COVID-19 has struck our business system like a lightning bolt and shaken it to its core.

In such uncertain times, it is normal for people to experience stress and anxiety, employees included. Every employee needs socio-emotional support to face the pressure being put to deliver learning in a time of crisis as well as support their business’s needs.

What has changed due to COVID-19?

1. Too many distractions

Employees find themselves in this unique situation of having to work along with homeschooling their children, caring for elderly family members, and doing household chores. People may not be available at all times to attend meetings because of these responsibilities. The usual schedules don’t work anymore because of the need to multitask. This adds to the stress that team members already feel in unfamiliar and difficult circumstances. Don’t you wish employees can express all these feelings without feeling bad?

2. Lack of effective communication

Perhaps the biggest challenge of managing remote employees during the COVID-19 pandemic is effective communication. As you and your team members must have discovered by now, it isn’t quite as simple as shooting off a few emails and calling a meeting. Your direct reports can’t casually walk up to your desk for a quick chat. At every point, doesn’t it look like the problem can be easily solved, if spoken about it?

3. Feelings of social isolation

Even in normal situations, managing remote employees is more challenging than managing regular office workers because of the isolating nature of remote work. Emotional health is a priority now because living and working in confined conditions for a long time takes a mental toll.

People who have so far been accustomed to working in an office setting may find remote work very lonely. When the feeling of disconnectedness becomes amplified, people lose the motivation to put in their best work. Their commitment to work takes a hit and they may even begin to consider quitting the company. So, what can companies do to make sure their employees' voices are heard about their challenges while working from home?

4. Eyestrain or ocular fatigue

When you don’t have any other means of entertainment, you tend to turn your attention fully on streaming platforms watching series/movies non stop. It is more tiring to look at a screen for a prolonged time than it is to have face-to-face conversations.In addition to the laptops, team members are also looking at conventional screens like phones, tablets, or television. It fatigues the eyes, causes loss of focus, and decreases attention span. Naturally, people cannot work efficiently because of these issues.

Now, let’s talk

You might have wondered how certain leaders seem to know how their people are REALLY doing, right? All your competitors have already started collecting feedback from all their employees while you’re still thinking about it. Companies are putting time, care, and attention into surveying their employees. Employee satisfaction surveys make workers feel as though their voice matters and they’re being heard. And it is essential that their voices are heard during these tough times.

With DropThought you can easily and quickly survey your entire team, ensuring their anonymity while making feedback more honest. Once answers come in, you as a manager can make sense of all of the data due to robust data visualization, analytics, and reporting functionality.

When work is safe, employees are happier and more productive

We provide all this into an all-in-one covid19 solutions suite called dtsmartworks360. Register for a demo to know more.

Book a demo today to see firsthand how DropThought can transform your organization: delighting your customers and boosting employee engagement along the way.

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