With a highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 working its way around the population, organisations need to brace themselves for what’s ahead.
The backlash of the Omicron variant is already being felt, particularly in industries like hospitality and logistics where workers can’t do their jobs remotely. Businesses need to ensure they are ready for anything to minimise the damage.
What are consumers thinking?
Data shows that over half (54%) of hospitality venues were down more than 40% in revenues following the Prime Minister urging people to work from home. With such unpredictable peak periods, hospitality businesses need to think of a strategy that enables them to be flexible.
As people choose to stay inside, there is going to be another boom in the demand of the warehousing and delivery industries. It’s vital that organisations future-proof themselves through the strained job market.
What steps can you take to prepare your organisation?
1. Keep up to date with the latest
Change is in the air and the industries affected need to come together to support each other once again. Following the news as things progress is a given but it is also worth your time to find reliable industry sources to guide you.
Some useful things to consider are; subscribing to newsletters of respected publications, tracking relevant hashtags on Twitter and keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing.
We regularly update our employer community hub with useful tips and guides to help you >
2. Have a solid plan
The end of the year is the ideal time for some reflection. It’s important you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in the next 12 months.
Your 2022 plan should include…
- Examining the successes and challenges of this year
- Defining your goals and how you want to measure them
- Evaluating your current operations and resources
- Creating a clear roadmap to success
3. Time to get agile
If the past 20+ months have taught us anything, it is that organisations need the resources to adapt to changes as quickly and efficiently as possible. We’ve seen businesses do some incredibly innovative things to keep operating throughout restrictions and lockdowns. It’s still vital to keep this energy up.
Throughout the coming weeks, organisations need to be reactive. Do you have access to the important data to plan your schedules? Would you be able to easily communicate last-minute changes to your whole team when needed?
4. Prepare for staff shortages
It’s a common ‘January mindset’ for workers to examine their jobs and consider a change. With the state of the job market, it will be more tempting than ever for workers to look around at what other employers can offer them.
According to experts, employers should plan for 20% to 30% of staff to be absent due to COVID-19 in the coming weeks.
Combining the two points above is a recipe for disaster and you’ll need to have a backup plan. Luckily you can lean on Indeed Flex to fill any empty spaces. With our dedicated workers ready and waiting to pick up last minute jobs.
