016 January 2022

How to maintain a good working environment in times of pandemic

Maintaining a good working environment in times of pandemic has become a challenge for companies operating in the country due to the instability and uncertainty caused by the health crisis.

Promoting a harmonious atmosphere within an organisation helps to improve performance and the sense of belonging among workers, even more so in times of crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing. In that sense, a good organisational climate promotes the overall well-being of the company and its competitiveness in the market.

Although the lack of interaction within the same physical space has been the main challenge that human resources managers have had to face, it is possible to create a good working environment with the participation of all the elements that are part of the same organisation.

According to a study conducted by Mandomedio, a human capital management company, in several Latin American countries, 55% of the participants indicated that there was a good working environment in their companies during the pandemic. However, 23% indicated that it had become more tense and had communication problems.

To promote a good working environment, it is necessary to implement strategies that will inspire enthusiasm in employees and provide them with security in times of uncertainty. Here are some tips that should be implemented to improve the organisational climate.

Conduct a work climate survey

The first step is to carry out a work climate survey to determine how employees perceive the company during the health crisis. However, it seems that distancing has become an obstacle to this. 62% of Latin American companies have not yet conducted a work climate survey this 2020 (Mandemio).

Knowing the opinion of employees through this study is important because it helps to implement innovative and competitive strategies that will boost the company to overcome the economic crisis.

Promoting internal communication 

Work teams must be more connected than ever to face the difficult times we are going through successfully. Physical distance should not be considered an excuse for lack of communication. According to a study conducted by the Randstad consulting firm, the dissemination of messages from the CEO to communicate results (57 %), informal conversations to find out about the well-being of employees (54 %), and the implementation of informative talks (50 %) are some of the activities implemented by organisations to improve the organisational climate during the quarantine.

Therefore, to promote an optimal work climate during the contingency, companies should be attentive to employees to ask them to carry out activities and support them, sharing positive news about the organisation, celebrating achievements, etc. In other words, to become empathetic companies.

Caring for the health of employees

In times of pandemic, it is important to take care of employees’ health. 66% of employees say that human resources managers are not implementing strategies to reduce stress and anxiety levels in work teams (Randstad). 

To avoid similar situations, companies should provide facilities for workers to find a balance between their work and family life without affecting their mental health.

Encourage remote recreational activities

Confinement and lack of interaction with co-workers can lead to episodes of stress. One way to avoid this is to promote remote activities where employees can socialise and forget about working hours.

For example, you can encourage meetings through digital channels to share experiences, propose games or watch films and series as a team.  

In conclusion, in order to maintain the working environment at this time and generate a positive organisational culture, the participation of the leader and/or leaders of the organisation is key in the process.