Increasing the Level of Engagement of Unqualified Workforce In The Post-COVID Period – Part 1

Given the changes that took place during this epidemic, it is clear to our business partners that they have to face new challenges when it comes to unqualified workforce from abroad. In order to move forward, it is important to identify what things have been kept and what changes there are. In today’s blog entry we have prepared some information on these issues so that the level of engagement can be increased beyond the epidemic period. In the first part of the blog, we will talk about what can companies still use to increase engagement among unskilled workforce they hire.

Let’s start with two things that have not changed and will always be valid in terms of engagement. We see them as essential for the engagement process. These two requirements are at the core of increasing engagement with unqualified workforce that we take into account in order for them to be involved.

Communication is the first key element in increasing strategic levels of employee engagement. We are not referring here to increase formal emails or posting ads on the internal network. To increase engagement, communication needs to clarify things and reduce the level of uncertainty for each employee. The importance of communication can be summarized as follows: uncertainty reduces the level of engagement.

Uncertainty is dangerous because of the way the brain works when it comes to safety. If you are familiar with anxiety and our body’s responses, the fight or run response emphasizes that our minds consider unknown stimuli as potential threats and generate an action to keep us safe. This helps us stay alive.

As our brain cannot discern the type of unknown stimuli, employees generally react at work with fight, run or freeze. Therefore, uncertainty at the workplace is dangerous for engagement. When we do not know what is happening, our mind conceives a much more serious scenario compared to what is happening in reality. It prepares us for something bad to happen so that we can protect ourselves.

This is where the role of communication comes in. We recommend companies to keep a two-way communication system at all times with unqualified workforce. This includes short meetings with managers, meetings with the entire team and conduct formal or informal surveys among employees. Any activity that identifies areas that employees consider uncertain and tries to shed light on them is considered communication, in order to increase the level of engagement. If you want to have involved and loyal employees, invest more time in communication to prevent and combat uncertainty.

Appreciation or recognition at workplace is the second key element which proved valid for engagement during this period. And it needs to be developed in relationship with unskilled workforce as well. Past academic studies have shown that unskilled employees do not receive any positive recognition for their work. In other words, employees were coming to work every day of the year without hearing even a simple ‘thank you’.

In an optimistic scenario, we want to believe that things have changed in recent years but experience shows us that only small steps have been taken. Many employees still feel undervalued or undervalued at work. And our recommendation is to not let this happen in the post-Covid period.

If we do not express our appreciation for each other in the context in which we share the same struggle, stress or effort at our workplace, this aspect will not improve in the context of this epidemic. Given the fact that appreciation and valorisation are elements that determine the level of engagement, we can have serious problems, if the correct activities are not implemented.

In order to overcome this challenge, we need to think more seriously about how to achieve moments of recognition and appreciation. Employees should benefit from the appreciation of their manager directly in one-on-one meetings or on-site. But co-workers can also play an important role. To help your employees feel more appreciated, it is good to focus on two important aspects.

First of all, appreciation and recognition must be part of the company’s culture. Another important element is to teach people how to express their appreciation. It is not an innate ability so it needs to be perfected. A simple online workshop can work wonders in this regard, providing guidance to employees. The more they experience sincere appreciation, the more willing they will be to offer it.

In the second part of this blog entry, we will talk about what has changed in our opinion when it comes to motivating unskilled workforce and how we might tackle these changes in a post-COVID period to increase our employee’s engagement.