Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1478448
22-1725173-1823852 (07/22) © 2022 HealthPartners SPONSORED MESSAGE 5 practical ways to attract and retain new talent post-pandemic By DeLinda Washington, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at HealthPartners The pandemic has upended business as we know it, with workers leaving faster than companies can replace them. The rise in voluntary resignations has signaled a competition for talent like never before as the workforce demands greater support, flexibility, more reasonable expectations, and better pay and benefits. To win today's talent challenges, employers must redefine their attraction and retention strategies to consider employees' whole lives as they look at new ways to offer comprehensive support. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, very few executives anticipated one of the biggest changes affecting all industry sectors – managing an entirely remote or hybrid workforce. Our leaders at HealthPartners believed that a culture based on compassion, humanity and partnership couldn't be the same in a remote or hybrid environment. But COVID-19 forever changed how we work with colleagues across our organization. We learned different ways to engage with each other, keep the culture alive and be productive. Leaders took notice and recognized that hybrid and remote work models could be a permanent solution that helps attract and retain top talent. As the pandemic winds down, I recommend these five practical steps and insights to help leaders navigate this complex career landscape and solve unparalleled workforce shortages. 1. Revisit your strategic plan. What worked pre-pandemic won't work now or into the future. It's important to revisit your strategic plan and take an honest, critical look to assess if it meets today's challenges. It could be business operations, supply chain issues or recruitment and retention. Then consider what changes, transformations, innovations or ideas you can implement to empower the people who operate your business. While you can't fix everything, starting to understand what your employees are telling you is a huge first step. 2. Listen to employee feedback. When executives think about gathering and listening to employee feedback, they all too often want to design the survey. When possible, it's always better to have a third party initiate your survey. Employees feel more comfortable giving candid and confidential feedback to a third party without fear of retaliation. Another benefit of using a third party is that you'll have the chance to compare your workforce to national averages within your industry, giving you an invaluable perspective on where you sit in terms of overall benefits, engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion.