Attitudes at work, changes in French behaviour

Attitudes at work change over time and manners. Nevertheless, the health crisis of Covid-19 has significantly changed the behaviour of French people at work. For example, the recruitment platform Qapa conducted a survey in 2020 to assess the impact of this crisis on attitudes at work. One year after this first survey, the platform reiterates the operation to compare the results collected from employees. This confirms the results obtained in 2020 with significant figures.

Telework is thus partly responsible for changing corporate behaviour. Isolation, autonomy and the comfort of being at home can lead to self-containment for employees.

Attitudes at work, changes due to the health crisis

The Qapa recruitment platform facilitates recruitment. Indeed, the process is automated in order to facilitate the contact between recruiters and candidates. The platform is responsible for selecting the best offers for candidates and profiles most suited to the positions offered. In addition, Qapa automates employment contracts or payrolls to facilitate the administrative side for companies and future employees. All the recruitment steps are taken over by Qapa, promoting the process on the side of both parties. The platform is thus an essential player, a leader in social integration at the service of recruiters and candidates.

attitudes work colleagues covid

The platform has set up two surveys,in order to compare the evolution of business behaviour. Qapa wanted to know in 2020 whether the health crisis would have an impact on the behaviour of employees in companies. It is with this in mind that the platform conducted an initial survey between the March 31 and April 3, 2020 on its 4.5 million applicants as well as 135,000 recruiters. The figures already suggested changes in work attitudes such as hand-tightening and kissing to co-workers. For example, by 2020, 28% of respondents said they would continue to kiss their colleagues. On the other hand, 54% were in favour of taking back the hands-tightening of their colleagues in 2020.

It is then observed with the survey conducted between March 24 and 29, 2021 that thoughts have evolved. Indeed, only 9% of respondents will continue to kiss and 27% to shake the hands of their colleagues. Thus, the Covid has made a major change in the attitudes of employees towards each other.

Telework, responsible for business change

The vast majority of employees have found themselves on telework several times since the beginning of the pandemic. Indeed, this has been put in place in order to slow down the circulation of the virus. The Government therefore recommended it as early as March 2020 during the first confinement. It was initially poorly organized because few companies had set it up before the health crisis.

Now a habit for many employees, telework has entered the norms of corporate life but not without effects. Telework has a relatively negative impact on employees. This can increase isolation, loss of motivation and repetition of tasks performed. The fact that you don’t have real contact with your colleagues is a big part of isolating employees. The comfort of being at home and not having to travel at work can also be pleasant and advantageous. However, in order for productivity to be good in telecommuting, good implementation is required. It is sometimes difficult for some employees to balance work and personal life in their homes.

Thus, the isolation induced by compulsory telework has really created a turning point in employee attitudes. The relationship to Covid disease is also responsible for changes in behaviour. Indeed, the French are more fearful for their health. For example, 76% of employees said they would not go to work if they felt sick. The health crisis is therefore at the origin of all the changes in the relations between employees.

Sources:

Exit from the crisis: how will French attitudes evolve at work?, Qapa, press release of March 30, 2021

Teleworking: what are the economic effects?, public life, 25 November 2020

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