The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the workplace, redefining what employees need to do their jobs safely and effectively. As business leaders shift their mindset from survival and resilience to recovery and the long-term health of the company, a focus on employee experience is paramount, says a new article from strategy + business.

Focus on employee health and well-being. This means rethinking processes, physical setups and safety measures so you can ensure the workplace is suitable for employees who need to work on-site. For remote workers, you’ll need to make sure people have the tools and support they need to function effectively—which could include ergonomic office furniture and help with childcare. Employers should also recognize that job insecurities can amplify the stress of workers already worried about the health and well-being of loved ones, as well as those trying to juggle domestic and work responsibilities.

Deepen your connection with those who work for you. It’s important to maintain a strong and positive company culture that demonstrates connection to and care for employees, and tap those within your organization who wield influence to model and teach key cultural behaviors.

Be transparent with your employees to build and reinforce a more trusting relationship and a deeper bond. Communicate with your entire team about how decisions are being made and who’s making them, and encourage feedback from all parts of the organization so you have access to a wider group of ideas.

Reconsider how you define success. You can’t expect both more productivity and more well-being from a workforce that’s still coping with the disruptions of remote working while worrying about what the future may hold. Instead of measuring success based on cost and profitability, focus on the moments that matter to employees.

Solicit frequent feedback from employees and customers to gauge how well they’re functioning under the pandemic-induced strain and what impact employees are having on customers. Listening and observing will help you identify positive behaviors that you want to spread throughout the organization and negative ones to eliminate. Then, you can come up with key performance indicators to track the adoption of those behaviors.

Source: “Redefining employee experience: How to create a ‘new normal'”