The future looks set to depend upon reliable technology, flexible processes – and a network of engaged employees. Here’s how we at Convosphere helped its people lead the way.
“We were ready for remote working, but the challenge was keeping the company’s culture alive” says Jackie Cuyvers, our CEO. “It’s those human interactions that are so important to our business”.
“Before Covid-19, technology was important, but now it is essential,” she says. We have invested in communication and operational technology tools to keep the business running smoothly well before the pandemic. We found ourselves depending on these tools like never before during Covid-19. The challenge was twofold: to ensure our essential operations continued but, even more importantly, to provide staff with a means to continue working as a team.
The good news, says Cuyvers, is that having thought hard about how to confront that challenge, many of the lessons Convosphere learnt about using its technology effectively will prove valuable for years to come. Once staff return to the office, short-term fixes, such as Zoom lunches, will be replaced by the physical get-togethers staff have enjoyed in the past. But other changes will endure, Cuyvers expects, because they have proved so valuable.
“The other thing that will really stick is a bigger focus on staff wellbeing” Cuyvers says. “This change in working practices has really forced us to think about our staff’s work-life balance.” Some employees have had to reorganise their time around childcare responsibilities; others have found it difficult to switch off and take time away from work. This has resulted in increased spending on human resources to ensure our staff had a means to discuss concerns and put solutions in place.
“Technology has been able to support work processes, but it does struggle to facilitate the banter, connection, mentoring and idea-sharing that people need to thrive” Olga Crosse, our HR consultant says.
The bottom line is that while the world will eventually go back to normal, there will be permanent shifts in behaviour, some of them for the better. “Our teams are looking forward to seeing each other back in the office, but I don’t want to lose sight of the ways in which technology has helped us to work more effectively and to support our staff” says Jackie.
Read more here to find out more about working from home with Convosphere.
