People strategies How Covid-19 has impacted workforces across the consumer sector
Covid-19 is set to have a lasting impact on workforce management in the consumerfacing sector. After all, the labour market has been significantly disrupted: while mass redundancies took place across the sector, Tesco alone hired 45,000 new employees. The crisis has also fast-tracked conversations around key workers, and increased the visibility of employees in our industries.
Workforce visibility The discussions surrounding key workers and feeding the nation have increased the visibility of the UK’s wider workforce like never before. At the outset of the crisis, retail employees, delivery drivers, farmers, and other essential workers were thrust into the spotlight and received wide recognition for their contribution to keeping the nation moving. Indicative of the national mood, Vogue’s July edition featured essential workers on its cover.
As a result, the human resources function has become more visible than ever before. Especially at the outset of the crisis, Human Resources Directors (sometimes called Chief People Officers) were tasked with balancing long-term priorities such as employee wellbeing with the immediate - and highly complex - matters of furloughing, redundancies and pay cuts. Looking ahead, Covid-19 looks set to permanently change how companies think about their people, and the human resources function is sitting at the centre of this development.
Moreover, in line with CSR and ESG agendas, businesses are paying more attention to their people internally during this stressful time. Companies such as Tesco and Aldi have expanded their health and wellness propositions during the crisis, and Heineken has made a ‘no lay-offs’ guarantee to its employees until the end of 2020. Those businesses which look after their employees’ physical and mental wellbeing – and continue to do so beyond the crisis – will benefit from increased loyalty among both colleagues and customers. Looking ahead, when it comes to hiring and securing the best talent, employers should expect to be asked by potential hires how they treated their employees during Covid-19.
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