Strategies to improve employee performance in the post-COVID-19 period: lessons from higher education institutions in Zimbabwe

Abstract

It is essential to have integrated approaches to building employees' post-pandemic resilience, performance, and coping in the workplace. This study aims to explore the strategies that can be adopted to improve the employees’ performance in the higher education institutions of Zimbabwe, post-COVID-19 period. The study was conducted to determine the effective human resource management practices that can be used to tackle issues such as lack of resources, digitalization, and the adaptability of the workforce in the academic environment that is currently undergoing a lot of changes. A qualitative phenomenological research approach was employed and 18 managers from three higher education institutions were purposefully selected to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed thematically to determine the keyways to improve the employee performance in the post pandemic period. The study found four key strategies: (1) Digital skill training and performance coaching, (2) Wellness and mental health programs, (3) Policy Adjustments and Flexibility, and (4) Communication and Engagement Enhancement. These strategies collectively increase the employees’ resilience, performance, and the overall institutional performance in the post-COVID era. The study recommends a holistic, evidence-based HR interventions tailored to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic constraints.  It is therefore important that institutions focus on the long term on skills, mental health, workplace flexibility and communication to sustain employee output. The study provides a novel view by incorporating digital transformation, well-being, and policy changes into a single model for increasing the effectiveness of employees. 

Keywords: Employee Performance, Higher Education Institutions, Human Resource Strategies, Post-COVID-19, Zimbabwe.