The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 16: Summer 2020 | Page 26

COMMUNITY VOICES
KEEPING POSITIVE by Jo Kangurs, Keystone
As the restrictions on our day to day and working
employers are starting to see the return of their w
it is very clear that we won’t be going back to the
Whilst the lifting of lockdown rules is welcome,
with it comes anxiety in other forms – returning to
work and what measures have been put in place
to adhere to social distancing, job security and
managing childcare whilst the schools remain
closed.
As we prepare for the challenges ahead, what
can business leaders be doing now to ensure their
people remain positive?
HERE ARE MY TOP FIVE TIPS:
1. Communicate, communicate, communicate
With so much change and uncertainty,
communication is crucial. With multiple comms
circulating, messages will get lost. To cut
through the noise, make sure your comms are
clear and relevant to your people. Break actions
into short-term focuses and longer-term goals,
such as tasks for today and objectives over the
coming months. Remind people that they need to
work together and be clear about what everyone
can do to make a difference.
2. Be responsive
There will be a lot of questions, many of
won’t have an easy answer such as “is it
to come to work?”, “will I still have a job
months’ time?”. Whilst you might not ha
answers, it is important to be open and
Tell people what’s happening, what you
and, where appropriate, ask for feedbac
3. Be visible
We are all becoming a bit ‘Zoom’ weary
is important to keep this essential link to
people going. Through the use of techno
have adapted and learned the importanc
being visible to one another, so keep tho
Teams or WhatsApp groups going.
4. Share the plan
Most employers are working on their pla
people back to work but it is vital that ev
in the company is aware of the plan and
it affects them. Involve them in the plann
process and communicate early so any c
do not come as a shock. Lifestyles and w
Covid-19 and the labour marke
Sam Laite, Owner of Bath-based FWD Thinking Re
his insight into how Covid-19 has impacted the rec
How do you think Covid-19 has
affected the labour market?
I think it’s too early to predict right now how it’s
all going to play out. I think initially the big fear
was mass redundancies, but the furlough scheme
seems largely to have tackled that, certainly in the
short term anyway. How quickly businesses can
bounce back will dictate whether the redundancies
will still be inevitable, and the situation come
September could be potentially quite different.
Do you think the time to reflect will
have changed minds on what people
want from their careers and lives?
There’s been a lot of coverage around the impact
on mental health and I’m sure the pull factors
towards Bath and the South West in general will
have only got stronger as a result of Covid-19 as
increasing numbers of people look to relocate out
of London and the South East.
Do you think the crisis will force
to be more flexible around work
from home and flexi-hours?
To a degree, yes. I think we were already s
to see a shift to a more mobile workforce
certainly in the tech and ecommerce sect
this pandemic has reinforced the messag
it’s OK to work from home. I’m confident
businesses will be able to adopt that work
pattern with greater certainty that produc
remains incredibly high.
What has business been like for
throughout the crisis?
Undoubtedly business has been affected
especially the breadth of clients recruiting
has dropped dramatically. However, this h
been tempered by a smaller number of cl
predominately those with a strong online
ecommerce presence, experiencing extre
high demand which in turn drives a positi
on their hiring plans and talent acquisitio
result, FWD have been partnering with a s
number of companies but increasing the
activity within those companies.
14 www.tbebathandsomerset.co.uk