FBINAA Associate Magazine Oct/Dec 2021

REFRAMING THE AFTERMATH: HOW COVID MAY CHANGE THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKFORCE

KIM EDMONDSON

We are all acutely aware of the many ways COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, the end is not yet in sight. As essential service providers, public safety entities have been uniquely impacted, especially as they face a “new normal” as in recruitment efforts. It is likely that we will see a new breed of employee with new expectations emerge from this pandemic. I n pre-COVID U.S., public safety recruitment was already suf- fering. A 2019 IACP survey revealed that 78% of departments were struggling to recruit, hire and retain officers. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has been exacerbated recently by many of the recent social, demographic, political and economic issues. Law enforcement agencies across the country were vying for candidates from the same pool and competing by offering hiring and relocation bonuses and other creative incentives. Recruit- ment was in high gear and agencies promoted benefits, upward mobility, varying and exciting assignments, and paid on-the-job training – any perk that could be appealing. Recruitment was difficult, to say the least. INCOMING! COVID-19 STRIKES As the face of how we interacted with one another was quickly altered, a generation experienced a major event that would change them forever. New ways of ‘being’ have created a generation and a culture that will look at work-life balance differ-

ently than before; they will consider the value an employer has for them with great caution; and they will be more transient in nature, moving from one job to another without hesitation. We started to realize the pandemic would last some time and a cascade of impacts from the pandemic emerged. Many people lost their jobs due to slowdowns and closures. These job losses particularly impacted those in low-wage jobs and in the service, travel and hospitality industries. In many instances, parents had to stay home with children because of daycare and school closures. Children left the classroom, the schoolyard, their friends and adjusted to remote learning via computers or tablets. Some employers were able to offer remote work, allow- ing employees to stay at home, setting up offices in bedrooms and dens. The longer people stayed home and limited contact with the outside world, the more they yearned for the day they could once again feel ‘normally.’ Families were not able to visit loved ones who were hospitalized or visit elderly family members in care facilities. School-age children could not attend school, sporting events, or sleepovers with their friends. Movie theatres and restaurants were closed, funerals and weddings were post- poned or streamed. At the same time our lives were in lockdown, people began to find a silver lining in this pandemic - life without long or crowded commutes, eating at home, learning to cook, spending time with family and pets, trying new hobbies, and slowing down the pace of life. Our world - revised. People of all ages and circumstances experienced a cata- strophic series of events that would change them forever. When the gates opened enough to take a glorious peek outside, oppor- tunities to visit with family and friends were fervently embraced. Many made a conscious decision to prioritize family and friends. What could not have been expected was the outcome this would have on the workforce. These experiences altered our values and caused us to look at work-life balance differently than before. Employees were returning to work with different needs that, rightfully, put families and physical and mental wellbeing first. Employees are evaluating their current employment and em-

continued on page 28

14 F B I N A A . O R G | O C T / D E C 2 0 2 1