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THE FUTURE OF WORK • JUNE 2021 BUSINESS-REPORTER.CO.UK
The
great
screen
test
WORKING FROM HOME
Teleconferencing
apps have helped keep
the world working
during the pandemic.
Here’s how to make
the best of them
THIS SUPPLEMENT WAS PRODUCED BY LYONSDOWN/BUSINESS REPORTER.
IT DID NOT INVOLVE THE REPORTING OR EDITING OF ECONOMIST STAFF AND NO ENDORSEMENT IS IMPLIED.
2 June 2021
Work is
where you
make it
With businesses gearing up for a return to some
kind of office-based normality, Francis Andrews
looks at how the rules have completely changed
when it comes to the nine-to-five
W
hen the government work-life balance, longer hours,
announced in March a feeling of confinement. Yet just
last year that the coun- as remote workers had invested
try would be going into lockdown, in making home working man-
few would have imagined how ageable, companies must now
long the ruling would be in place invest in making office working
for. The language used at the time enjoyable. But how?
was severe – a marker of the ur-
gency of the pandemic – but the Official business
hoped-for timeframe was short. Perhaps it begins with a simple
Perhaps it’d last just a few weeks. question: what purpose does the
At worst, a few months. Soon office now serve? Until a year ago,
enough, the country would be it had been the locus for all busi-
back on its feet – and back at work. ness activity. Staff turned up in
A year on, some 60 per cent of the morning and left at the end of
us were still working from home. the day. All meetings were held
Various measures had been eased, there, and all work – or nearly
but the landscape remained far all of it – was done at a desk
from normal. People had set up de within. It accommodated nearly
facto offices at home – they’d bought all professional, and quite a bit of
the desk chair, the monitor; estab- social, interaction.
lished exercise regimes and But we now know that it needn’t
lunchtime walking routes. In short, hold such a central place in work-
they’d invested in making this new ing life. Even with a national
reality as manageable as possible. workforce atomised by the pan-
But with an end now in sight, demic and the majorit y of
employees will soon likely be re- interaction done via online
turning en masse to the office in video, email and messaging
some form. Home offices will be platforms, individuals can still be
converted back to the spare bed- productive. Indeed, a number of
room, and the bookcase, displaced surveys have pointed to the fact
by a tiny desk and chair, will be that a majority of employees feel
returned to its rightful place in the they can be even more productive
corner of the living room. working from home.
Yet this return to work presents Such findings have led some
a potential problem for businesses, companies to re-evaluate the
for employees have grown used premium they place on full-time
to structuring their own environ- office working. Not only has
ments. To be sure, it created Google, for instance, pushed back
problems of its own: diminished the planned return-to-the-office
June 2021 3
date until September this year, can go towards improving em-
but it has mooted the idea of ex- ployee wellbeing. Indeed, it may
perimenting with a f lexible be that, because of the pandemic,
working week in which some an emphasis on this becomes the
employees – those that are not in key indicator of a company’s ability
heavy customer-facing or collab- to attract loyal, high-quality work-
orative roles – come into the office ers, and so many are likely to be
for only three days. focusing more attention on that.
Other concerns loom, however.
Social functions Office working ensured clarity
Google’s vision rests on a realisa- over whether employees were
tion driven home by the pandemic: present; remote working makes
that the main purpose of the office this difficult. It’s little surprise
is for professional interaction, but that the market for software to
that not all work requires this. The monitor whether employees were
three days that employees will be at their home desks has boomed.
in the office are being billed as In one case early last year, Barclays
“collaboration days”, when the staff fought back against manage-
meetings and the brainstorming ment, and the bank was forced to The future of broadcast
graphics is virtual
happens. Otherwise, they are left stop its use of spyware.
to get on with their work, free But thanks to the pandemic,
from the distractions that an office there is also now greater resistance
brings. Innovation- to the culture of
can still happen presenteeism,
– indeed, if produc-
“Many people whereby workers
A
tivity increased for have struggled feel compelled to s businesses consider simulating weather conditions in
many people dur- at home and will show up even when making remote working weather reporting segments.
