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13 Oct 2021
by Jeff Fox

How are changing ways of work influencing the employer/employee relationship?

When it comes to our work lives, the dominant headlines over the past 18 months have been very clear; the workplace is evolving, hybrid working is (mostly) here to stay and we are reportedly in the midst of a ‘Great Resignation’ as employees re-evaluate their wider lives and how their career fits in.

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But what impact does this have on the employer-employee relationship? And how can companies mitigate any risks that emerge from that evolutionary process?

Hybrid working

The most visible change is the originally-mandated switch to working from home. For many workplaces, this led to swathes of workers operating remotely, with little indication of when normality would return. Now, it looks like we are redefining and creating a ‘new normal’.

Our 2021 Pulse Survey on How Covid-19 is Changing Onsite and Remote Work suggests that for many companies remote working may stay; 89% of organisations are creating or considering updates to their remote working policies, and many organisations expect under half of their workforce to return to an office setting once the pandemic is over.

Remote working has immense benefits, but it also has its challenges. How do you communicate effectively using technology? How do you onboard new employees and support networking? How do you ensure employees are happy and engaged? And when we talk about total reward; how do you demonstrate value?

Driving connection

Although in many ways technology facilitates interaction, it can sometimes preclude connection. Companies need to ensure they can effectively connect with employees, ideally at an emotional level, to ensure they’re engaging with the corporate messages being delivered.

When it comes to total reward, a clear framework and appropriate communications can provide the assurances employees need around how valued they are by their employer. If employees feel disconnected from their company, team or even manager, they may start to disengage and productivity will drop. Our The Future of Total Rewards (2021) research that a strong total reward strategy can increase engagement by 33%, and this in turn can increase productivity by 17%.

So how do employers connect with their workforces around total reward?

Broadly, employers need to align their total reward messaging to their wider employee benefits proposition; in order to engage with a modern workforce, employers need to take a modern approach. Siloed benefits, conflicting messages and too many HR portals doesn’t create a good user experience.

Employers also need to consider how they communicate to employees. Remote working means that some of the visual cues that an employer cares about their employees will have inevitably disappeared. Employers need to ensure they’re consistently reinforcing this; waterfall communications, line manager training and Total Reward Statements can all help.

Many companies we’ve worked with have found that value perception increases when they implement personalised video statements. Another consideration for remote workers is sending statements via the post – this also gives employers an opportunity to demonstrate their core values and how they individuals fit in to the wider corporate picture. Although sending communications via post may feel like a step backwards in the midst of a digital revolution, the pandemic has changed and replaced many aspects of our lives – but equally found ways to reenergise other avenues.

This ‘new normal’ may further evolve, but even now it’s clear that some changes are here to stay. Employers need to ensure their total reward strategies are responsive and proactive, in order to attract new talent but also retain the talent they already have.

The author is Jeff Fox, head of benefits strategy at Aon.

This article is provided by Aon.

In partnership with Aon

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