Sustaining Employee Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Abstract

This chapter explores the variables that influenced employee engagement in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Structured interviews were conducted in this longitudinal qualitative study to gather primary data. The study focused on 20 executive-level personnel from a selected bank, who were interviewed in multiple phases. The researchers utilized word cloud analysis to qualitatively assess word frequency, facilitating a comprehensive exploration of participants’ experiences and perspectives over time. The findings from the study suggest that Human Resources (HR) managers can employ various tactics to maintain employee engagement during health or economic crises, such as decentralization, flexibility, travel arrangements, IT facilities, work flexibility, disaster resilience plans, employee recognition, empathy, stress management, communication and problem-solving. Also, financial support, recreational activities, trust and transparency are essential for building employee engagement during any economic downturn.