Business Lessons Learned – ‘What was good yesterday, doesn’t suffice for tomorrow’

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Point of View

Although some aspects of life are slowly returning to normal, the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently impacted the way businesses operate and has created a new ‘normal’ for the future of the workplace dynamic. Due to the virtual workplace, employees have gotten used to having a more flexible work-life balance. Companies have gotten more creative and proactive with their digital strategies. Leaders have become more empathetic and authentic. The consequences of the pandemic were unprecedented, but companies must learn to adjust to these conditions quickly if they want to remain competitive in their industry.

Throughout the past few months, I have participated in various discussions with clients, candidates, and my team on adapting to this new ‘normal’. Maintaining a positive and engaging corporate culture while in a virtual workplace is critical to success. The more conversations we have about this, the more we can learn from it and grow.

COVID-19 has changed the direction and flow of business in every industry to a more or lesser extent. How can employees effectively connect with each other through a computer screen? How does this affect corporate culture? What makes a company attractive in this highly advanced digital world?

I believe we should focus on three elements within companies that have been disrupted by the pandemic:

Company culture
How to be more proactive as companies
Employability

Speaking of company culture, a lot has changed over the past 18 months. Many people work for companies and have never met their colleagues, or even their bosses, in person. They started their new job during the pandemic and worked from home from day one. What effect does that have on corporate culture? And how do we get back together, after having been separate for 18 months? Company and corporate cultures need to be relooked at. People need to be brought back into the culture and the culture will probably need to be adjusted to the new normal. Companies that never allowed working from home opportunities, might decide to keep those now, because of employee demand, or even travel efficiencies. And we can think of many more cultural items that need reconsidering.

Secondly, companies need to be more proactive. Business leaders who believe we will return to “business as usual” are at a huge disadvantage. COVID-19 already has permanent consequences on the future of every type of company in every industry. While many leaders talk about the future, very few actually do something impactful about it. This is due to a combination of factors, including a lack of imagination or not knowing where to start the journey in the middle of a multitude of future issues that leaders are confronted with.

And lastly, we should look at employability; to what extent is the company attractive to the modern manager? Digital developments went faster because of the pandemic — a result of which is that the work-life balance schedule has become more flexible. Is a leader willing to move homes for a new job, or will the demand be to live where they choose and work partly from home? Who will be making the demands, the employer, or does the negotiation and decision power lie more and more with the employee?

All in all, companies need to focus more on employee wellbeing now than ever before. Empathy, compassion, and listening skills need to become an integral part of leadership if they are to remain attractive to talent.

Five Recruiting Predictions for 2022

Posted on February 11, 2022 by Point of View

Since the onset of the pandemic, the talent shortage, and high labor demands have caused recruiters to be extremely busy. A widely used platform for hiring and professional connections, LinkedIn has had a front-seat view of the Great Resignation and the great Reshuffle. I recently read an article by Emilie Shumway published by HR Dive, 5 Recruiting Predictions for 2022 from a LinkedIn Exec. The article features Jennie Dede, head of global customer success, talent solutions at LinkedIn. She shares her insights on expected trends in the coming year.

The article highlights five key findings:

Flexibility being the new buzzword
Hiring managers reducing stress on credentials
Internal training has increased importance
DEI is no flash in the pan
Leading with heart will drive recruitment and retention

I agree with the need for adjusted flexibility toward candidates, the growing importance of internal re-skilling, and the concept of care for employers and employees alike. In today’s corporate environment, employees are no longer forced to compromise. Instead, they are in a position to make their own choices and push for what they want. Most companies have realized that there is this new balance of power. However, their systems still lack mechanisms to adjust to these new conditions. Oftentimes, the human resources department or the recruiting processes are stuck in yesterday’s structures i.e., stuck in a time when organizations had to filter through a huge pool of suitable candidates. Protocols like requesting a candidate to complete an assessment before the interview itself may impede the potential to discover suitable talent.

Also, we have seen the consequences of companies’ shortcomings in the approach toward their employees’ well-being. A tangible lack of interest in a candidate accompanied with a decreasing number of suitable candidates altogether has led to a point where companies no longer have much choice between candidates. Recruitment and HR structures need to be a ‘living’ phenomenon – constantly changing, growing, and evolving. Many organizations have not yet aligned to the new way of things, which may hinder their quest to find the right talent.

I am a strong believer in the fact that organizations need to establish a culture of developing people to fill needs and enhance retention. A slight change in attitude, an increase in receptiveness, and acknowledgment of the shift in the ‘balance of power’ can significantly increase the number of interested suitable candidates. This can all be achieved without compromising on the formal education requirements as well as the job experience of the candidates.

As stated in the article, “employees want to be viewed as people, not workers,” says Craig Ramsay, LinkedIn’s people science expert. Employers who offer their employees genuine support, flexibility, and understanding will find themselves ahead of the pack.

You can read the original article here.

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