Employee engagement, customer service, capacity building and planning ahead are main areas of focus during this critical time.
Umair Nizami, CEO, NAS Neuron Healthcare Services
We know things are going to be different – at least for the foreseeable future. But how should companies proceed now that we are returning to our workplaces? In our new normal, the way we do business and how we deal with both our colleagues and customers are likely to be significantly altered. Here are some key areas that I believe require a CEO’s particular focus.
Employee engagement
While much has been said about the pros and cons of working from home, I believe we should be sympathetic to employees that have legitimate challenges with returning to the office. Schools may be out, but, with overseas travel impractical for many, there are many bored children facing long summers at home. We should therefore be receptive to any employee who request extended work-from-home. It is not only important to provide employees with the necessary technology to work remotely but also to extend that support to educate and encourage them with the necessary best practices to maintain their mental and physical wellness during this time.
In the longer term, there has also been talk of offices scaling down, with some employees working from home permanently, or alternating in and out of the office and hot-desking. Each company will work out the right approach over time. Key considerations include considering the specific nature of their business and the impact of work-from-home on overall performance, not discounting an individual’s level of engagement with the organisation.
Customer service
Whether your customer is a business or an individual, making the effort to understand their unique challenges would be key to long term retention. One way or the other, the customer, post-COVID-19, would be hurt and cautious. So money will be tight, and competition to retain or acquire the customers fierce. Bending over backwards to adapt the business model to fit the needs of your customer is the only way to earn their business without having to fight a price war with competitors. Companies that have not yet made the entirety of their services available online must do so swiftly. A prime example is how some in the healthcare space have successfully rolled out digital health solutions to cater to all of their patients’ needs from a single mobile app. Just to stay relevant, companies would have to put their heart and soul into creating the right customer experience.
Capacity building
Literally overnight, work-from-home became the norm for millions of people. Some organisations may have been prepared for this, while others may have simply made do and muddled through. Whichever category your organisation was in, work-from-home will be much more prevalent in the new normal. Now is the time to increase investment in cyber security infrastructure and solutions such as corporate VPNs and two-factor authentication. Issue approved laptops to employees working from home, and ensure everyone in the organisation is up to date with end-user protocols and guidelines.
Planning
The need for planning and thinking ahead becomes all the more crucial now. Annual forecasts and quarterly reviews will not suffice and such exercise would need to be undertaken with more frequency. Cash is truly king now and businesses need to be selective with their spending, ensuring they leave themselves with ample cash runway. Focused efforts on improving receivable cycles are an absolute necessity, and business leaders should consider outsourcing non-core functions to incorporate scalability into their businesses. M