After an unprecedented health crisis turned into an Economic crisis, Organisations began to look for ways to maintain business delivery as well as Employee safety and satisfaction. COVID-19 has truly been a game changer and a disruptor that has forced Organisations to relook and rethink their strategies and functions.
Around the World, Organisations are working in hard-hit economies- 200 million in Wholesale & Retail, 100 million in Manufacturing, 50 million in Food and Accommodation industry and 50 million in Real Estate. Every industry is fighting its own battle with the COVID crisis and is figuring out ways to ensure that business runs smoothly, Employees stay safe,and most importantly, the performance of the Organisation.
A recent DigitalHR webinar was an enlightening session filled with interesting insights and substantial knowledge on ‘Strategies & Insights on Managing Organizational Performance in the Current Times’. The webinar was attended by various eminent professionals from HR fraternity, corporates, and Startups. The webinar threw light on the important strategies and insights that can empower organisations to battle with the challenges
Joy George, Sr. Director & Head HR of CDK Global, India, spoke about the Virtual Leadership challenge that most employees have been facing since the onset of work from home.He made a point that Employers are finding Employee Engagement difficult. According to him, a shift in mindset is essential to cope with the ongoing challenges. Joy said “Employers are facing challenges since half the workforce is at office and the rest are working from home”
The online web conference continued with Jitesh Anand who is Founder & CEO of eXlygenze SenseWorks PLC. He spoke extensively about the impact of the crisis on SMEs. He said, “SMEs are highly vulnerable to macro changes that are currently happening”. He strongly suggested that they must be supported and dealt with sensitivity in order to help them sustain as well as rise back up. During the session, Jitesh also shared an ILO report which says that about 430 Million Enterprises, globally, are facing the risk of serious disruption
With the further advancement of the webinar, Radhika Gupta, Head, HR of BD Technology Campus India LLP, talked about how organisations were discovering new methods to adapt & ensure Business continuity to deliver results. She emphasised that the need for change is non-negotiable and the time has come to adapt and get accustomed to changes. Radhika also opined that there is a need for greater acceptance of alternative ways of doing business, staying connected and ensuring business delivery.
As the webinar grew interesting, Tarun Jain, Head of HR Systems & Technology at Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (Times Group) became the closing speaker of the evening. He pointed out how the crisis has impacted the 3 Ws- Work, Workforce, Workplace. Tarun said, “Those who are agile and adaptable, for them every crisis is an opportunity to grow and adapt”. He strongly suggested that Employers must take proactive steps to ensure mental, emotional & physical well-being of the Employees. Tarun also spoke about how Employers must adapt to new ways of working, ensure safety measures, and enable the workforce with the right tools to deliver.
The entire webinar was moderated by Gaurav Bakshi who is the Managing Partner of Strat-Board Services. He stated some reports that suggested that organisations that have not been able to adapt have collapsed or descended drastically.
Every industry is devising its own methods, processes, strategies, and even creating platforms and tools to continue work in the new Normal. It is essential for Organisations to pay close attention to their performance and make amendments to stabilise the conditions.
