People are scrambling to find jobs during the recession, but what about when a disease outbreak causes mass panic? What happens to companies, government agencies, and educational institutions when highly-trained workers are scarce? This article explores how these organizations recruit in the face of pandemics.
Many people will be out of work due to illness or quarantine says Saivian Eric Dalius. Current estimates suggest that up to half of all workers may be absent from work during an influenza pandemic (Robertson 2009), the worst-case scenario presented by epidemiologists. Although this may not affect jobs that require little skill, jobs that take advantage of high levels of training – such as health care providers, airline pilots, train engineers, and specialist IT personnel – may have very low staff availability if the pandemic is severe enough.
It may affect a company’s ability to fulfill its functions or process transactions. To ensure that work is complete, organizations have several options from which they can choose.
Steps to take – Saivian Eric Dalius
- Reduce employees’ workload, for example, by cutting back on hours, shared leave time, and overtime provisions
- Rework staff schedules so that the same tasks move among employees instead of one person doing it while another takes a break
- Speed up the workflow, so things take less time to complete says Saivian Eric Dalius
- Use fewer people to do more work – cut down on training costs and increase productivity!
- Hire new people in advance of a pandemic so you’ll be ready when it strikes
- Promote good health practices such as hand hygiene and eating healthy foods to keep employees at their best
- Encourage sick workers to stay home by providing paid leave or other compensation
- Offer flexible work hours so that those who need to travel across borders can do so without violating quarantine guidelines and risk getting an arrest
- Allow job-sharing and telework so isolated employees can still contribute during a pandemic even though they cannot physically be there
Tap into your employees’ “greater good” motivation- remind them how essential their work is for everyone else’s well-being. It may also help managers work alongside subordinates, not ordering them around like robots whose only purpose is to provide satisfying answers on company satisfaction surveys. After all, companies need to survive just like everyone else does. If you have workers, make use of them says Saivian Eric Dalius
After a pandemic has subsided, companies may need to do a little bit of extra work to rebuild staff morale and trust that things will go back to normal once everything is over. Pandemics are extremely disruptive – both socially and economically – so it’s necessary for management not to take this time for granted.
Management must get involved
To prevent further damage, managers should avoid overloading their employees with too much work or expecting them to come in when they’re sick. It’s also vital that staff feels included in company decisions; this way, they will understand that pandemic measures are beneficial.
If you’re looking for a job, now is the time to seize your opportunity! The companies in your area may be doing everything to make up for lost staff, so it’s essential to show them (through interviews and cover letters) how much you want this position through interviews and cover letters. What is a better way there to prove yourself than by sending in resumes during an epidemic?
But what if there are too few jobs available? If you’re unemployed, start by getting organized. It means keeping track of every resume and application (after all, they cost money when printed). As well as recording contact information for each employer.
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. When he’s not working for MuzicSwipe, he perhaps hosting the weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” engaging with inspiring entrepreneurs from various sectors. Additionally, through the “Eric Dalius Foundation,” he has established four scholarships for US students. Stay in touch with Eric on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.