FLASHBACK
“ Teams are on the lookout for tools and systems to make things such as hiring or admin much more efficient . We ’ re seeing an appetite for innovation accelerated due to the pandemic , which I don ’ t think will slow down .”
The pre-pandemic situation Before the pandemic , our own research in 2019 found that HR leaders were prioritising culture development ( 49 %) when looking ahead to 2020 . Others sought to improve employee engagement and experience ( 59 %) and ensure health and wellbeing ( 52 %).
Seemingly , many leaders were shifting away from traditional HR tasks such as pay and compliance towards the ‘ softer ’ aspects of HR : creating a better culture , employee wellbeing , employer branding , retaining employees and so on . The job market was firmly in the control of employees and making improvements to these ‘ softer ’ facts of HR could make all the difference when attracting talent .
Business culture is so important and has been shown to have a significant impact on both employee engagement and financial performance . While 92 % of senior executives believe that a strong company culture would increase their business ’ value , just 16 % state that their culture is where it should be .
But as the events of 2020 unfurled , our expectations and perceptions of what constitutes a good workplace culture changed dramatically . Employers and their teams are now navigating an entirely new world of work – some fully remote , some office-based and others on a hybrid model . With this new world of work comes a change in culture . If employees are no longer physically together , how can any culture really remain the same ?
No matter what your business does or how it operates today , workplace culture remains a huge selling point . Whether you ’ re trying to attract new talent , keep existing employees or simply improve the service you provide to your customers ; your culture can make a world of difference .
Here , four business leaders and HR professionals explore exactly how Covid has transformed real businesses . They also take a look at the impact the pandemic has had and how workplace culture has changed as a result …
A pandemic-induced pivot for HR departments Unbeknownst to everyone , the onslaught of Covid rapidly changed HR into a purely operational function , especially in the early stages . Overnight , the majority of interactions with employees become entirely functional . How can we work from home ? Do employees need PPE ? What equipment do we need ? How can we safeguard vulnerable workers ? How does the furlough scheme work ?
Often the first port of call for most employees during times of crisis , HR leaders across the nation spearheaded short-term problem solving to support their people and maintain business continuity .
As employees transitioned to remote work , many realised the benefits this new way of working delivered : saving money , more time to spend with family and a better work / life balance . In fact , 67 % of people said their work-life balance improved when they started working remotely .
Many businesses are now choosing to operate on a hybrid , fully remote or flexible working model that gives employees more control over their working patterns and places of work .
Rik Courtney , CEO of Be More Social , shares how quickly employers came to the realisation that some form of remote work – whether hybrid or 100 % remote – is hugely beneficial to both employer and employee : “ COVID has made us all realise and understand that working remotely is actually possible . The systems and the processes that we ’ ve put in place that allow this to happen makes working from home a viable option . This means that our pool of potential employees has grown and the j
Autumn Issue 2022 | Executive PA 45