continue to shift.
Emphasize agility in your operations:
Leading through periods of constant change means organizations need to be agile—both in mindset and operations. Hard and fast rules for business are becoming a thing of the past, as managers and leaders have to make big decisions with little information, pivot quickly and be open to new ideas—and be willing to reevaluate and change course when needed. That mandate is requiring leadership to depart from historic business norms and—even though it may be uncomfortable for some—embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
Today’s unprecedented business environment is reshaping what is expected of leaders and even the very role of the business leader itself. Stepping up to those challenges is not easy but, with the workforce at the forefront and a commitment to innovating through change, leaders can not only survive today’s changes but thrive through them.
