Deloitte’s ‘Workforce strategies for post-COVID recovery’ report and accompanying for HR leaders outline key actions for BC organizations to consider as Canada enters the “new normal”
Walking or driving the streets of downtown Vancouver these days is an exercise in the surreal come to life, but with very real economic consequences. What were previously bustling offices sit dark. Thriving malls and shops are boarded up. The centre of commerce and economic activity in British Columbia remains largely idle as workers and business await the arrival of recovery post-COVID-19.
But with almost half of B.C. businesses reporting revenue declines of 75 per cent or more, and two-thirds of businesses having seen revenue fall by at least 50 per cent, organizations cannot afford to rely on old rule books as they move into that recovery period. Creating a recovery plan is critical, including envisioning the “new normal” for work, the workplace, and their workforce.
“One of the biggest challenges facing BC and Canadian organizations more broadly, is the tension between getting back to work, and rethinking work,” says Zabeen Hirji, Executive Advisor, Future of Work, Deloitte Canada. “As we move out of the response phase, businesses should think of the recovery process as a time to answer key questions for how they will operate and what they plan to change in order to not only survive, but thrive in the aftermath of this pandemic, because one thing is certain, the future will not simply be a return to business as usual.”
In fact, how an organization handles this recovery will define their brand, establish or undermine their reputation, and ultimately determine their future competitiveness.
To assist businesses and organizations with this process, a new report from Deloitte, ‘Workforce strategies for post-COVID recovery’ outlines five critical actions for leaders to take:
- Reflect: The first step in the recovery process, reflection will require deliberate action to make the time, and involve different perspectives, voices, and leaders at different levels to determine what’s working, key learnings, and what comes next.
- Recommit: As organizations begin the recovery process, they need to reinforce their commitment to well-being and purpose through a focus on physical, psychological, and financial concerns. Leaders must recognize the diversity of workers’ individual expectations and support them through the crisis and the transition to recovery.
- Re-engage: Organizations should prepare workers with the skills and capabilities for the return to work. The recovery process will require a shift in focus to new work priorities and new work routines.
- Rethink: Work, workforces, and the workplace must undergo a shift in perspective to ensure the well-being of workers, and to build a more resilient workforce. Leaders will also be expected to take risks in order to reevaluate everything from office design, to career progressions, and evolving business needs.
- Reboot: The recovery process will not succeed if the HR function does not embrace a redefined role, one that anticipates and orchestrates the organization’s new priorities. For many organizations, this will require a pivot towards exponential HR – designed for speed, new ways of working, digital first, teams, adaptable organizational strategies, and changing business requirements.
‘Workforce strategies for post-COVID recovery report’ highlights three distinct phases organizations can expect to move through as they respond, recover, and thrive through these unprecedented times.
Each phase comes with key questions that HR leaders and their teams should consider, across multiple work, workforce and workplace dimensions. Questions ranging from when employees should physically come back to work, to what that workplace should look like to be safe post-COVID, to whether your organization still has the right skills mix and talent composition to be effective going forward.
“While many organizations may not have all the answers right now, they should be starting to ask key questions, take short-term actions, and focus on long-term vision,” says Hirji. “The sooner organizations can start thinking about the new normal, the sooner they’ll be able to evaluate their workforce strategies and response priorities, and reposition themselves to thrive in the new realities to come.
The recovery phase is also a time for leaders to focus on organizational DNA, including the fostering of purpose, potential, and perspective. By embracing these three attributes, and focusing on the five critical actions, organizations will have the power to guide the direction of workforce recovery, and shape the years ahead. Now is the time for organizations to lead, prepare, and support their workforce, while positioning for the next phase: Thriving in the new normal.
