In this very special back-to-school period, employee engagement at work will be closely scrutinized by HR teams. As companies struggle to regain performance, the risk of demotivated teams is high. Between cuts in salaries and benefits, the risk of redundancies and company bankruptcies, we can expect a drop in employee morale.

And employee disengagement is often fraught with consequences. First of all, individual productivity, and therefore team productivity, is at half-mast. It also means a sharp drop in the quality of work, creativity and a lack of interest in the results of actions taken.

It also means many minutes, even hours, taken out of working time: looking for another job during working hours, taking long breaks, complaining to colleagues, and so on.

Because, it goes without saying, a demotivated employee has the power, through a snowball effect, to demotivate other employees in their turn!

That s the potential impact on company performance! So, in these delicate times, what are the vigilance points you need to keep a close eye on to avoid disengagement?

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Salary and position

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According to an Atomik Research and Wrike study published at the end of last year, 42% of employees surveyed linked their engagement to satisfaction with their salary and position. So it s the number-one factor in both attractiveness and motivation at work! And far ahead of all other criteria.

It s a lever which, in addition to providing financial resources, rewards the quality of the employee s work. But it s also an incentive for an employee aiming for a pay rise or bonuses.

SALARY AND THE RENTREALE 2020: the problem is that remuneration will also be one of the factors most negatively impacted by the economic crisis. Human Resources departments will need to keep a very close eye on this!

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Recognition of merit

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"People work for a salary, but go above and beyond if they feel recognized, praised and valued." The quote is from Dale Carnegie, and according to the study cited above, it s the lack of recognition for the work done that, for 30% of employees, is the second factor in disengagement.

Salary, of course, makes a tangible contribution to rewarding quality work. But it s a lever that can t be enough, because employees are genuinely looking for recognition, from their managers as well as their directors.

This can be in the form of positive feedback on their results, verbally or in writing, privately or publicly. But recognition can also take the form of internal "awards".

And let s not forget the importance of feedback from colleagues, which also contributes to valuing an employee s involvement! An application like Briq, for example, enables employees to congratulate and distribute virtual rewards to their colleagues.

RECOGNITION AND BACK TO WORK 2020: Here are some effective practices to keep an eye on! Without any budgetary impact, they can be encouraged by HR departments with a decisive benefit.

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Internal/company transformations

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HR departments are well aware of this. Any organizational change in a company is a sensitive period for teams.

Departures, change of manager, recruitment of a new employee, departmental reorganization, etc. Human beings sometimes struggle to readjust, and corporate transformations generally lead to the departure or disengagement of employees.

Whether it s a change in teams, mission assignments, working conditions or workplaces, the impact on employee morale can be immense.

TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE RENTREE 2020:undeniably, this is a factor on red alert, to be managed as closely as possible! Between redundancy plans, pay cuts, redundancies and internal reorganizations, employee motivation is likely to fall short of the company s need for performance.

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Lack of prospects

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We ve talked about this before: in these gloomy times, it s better to motivate employees by giving them a glimpse of the future rather than talking about the present. And that s just as well, because for 24% of employees, the lack of prospects in their job is the most important factor in disengagement.

Transparency about opportunities for development and mobility will therefore be fundamental in stimulating employees. And many companies have understood this, by developing solid and coherent Job and Career Planning (GPEC) policies.

In addition, a policy of voluntary employee skills upgrading will be a major motivating factor for teams.

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND THE RENTREE2020: In these times of economic crisis, the fear of redundancy can have a major impact on employee morale. Focusing on training and the acquisition of new knowledge or expertise can help alleviate concerns. Once again, this is a factor that Human Resources teams need to pay particular attention to.

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Good relations with colleagues and well-being at work

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We don t think about it as much at first, but spending pleasant moments with colleagues is also one of the motivations for going to work every day. And it s not the lonely telecommuters in the confines of their offices who will contradict me!

And it s not just about working in harmony, it s also about using the right collaboration tools. Here again, the forced explosion of telecommuting has highlighted the shortcomings in this area.

And, more generally, well-being at work is a powerful driver of employee commitment. More and more, the quality of working conditions is having an impact on attracting and retaining employees. Beautiful premises, services (company concierge service, day-care center, etc.) and extra-curricular activities within the company have become assets for engaging employees.

WELL-BEING AT WORK AND THE RENTREE 2020:To offset the uncertainties of the current period, HR teams will be well advised to focus on the human factor. And here again, there are many areas to watch out for. With the new rise in Covid-19 contamination cases, the spectre of widespread telecommuting continues to loom large. It will therefore be important to bring teams together, even virtually. Remote team building, joint challenges, gamification, etc. are all areas that need to be invented to adapt to current conditions.

The issue of disengagement is likely to have a major impact on corporate performance, at a time when survival is at stake!

This is why it will be essential for Human Resources teams to be on maximum alert to maintain employee motivation. And against a backdrop of possibly devalued working conditions, this is going to be a real challenge.

At a time of health and economic crises, their ability to adapt, innovate and propose actions in this direction is going to be a major factor in supporting business recovery.