As we enter the next phase of this pandemic, returning to work, it is important for leaders to understand what has changed for employees and what they need to be successful moving forward. According to SIA, the global advisor on staffing and workplace solutions, 94% of global employers say enhancing the employee experience will be a priority over the next three years. But why is it so important? The global survey also found that 82% of employers believe it is a key driver of engagement; 79% say it’s a key driver of employee productivity; and 80% say it’s key to attracting and retaining talent. SIA was not the only company to conduct surveys around employee engagement and the pandemic.

During the first two weeks of March 2020, McKinsey & Company collected survey data from more than 800 diverse, US-based employees on a wide variety of topics related to employee experience, COVID-19-related perceptions and impacts, and employee outcomes. The primary focus of the research was to determine factors that lead to employee engagement, well-being, and work effectiveness during and after a crisis. More than 80 percent of respondents say the crisis is materially affecting their daily work lives—people have widely varied experiences, perspectives, and outcomes. So how do leaders prepare for that? Well, the good news is that the research also yielded three overarching insights that will help employees through the next phase of the pandemic.

1. In recent months leaders had to make many changes to address employees’ needs. From developing work from home strategies to continuing to build employee engagement leaders had to listen to their workforce, think quickly and be effective. Build on the trust and affiliation you’ve earned by continuing to be present, action oriented, empathetic, and fully transparent.
   
2. In addition to basic needs (safety and security), three other experience themes (trusting relationships, social cohesion, and individual purpose) are having a disproportionate impact on employee well-being and work effectiveness. Enable improvements in those areas by prioritizing actions that will address a broad set of needs for the majority of your workforce.
   
3. Changes are hitting your people in widely diverging (and sometimes unexpected) ways. Some are struggling, and some are thriving. Use a combination of science, technology, data, and analytics to segment your employees like you would your customers and tailor interventions to support them in personalized and meaningful ways.

Stay tuned for the next few weeks while we do a deep dive into each of these insights.