People are considered a company's most valuable asset, being instrumental to its success and failure. With extensive disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been significantly impacted resulting in workforce management instantly becoming more important than ever.
workforce management

Whilst many organisations have transitioned to remote working and implemented required actions to ensure employees’ safety, it is time to think about the new normal for these arrangements as we enter the “stabilised” phase of the current crisis.

Full recovery from the current situation is far from sight and organisations are required to manage their workforce and keep them motivated without a clear future vision. 

The Risk Advisory team at RSM has explored and identified key steps for effective workforce management in the “stabilised” pandemic situation and beyond.

icon-business-04.pngPrepare and Monitor Recovery

  • Review the success of remote working and other arrangements implemented since the start of the crisis and capture lessons learnt;
  • Develop an Integrated Workforce Continuity Plan for short (0-3 months), medium (3-6 months) and longer terms (6 – 18 months) considering the lessons learnt and objectives that the organisation intends to deliver on;
  • Update risk registers in light of the Integrated Workforce Continuity Plan for short, medium and longer terms
  • Establish a plan to monitor results of the above steps and communicate.

icon-information-29.pngAssess Impact from Workforce Changes

  • Assess impacts on the business units as a result of the pandemic situation including changes to workforce such as cutbacks, forced leave and others;
  • Assess anticipated changes in demand and criticality within the business functions over short (0-3 months), medium (3-6 months) and longer terms (6 – 18 months);
  • Re-evaluate changes to workforce over short, medium and longer terms such as hire and promotion freeze, compressed work schedules, unpaid leave, changes to compensation framework, travel cutbacks etc.;
  • Identify resources to support employees and the organisation to manage the impact. Employee resources may include mental health support, physical wellbeing facilities, communication channels, surveys and others. Organisational support includes exploring reliefs offered by the government; and
  • Rethink the process of setting performance goals to ensure employees are given achievable goals for the remaining part of current year and the next.

icon-email-25.pngReview Working Arrangements

  • Identify safe and productive working arrangements over short, medium and longer terms;workforce management
  • Identify and map working arrangements as Australia moves into the “stabilised” phase in the current pandemic scenario including Lockdown, Restricted, Stable, Resolution and Recover to ensure effective preparation and planning;
  • Review and refine HR policies and programs to cater to the changes in workforce arrangements;
  • Identify the need to upgrade work and security arrangements based on issues reported to date;
  • Identify key roles at risk and develop succession plans; and
  • Review employee sentiment and concerns on returning to workplace.

icon-business-27.pngReactivate Essentials

  • Review organisational priorities and reassign/ reorder in consideration to cost, risk and value as required;
  • Look for changes in cultural indicators through continuous assessment and proactive responses;
  • Develop plans to monitor and optimise cost;
  • Reinforce IT infrastructure to enable working from offices and support remote working as required; and
  • Communicate and confirm norms adopted by suppliers/ service providers, clients/ customers, contractors and other externals to ensure employee safety; and
  • Identify opportunities to train and upskill staff to overcome challenges and need to upgrade facilities to promote effective working.

icon-mobile-12.pngDefining the “New Normal”workforce management

  • Define the “new normal” guidelines around employee mobility, technology, social distancing and safety;
  • Nominate wellness champions and reiterate the resources available to help employees navigate through any challenges associated with the transition to “new normal”;
  • Plan and communicate work routine to avoid non-essential gatherings and maintain social distancing including hot desking, managing client interactions, using public transport and avoiding peak-hour traffic, etc.;
  • Reassure and reiterate relevant policies and support mechanisms;
  • Develop protocols around managing and communicating any positive cases of COVID-19; and
  • Develop a list of new government policies and regulations introduced in response to COVID-19 and review framework to ensure compliance.

For more information

For further information on post-pandemic workforce management or Workplace Assurance Services, please get in touch with your local Risk Advisory expert.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF VERSION