ing lockdown, then
it suggests that a
look forward to a sick. RAND Europe
found that the main
a permanent fixture, for
the broadcast industry, Zoom calls
disguise, a company pushing
the boundaries in xR, integrates
flexible working return to offices; drivers of presen- are not quite going to cut it. graphics engines, LED technology
week may well others will feel the teeism are poor Social distancing and travel and camera tracking into a single
spur creativity and
drive, rather than
opposite. A hybrid financial wellbeing,
stress and poor
restrictions call for a decrease in
the number of crew on site. At the
workflow.
limit it. working model sleep and mental same time, the growth of over- A new type of TV show
T he hybrid may well set health. In 2019, it the-top (OTT) media services such Producing engaging TV shows
working model is
likely to become
new standards” est i mated t hat
more than 30 work
as Netflix has spiked demand for
engaging broadcast productions
with fewer people on site is now
possible. In the 2020 Junior
commonplace in the future. But days were lost per employee as a across multiple platforms. Eu rov i sion Song Conte st,
it poses problems. Employees of result of presenteeism. Fighting for eyes on the screen, Wizja Multimedia used disguise
some companies trialling it may broadcast production companies xR workflows with augmented
prefer to work from home, yet hold The new deal are turning to extended reality, reality to “beam” contestants into
positions that make this difficult. The past year has reshaped work- or xR, to make their shows really the same space, even though each
Will they be compensated in some ing priorities at both the individual stand out. performed from their home
other way? And how will compa- and the business level. It has country. disguise xR workflows
nies that enforce a flexible working provided a window into an alter- Unreality bites have also been used on a number
week accommodate requests from native way of working, and xR refers to photorealistic real-time of other shows and productions,
employees to work from rented upended our understanding of images generated by powerful including the 2020 US Open and
office spaces, rather than home? how productivity and wellbeing graphics engines, such as Unreal the 2020 MT V Music Video
can be optimised via different Engine, that are projected onto Awards.
Present tense modes of working. Many people LED screens surrounding the The possibilities of xR go
One survey from WeWork/Work- have struggled at home, and will scene. Camera tracking technology b e y o n d c r e a t i n g v i r t u a l
place Intelligence found that 64 look forward to the return; others means the virtual scenes change environments. disguise’s cluster
per cent of employees would pay will feel the opposite. A hybrid based on camera movements – rendering capabilities enable
for access to an office space. Three working model may well set new making the environment fully g raph ic s on sc reen to be
quarters of executives also said standards for enjoyable, fruitful immersive. rendered at any scale without
they would provide home workers work, and give employees what Actors, presenters or journalists compromising on quality. The
with a stipend to help with the the office so often denies: a degree no longer have to guess where future for broadcast production
costs of that. The logic runs that of flexibility and control over their virtual elements are in the scene is, much like the graphics, unreal.
if companies can downsize their lives such that they feel greater like they had to do with green
own offices and manage the vol- ownership of their working week, screens. They can even present INDUSTRY VIEW
ume of employees on any one day, and greater satisfaction within data interactively with real-time marketing@disguise.one
there will be surplus capital that and outside of the nine to five. 3D v isualisations, such as web.disguise.one/xRguide
4 June 2021
The changing future
of contingent work
T
he expectations of workers and their
employers have changed following the
pandemic. We have seen an end to the
office-based, nine-to-five five-day week as the
default way of working: neither workers nor
employers want this as an exclusive option
anymore. The stresses caused by the pandemic
have reminded employers that, to get the best
from their workers, they need to be mindful
of employee wellbeing.
These changes equally affect an external
workforce that has become an inextricable
part of the workforce mix. Employers are
looking to them as a way of recruiting at pace
as economies expand after the pandemic.
They also seek the flexibility that contingent
workers provide in case further pandemic
control measures come into play.
At the same time, specialist and skilled
workers, who had a taste of flexibility during
the pandemic, are increasingly choosing
contingent work because it enables them to flexibility, opportunity and belonging are just benefits are very real. According to research
maintain their lifestyle and prioritise the most as important to them as money. by Gartner, organisations that effectively
rewarding work opportunities. Inevitably, this deliver on their EVP can reduce the compen-
is driving up competition for the best talent. Use data and technology sation premium by 50 per cent.
