It has been reported that around 60 million employees are currently able to work from home after the coronavirus pandemic, according to Mohamed Elkholi, Member of the EJB and Founder of DOTMENT. There is no specific reason to require people to come to the office every day or to make them work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It should be noted, however, that some individuals do not have the privilege of working remotely, such as those working in the sectors of healthcare and retail and the services industry, he added. While many individuals have succeeded in shifting their work to the digital world, it is not expected that such recent developments will go back to normal as fast as their onset. In fact, these new standards will stay with us for decades. Elkholi identified five key trends in employee engagement to help company owners make informed decisions regarding employee-centered strategies amid expectations that the coronavirus pandemic will continue. Among these, the primary strategy is to provide a flexible environment. Elkholi noted that reimagining the employees' experiences is also important, as most HR leaders likely share their vision of employees' experiences to focus on wellbeing, work–life balance, collaborative office culture, and luxury work perks, such as gym memberships or learning and development opportunities. Nowadays, however, we have no choice but to rethink what the employees' journeys look like. It is rather unexpected for employees to leave their personal problems back at home, especially for those working remotely, whose workplace and home are basically the same. Despite the huge responsibility, HR leaders need to rethink the notion of employees' experiences in general to be able to provide support for everyone during these difficult times. Elkholi further called to increase the focus on developing the employees' talents. Before COVID-19, the world had to face a threat of a different kind, the lack of talent. According to some survey, it was confirmed that 69 percent of company owners struggle to find the talents they need. One way for corporate leaders to avoid facing such a talent shortage is to reimagine their own organizational chart. This can be done by imagining the company as a "talent market," where the employees are part of a network and can be recruited into new teams when their skills are required. Hence, it is important to allow flexibility, demolish traditional hierarchies, and allow people to work on projects that stimulate them and to which they can contribute. Elkholi further revealed that companies around the world spend around 760 million each year to assess employee engagement. According to Gallup, 36 percent of employees are engaged in the workplace and 64 percent are either unhappy in their roles, thinking performance cannot be managed directly. Therefore, it is important to understand the areas that drive behaviors such as self-motivation, psychological safety, and alignment of personal strengths. This can help ensure the determination of the employees' level of prosperity. It is also important to consider business as a living, breathing entity that is subject to change and that grows and regresses. Businesses can collapse, but they can heal. "Each of these employee engagement trends will be vital for the recovery of your company and will ensure that your employees continue to be caring, productive, and engaged during and after any crisis," Elkholi concludes.
