Innovative ways to keep staff morale up in pandemic

The pandemic has undoubtedly changed how we interact with each other.

We are now left with fond memories of staff lunches, dinners, cocktails, in-person workshops, retreats, team building activities and office banters. 

Experts note that as individuals continue to work from home, at least on a part-time or full-time basis, many of the variables that make up corporate culture may be eroded.

Consequently, it is important for business leaders to focus on how Covid-19 is impacting work experiences and what can be done to continue to ensure a positive organisational culture for their staff.

Here are some tips on how organisations can keep their staff morale high and bring back social connections.

Keep in touch with your colleagues

Unlike when there was an opportunity to have a little office gossip in between your work schedule, it is important to spare a few minutes to keep in touch with your office colleagues. This can be through a social call not related to work. Try to find out how they and their families are doing.

Introduce office virtual fun activities

In the beginning, particularly when Covid-19 struck, there was a general frenzy to want to be associated as a virtual expert. With time, all these reduced us to robots and created a perception that virtual meetings were for serious meetings. Break the cycle. Introduce Friday office quizzes in your departments to maintain the organisational culture.

Get teams together

Team members working virtually are likely to miss the presence of their office colleagues and the banter that keeps their spirits up on a daily basis. This, coupled with the inability to communicate with team members on an ad-hoc basis, can leave employees feeling siloed in their work. To mitigate this, companies should leverage technology with the aim of simulating physical regular team environments. For example, this may mean regular video conferencing.

Reiterate your company values

We are uncertain about going back to what we would call a “normal” working culture, and this has seen the probability of some employees losing their connection with their company core values. To mitigate this scenario, remind employees about what it means to work for the organisation such as through virtual award ceremonies and other events.