Data underpins much of recruitment and
A new approach powers the digital talent technologies that Succeeding in the new world
We believe that a radically new approach is enable good management, visibility and better With a rise in contingent working, issues once
needed given these changes in the market for quality of service. Critical services such as reserved for traditional employees, such as
contingent workers. Employers must take a onboarding, time management and payment career progression, diversity and employer
wider perspective with increased focus on the of an on-demand workforce become far easier branding, must be considered for the extended
quality, productivity and output of their teams. with appropriate automation. workforce. This requires a service which can
It is time to think differently about how work Direct-sourcing technologies are another combine technology and process, partnership
gets done within your organisation. useful tool. These enable the identification, opportunities with new recruitment channels,
So how should employers change their assessment and engagement of talent from a and advice from credible, experienced
approach if they are to succeed in attracting pool of candidates. For instance, The Mom professionals, to form a bespoke solution built
the best contingent talent? Project connects experienced women to em- around customers’ needs.
ployers looking for senior executives who want As well as increasing access to the global
Focus on people, not roles to work on a part-time basis. talent market using new digital channels,
Employers must move to a genuine focus on employers need to adopt emerging technologies
people, and understand the support, systems Strengthen the employer brand that drive quality and efficiency, and which
and processes that will enable them to attract Employers must think carefully about their support scaling. Technology is only part of the
the best talent. Part of this will involve a drive employer value proposition (EVP). When equation: employers must also recognise the
for greater diversity in the workforce. Diverse competing for global talent, the EVP plays a need for a more people-centred approach to
workforces are generally happier workforces critical role in persuading somebody halfway recruitment that will enable them to succeed
and have been proven to deliver benefits in across the world to choose them. The EVP in an increasingly competitive contingent
terms of productivity and innovation. must be aspirational, authentic and credible, employee environment.
Unfortunately, in the past the contingent and highlight opportunities around autonomy,
workforce has not always been treated with innovation, career progression and status to INDUSTRY VIEW
the same thought and care as regular employ- foster real candidate attraction. Brian Salkowski is chief operating officer
ees. Today, with greater competition for talent, Crafting a strong EVP requires realism, at Guidant Global
employers must recognise that contingent planning and a genuine desire to improve bsalkowski@guidantglobal.com
workers need to be treated better; that respect, outcomes. None of this is simple, but the www.guidantglobal.com
June 2021 5
Why
healthier
headspaces
are better
for business
Even before the pandemic, businesses were starting
to realise that looking after their employees’ mental
health wasn’t just the right thing but the profitable
thing to do. Nick Martindale talks to some of them
W
hen lockdown hit in March found 29 per cent of employees say will be supported and [providing]
2020, accounting software they are depressed as a result of clear guidance for managers, as well
firm X ledger realised Covid-19, with 31 per cent saying as establishing what support will be
making sure its staff were able to they are stressed. The charity Mind, offered to those experiencing poor
cope mentally would be a priority. meanwhile, has outlined five areas mental health,” she says. “It is critical
“Lockdown rituals included having which it believes will leave a long- that employers have clear guidelines,
morning check-ins three times a term impact on the nation: social appropriate training and ongoing
week, two of which were chair-based isolation, increasing an x iet y, support in place for line managers
yoga sessions,” says Mark Pullen, bereavement and grief, financial so that they feel empowered,
CEO. “We made sure to check in with insecurity and work-related stress. equipped and safe to have conver-
everyone as individuals too: we use sations about mental health. They
15Five, which is a tool employees Getting the balance right also need to know they will in turn
complete on a weekly basis to feed Yet a large amount of the stress be supported.”
