HAVE EMPATHY
Reassurance & Resilience
During Any Stressful Time , Be Sure To Let Team Members And Clients Know “ We ’ ve Got Your Back .”
BY : JILL GORMLEY , HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
We ’ re in this together , and we are in this differently .
Together , we transitioned to a remote work environment and began communicating via the cloud , tapping into video tools like Zoom . Together , we maintained a culture of caring , recognizing that no one had the answers to questions like “ When will COVID-19 be over ?” We focused on customers — internal and external . People are the center of our business , and managing risk is what we do . So , we continued serving clients as a cohesive team , in spite of the uncertainty . Keeping our brand promise , our helpful , optimistic messaging never stopped . Together , we served as a resilient resource for each other and our clients .
Yet , we are in this differently . Some households juggled e-school and remote work , realizing that there wasn ’ t enough bandwidth in the house for the entire family to go virtual . Other individuals dealt with the isolation of social distancing alone at home . Those suffering from underlying health issues were worried about an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 . And depending on how you consume the news media , the 24 / 7 reel might have been simply too much to handle .
Let ’ s face it , we all have a breaking point .
At Deeley , we understand the importance of maintaining mental health and resilience during uncertain times — and all the time , actually . Human Resources plays a critical role , ensuring that team members understand benefits like telehealth and access to mental health services . Employee morale is important to us every day , and it ’ s a significant priority during incredibly stressful times like these . But we also see the tough times as an opportunity to grow , and that ’ s what our leadership team chose to do , setting the tone for how our organization would manage during a crisis .
VIRTUAL SHIFT .
Because of business continuity planning ( see page 4 ), we could provide our team members with the technology and systems required to work from home . This allowed staff to continue performing job duties . The execution wasn ’ t perfect by any means . Because of a shortage of laptops , some employees loaded desktops and monitor stands into their vehicles to set up a home office . Others didn ’ t have adequate internet access at home , so we flexed to create a safer workplace in our office so they could continue their roles . Our operations team constantly evaluated processes and digital tools , and we pivoted when necessary . ( Read more about how our clients adapted on page 6 .)
We rolled out Zoom for our client meetings , our all-agency virtual meetings , and even a virtual happy hour . Transitioning to Microsoft Teams was a key step in keeping our people connected and celebrating together — sharing videos from home and photos of kids and pets was a way to focus on the bright side of quarantine . It was important to not lose touch with what makes Deeley unique — our people .
HAVE EMPATHY .
Every team member has variables at home and in their personal lives that impact the way they can handle unexpected crises . We knew we simply needed to care about each other . We tuned into each other ’ s needs , understanding that we have different vulnerabilities that need to be respected . Also , we were open about discussing what felt really hard during this stressful time . Leadership conducted frequent quality-of-life check-in surveys with team members .
We focused on simply being there for our people and letting them know that feeling overwhelmed or needing help is OK .
FOCUSED ON FAMILY .
We decided to wait extra weeks , before the 2019 – 20 schoolyear ended , to start transitioning employees back into the office . This allowed parents to support their children ’ s e-learning while working remotely .
While a challenging juggle , we are proud of the way our team members handled the situation . We support families with mental health resources , including access to telehealth services so they can safely attend doctors ’ appointments . And to educate our people about opportunities , we created a biweekly newsletter . Everyone here is eligible for mental health services through our Employee Assistance Program , and we put that information in front of them early and often .
As we ( hopefully ) head out of this pandemic , we can say with confidence that our culture is even stronger , and our team is even more connected . We are here for each other and for our clients . And we can be sure that no matter what , we will navigate treacherous waters successfully . Together , we are at the helm . +
Jill Gormley is our Human Resources Director . She joined our team in 2017 with over 20 years of Human Resources experience . Jill is responsible for acquiring and developing talent , implementing new human resources programs and supporting growth goals . Jill resides in Fruitland with her husband , Shannon , and their two children . She enjoys watching her children play sports and going to the beach with her family . 410.213.5576 jgormley @ deeleyinsurance . com
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