PEOPLE & CULTURE

Building engaged relationships

Vicki Molvalis, People & Culture Coordinator

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly changed the way we work. What we thought was something we could look back on quickly became a part of 2021 as much as the previous year, and in some cases worse. Master Builders Victoria (MBV) has been an environment where change has been required, welcomed, and adapted to by the association and team members alike. Since March 2020, we have had to reinvent the way we work to adhere to public health orders while ensuring we maintain our efforts for our members, which has been challenging; a feeling most would be able to relate to, but a challenge we have accepted as we are aware of the impact our advocacy can have within the building and construction industry. What is the new normal? How do I stop burnout? What does team member engagement look like from home? These questions have been ever-present in the minds of Human Resources (HR) professionals along with business owners since mid-last year. For the office workers, the Dolly Parton 9-5 working day is a thing of the past, previously a taboo subject not offered to the masses and a consideration largely for ‘innovative’ organisations, flexible working arrangements have now become the norm as we work around our lives in lockdown with children possibly at our feet, finding the right space to work in without being a nuisance to our partners or kitchen dinner plans, the list of adjustments goes on. The adoption of a hybrid work model has certainly seen the boundaries of work and life blurred. We have a connectedness to our work that far outweighs our connection to it in the past. • Taking the laptop home is the standard. • Our phones now make us aware of any change within our working world, be it via a text, Teams message, outlook notification, WhatsApp and of course, the tried-and-true phone call. • With no commute to the office, we can find ourselves working extra hours, which would have been our commute time in the past. HR professionals must continue to remain ahead of the curve and, in this case, the pandemic. Employee engagement stretches beyond competitive salaries and bonus schemes; to retain, motivate and engage team members during what has been branded as the “the most locked-down city in the world”, many studies and surveys have shown that employees want flexibility, commitment to health and wellbeing and purpose. Employee engagement, at its simplest definition, is the relationship that exists between employees and the organisation. Even with working flexibly and affording this to our team members now and moving forward, there has been an increase in burnout across the board as lockdown restrictions have taken away liberties that would provide a release from our work life. With lockdowns and restrictions easing, we are still faced with what has become a habit. Although challenging in lockdown, hybrid models must continue as they have a greater attractiveness in a post ‘freedom Friday’, 22 October 2021, Victorian world. Further, exploring the four-day working week via compressed hours should be advocated within organisations as the hours and days one work differ from one to another. By acknowledging and working with an individual’s schedule, productivity and quality should follow. As noted, HR teams during this time have had to adapt to address and avoid burnout along with the fear of the possible Great Resignation plaguing America. Within MBV, some initiatives we have promoted to assist this are interactive fun, and meaningful health and wellbeing events such as yoga sessions, step challenges promoting mental and physical health, mail-outs with positive messaging, or themed events around the Olympics and AFL Grand Final. Conducting these initiatives or events via different mediums is important as it provides a wide net approach where most will experience in a manner that they enjoy being engaged and feel connected. In addition, we also identified a focus on our team members for items that would improve their wallets, coordinating with business partners to provide financial advice in various forms. Organisations that are abreast of societal importance and realise its reason for importance by committing to it internally will be leaders amongst employers. At MBV, this can be demonstrated via our commitment to our Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy. We understand that there isn’t a one size fits all approach, and every organisation is different, particularly when made up of employees who are onsite and in office, however as a member service and as a People and Culture team, we are available to discuss thoughts around initiatives or discuss what is successful. An engaged employee who enjoys their experience at work improves employee retention, attraction, productivity, and a team of purposeful employees leads to a successful business, internally and externally.