The Coronavirus pandemic has led a number of businesses that were once stable to close. Other businesses were able to adapt and thrive under the new ways business is conducted. For example, the dental industry saw a large number of jobs lost that eventually were regained as they had delayed revenue. Patients will still need procedures done and cleanings over time. Only emergency procedures were permitted during the height of the pandemic. Productivity has changed immensely as not all offices can be full due to social distancing restrictions. The following are tips to maintain productivity during our “New Normal” that has been caused by COVID-19.
Track the Time of Your Remote Employees
Remote work has become normal for a number of businesses. Huge corporations like that of Twitter have announced that their staff will be working remotely on a permanent basis. Tracking the time of employees can help hold them accountable but needs to be done sensitively. A top performer that might check personal emails should be addressed but not reprimanded. Companies might opt just to monitor those that are consistently not hitting their productivity quotas. Training can be created from the data gathered as a salesperson that spends more time researching a prospect might close more deals. A mountain of evidence can be gathered from both the struggling and top employees in order to improve overall productivity.
Utilize All of the Land Owned/Rented
There are some companies that are producing products like hand sanitizers that have a higher demand than ever before. Warehouses might not be able to be staffed in the same way leading to the need for extra space. This is a better time than ever to use a temporary warehouse structure. Productivity and storage can be impacted if changes are not made. Restaurants are utilizing outdoor seating that has never offered it before. This can maximize the number of customers they can serve simultaneously.
Project Management Tools Make a Difference
Being in the office daily can make it easy to stay on track as deadlines are constantly rehashed. Being able to use automated features to notify an employee when their task is due cannot be undervalued. Not all employees are going to stay as organized as they would in the office. Remember that employees might also have to be a teacher to their children. This is while simultaneously trying to keep up with their professional workload. Project management tools will keep everyone on track and allow them to see potential challenges that are upcoming.
Bring on Freelancers
There are so many people that are out of work due to the pandemic that are looking for an online job. Finding a job physically can be tough as not all companies are hiring and many have frozen hiring for the time being. Freelancers can help scale massive projects and can even turn into full-time employees. Upwork is a great platform to find freelancers that protects both parties involved in a contract. Taking a look at LinkedIn for people that have recently lost their job that have relevant experience can work wonders. A large percentage of these people will take a pay cut from their previous position simply to have a reliable source of income. Expanding the geographical reach of the company can allow the best team to be assembled. Limiting hiring to the immediate local area can prohibit a company from hiring the best candidate.
Meetings are Still Important
Meetings are still important but remote working has eliminated quite a few frivolous meetings. Getting on a Zoom call at least once a week with each employee is going to be important. Going over challenges and production numbers can help keep the employee on track. The personal connection that a number of professionals miss with coworkers can be filled by meetings. Virtual pizza parties are a great example where employees can interact without talking about work. Morale needs to be maintained as the stress of working from home can lead to unmanageable stress.
Revamp Your Marketing Strategy
Taking a look at the current marketing strategy can reveal areas where the marketing team is underperforming. Marketing during a pandemic has to be done tactfully as being insensitive can lead to disaster in today’s cancel culture. Putting a focus on the online reputation of a company or even doing a PR campaign about helping local citizens can convert. Competitors might stop marketing due to lack of cash flow so now is the time to put them behind your business in search engine rankings and never look back.
Productivity should be on the minds of all business owners as every penny counts at this point in time. Do not underestimate the power of a few tweaks in your current processes as they can result in huge production spikes.
