Is Your Business Ready for The Economy to Reopen?

Reopening a business after the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going to be easy. According to The Washington Post, restarting will be more like “a rehabilitation process.” Is your business ready for the economy to reopen? If you’re not sure, begin by asking these four key questions.

Do You Have a Flexible Hiring Process?

Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to rehire all your pre-Coronavirus staff and instantly go back to business as usual. Chances are, you will not open at 100 percent. And, some of your employees will have moved on to other positions. So, eventually, you’re going to need to hire more people. Now is the time to start building your talent pool. If in-person interviews aren’t currently an option, set up phone and/or video interviews. Also, stay in close contact with both your past employees and potential hires. At least once a week, let them know where things stand. If they haven’t heard from you in a while, they’re more likely to accept any other position that comes along.

Are You Prepared for Fluctuations in Staffing?

Economists predict, most businesses will restart somewhere around 50 percent. From there, companies will continue to expand based on safety concerns and customer demand. In other words, your organization may start slow and then experience a sudden surge. Despite a well-developed talent pool, you still may struggle with staffing fluctuations especially if you only require short-term help. As a result, this is a wonderful opportunity to develop a relationship with a staffing agency. Most firms provide both temporary and contract workers. Plus, since these employees stay on the agency’s payroll, your company doesn’t need to worry about worker’s compensation or unemployment insurance. You’ll be ready and able to add and subtract workers as needed. Even if you end up not using these services, it’s always a smart backup plan.

Have You Thought of Ways to Speed Up Onboarding?

When hiring post-Coronavirus, you may need to onboard new team members faster than ever before. Consequently, your old tried-and-true process may not be efficient enough. Therefore, consider where you can streamline procedures while still, of course, setting your new employees up for success. For example, new hires could complete forms through email or portals, review company policies online, and participate in virtual training sessions all before their first physical day on the job.

Have You Put Precautions in Place to Keep Your People Safe?

Finally, Coronavirus may change some parts of our lives more permanently. Thus, make sure you have put safeguards in place to keep your team healthy. These may include company-issued face masks, easy-to-access hand sanitizer dispensers, and even on-site COVID-19 testing.