Companies who have supported their workforce over the shutdown period will have a much higher chance of a speedy recovery
A recent poll conducted by SRS Recruitment, the construction materials recruitment specialist, has revealed that 55% of UK employees have felt supported by their employers during lockdown.
The poll was aimed at shedding light on the way that businesses, especially within the UK construction products and services sector, have supported their workforce during the shutdown period caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and how this will affect employee engagement, commitment, motivation and productivity.
While the figures show that large a number of employees felt supported by their employers, the results of the poll highlighted that a worrying 45% of employees either felt they have not received any support or felt that their company could do better in supporting them.
This data uncovers a number of issues that could have a lasting effect on businesses and could hinder their ability to bounce back from the shutdown quickly since they will be reliant on the commitment and engagement of their workforce in the coming months to regain lost ground and drive sales.
Companies who have supported their workforce over the shutdown period will have a much higher chance of a speedy recovery than those that have shown little support and it has been said that people should always be at the centre of a company’s strategy, even when the economy is under threat.
If employees feel unsupported, this is likely to impact negatively on their motivation and commitment to their employer which in turn could lead to dissatisfaction, low engagement and, ultimately, a workforce that is unwilling to work hard to support the business in its recovery.
SRS Recruitment has worked closely with a number of managers and individuals within the construction products sector during the lockdown period and found that low job satisfaction levels could be attributed to the lack of support businesses offered to their employees. This relates to various issues including management support, support for mental health and wellbeing, management transparency and communication.
Looking after their people and retaining talent should be a top priority for all businesses in the construction products sector but it’s not too late for those whose workforce haven’t received the support they felt they deserved.
However, it will require a strategic, empathetic and focussed approach to rebuilding trust and commitment from their workforce, cultivating a people-first culture and showing genuine interest in having employees’ best interests at heart can be achieved.
To address this issue and to assist businesses in taking action quickly, SRS Recruitment’s strategic Bounce back plan is available for business owners, managers and HR practitioners to download, providing them with key advice and a simple action plan backed by in-depth knowledge of workforce planning and over 30 years experience in the construction products industry.
The plan can be downloaded for free here www.srsuk.com/bounce-back
