Some of you may remember what a flux capacitor is. (It gained fame in a movie in 1985).
Why do I bring it up? Well, because a sizable chunk of the “World of Work” think that this Pandemic thing has created a “unique state of Flux:” And, flux is a state of uncertainty about what should be done following an important event. (I think a pandemic might qualify.)
Many companies have had to do furloughs, downsizings, and layoffs. So, the people affected “most” are/were the ones who did not get called back, Right? Well, you might be wrong. Maybe you and your Managers just have not known what is going on, under the surface. Maybe the ones still working, or who got called back; or even those who got passed over entirely are in a state of flux condition.
I’ve used research data published by O.C. Tanner Consulting, in the past. They are an international workplace consulting firm. Recently (meaning during 2020), Tanner tracked employee / employer relationships in the pandemic. The Tanner group tracks something called an NPS Index or Net Promoter Score.
Tanner asked them re-survey their employees. Then they combined participating company results. So, how do you think employees responded to the survey in the middle of the pandemic (and post-pandemic, supposedly)? Their reactions may surprise, maybe alarm you. (Maybe more flux than the capacitor can handle.)
First, their Net Promoter Score is an index ranging from -100 to +100, that measures the willingness of customers (or of the employees of a company) to recommend products...or recommend that company as a place to work, (According to the folks at O.C. Tanner, you may have “walking wounded” due to their experience or, maybe due to the experiences of people close to them.)
The Tanner study found pandemics have casualties. 91% of employees in surveyed companies expressed a decline in Net Promoter Score (how employees felt about their employer).
· 57% increase in disengagement (How invested were they in their work?).
· 42% increase in a tense workplace atmosphere.
· 75% increase in feeling like the organization was under-prepared.
I’ll let you ponder these outcomes as you look out over your employees and reflect on any changes you may have observed…and set-aside.
Is it time to “re-think” how much time You and They spend together, how “Welcoming” is the workplace you have created, and how do you “show value” in the people you work with?
Where there is flux there can be “walking wounded.”