The other positive outcome of the crisis is sure to be more regular sanitization of office premises and possibly a more regulated medical check-up of employees not just when they join a company but at regular intervals to monitor people's overall fitness and health conditions.

Business leaders realize life is not likely to be the same post-COVID-19. Lockdown and restrictive movement across the globe have disturbed the global economic ecosystem. The challenge now will be to live in this ‘new normal’ where businesses need to be rewired and in some cased re-invented to stay relevant. It’s not just to get clients back on board but to focus more on improving vulnerabilities, bridging the skill gap, and recognizing uncertainties.

Growth culture

Companies can actually work together to address concerns of this world we are in right now. Both to flatten the curve and to train the workforce and be better equipped to deal with crises in the future. Tech-enabled companies can definitely guarantee seamless operations for clients and pull through this economic downturn.

Going Digital

1. We will see a rise in the number of Digital Certifications which are sure to become more acceptable

2. With more and more people working from home without the strong firewalls that companies provide within their office premises, Digital security against cyber attacks will become a top priority for all companies especially the tech-enabled companies.

3. There is sure to be more investment in sharpening tech that supports ODC and virtual meeting rooms as many small companies will look at doing away with brick and mortar offices

A new type of Personnel management is now stepping in to support the Virtual Workforce Governance realm with new metrics.

Employee Retention

Curiosity metrics are old employee engagement metrics – employee nurturing has turned its direction. Promoting innovation within the organization through an open culture where anyone can approach senior leaders throughout the organization is the future. An interesting observation would be how hierarchy is established through online mentoring sessions which creates a positive impression and helps strengthen loyalty towards brands without compromising on work discipline.

Even the day to day engagement style has changed with Employee engagement activities such as the Friday afternoon games and lunch outs have morphed into Karaoke over zoom, Yoga sessions, virtual games and other innovative ways of making people feel connected.

Corporate Work Policy

Some of the immediate changes companies must look at should include employee health packages, Insurance documentation, and last but never the least, work from home options. With permanent hiring being more costly, more contracts and freelance roles will open up within the organization. Middle management must have more executive roles, to incorporate the job loss Paradigm shift. As, lines blur between professional and personal life; family time in many cases will have to be worked out within the working hours. With everybody working on a virtual platform, there will be a new meaning given to Laissez-Faire where markets open up for vendors, making things more accessible for clients and brands. “Glocalization” will also be a core step for a lot of companies.

In the 21st century, UpSkill |Reskill | Training & Networking should be core to any office culture as should transparency between the employees and management. Workdays might exceed – work hours might reduce – we believe it’s better to be prepared. Data protection and procedural information sharing is going to be more critical within the company.

The other positive outcome of the crisis is sure to be more regular sanitization of office premises and possibly a more regulated medical check-up of employees not just when they join a company but at regular intervals to monitor people's overall fitness and health conditions.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house