back on how they are feeling and people are under can be attributed “Pre-Covid, This is the approach Cactus
how their week has been.” to their work, says Professor Sir Cary the UK was Communications has taken. “Man-
Xledger attempted to keep morale Cooper, author of Wellbeing At Work. tied with Italy agers and business partners are
up through virtual pub quizzes, wine “Extensive research suggests the trained to identify the signs of such
tasting and painting workshops. “We main causes are how people are at the bottom issues and address these through a
also sent lockdown presents to managed, a long-hours culture, lack of the G7 on series of interventions ranging from
employees’ homes, which included of work/life balance or flexibility at productivity one-to-one conversations to making
marshmallow-toasting kits, sweetie work, lack of employee autonomy arrangements for professional coun-
jars, brownies, cocktails and cur- and control over their job, and job per capita. selling and therapy,” says Yashmi
ry-making kits,” says Pullen. insecurity,” he says. Enhancing Pujara, chief human resources officer.
The issue of mental health was Dr Rebecca Holt, co-founder and mental “We also orient leaders in practising
already rising up the business agenda director of Working Mindset, says mindfulness and encouraging people
before the pandemic hit, but there’s organisations need to develop a wellbeing to discuss their emotions.”
no doubt the past year, with rising mental health plan to outline how at work is Just before the pandemic hit,
levels of stress, periods of furlough, they intend to tackle the issue. “This likely to help Santander introduced a Wellbeing
illness and grief, have made it even should include plans to address the Hub providing information for staff
more critical, to both businesses and work-related causes of mental health improve this.” on looking after their mental well-
employees. Research by Gartner problems, how work/life balance – Cary Cooper being when working at home,
6 June 2021
wellbeing webinars and a direct link
to its employee assistance pro-
Taking action: ways to support your employees’ mental health
gramme. “We also introduced access
for all colleagues to a live text chat Get your own house in order Lawrence Mohiuddine, managing the little things like birthdays,
with qualified psychologists and Employers need to identify any director, EMEA, of workplace work anniversaries and Easter,
worked with our existing wellbeing workplace issues that could be design firm Unispace. “Giving with snacks and meals including
partner, Gympass, to launch a Gym- contributing to ill health, says people more thinking time, different dietary requirement
pass Hub with a range of recorded Charles Alberts, head of health making meetings matter more options. These smaller acts do
sessions, available free,” says Damien management at Aon. “Start and stopping calls outside of an not go unnoticed.”
Shieber, head of culture and expe- with a stress risk assessment to employee’s standard working
rience and a member of the Business understand what the key issues hours – whatever that looks Draw on independent support
in the Community wellbeing lead- are for your employees – be that like for that individual – will give To achieve the right balance
ership team. workloads, relationships or a people choice and empowerment between keeping staff healthy
range of other common causes,” to disconnect,” he says. “People without being overly intrusive,
There’s an app for that… he says. It’s vital to create an need time to reflect and switch off employers must be able to
Drainage repair firm Lanes Group, open and supportive culture to be productive, whether that’s in direct staff to external sources
part of Thames Water, has made use where issues can be dealt with the office or at home.” of help, says Robert Ordever,
of an app which allows staff to report early on, he adds, including managing director of workplace
how they are feeling at the start of boosting employees’ own Remember the little things culture firm O.C. Tanner Europe.
every shift. “If they respond by knowledge of how to manage Random acts of kindness can go “Many services allow employee
clicking the ‘unhappy’ or ‘very un- stress and providing training a long way, says Joanna Swash, support, independently and
happy’ buttons, they are offered the to line managers. group CEO of call-answering confidentially, such as
option of speaking to our in-house service Moneypenny. “Kindness employee assistance
wellbeing practitioner,” says Debi Make sure people take time out goes a long way,” she says. programmes, occupational
Bell, head of HR services. Since it Ensuring people have time to “It doesn’t cost a penny, but its health professionals and mental
was introduced, the number of switch off is essential, says effect is endless. Remember all health first-aiders,” he says.
colleagues who have reported feeling
unhappy or very unhappy has fallen wellbeing of their workforce, says
from 8 per cent to just over 1 per Daniel Stander, an employment
cent, she adds. lawyer at international law firm
Business software firm Advanced Vedder Price. “A breach of health
used the pandemic as a chance to and safety is a criminal offence
change the culture of the firm, with potential liability for both
putting a greater emphasis on flexible individuals and employers,” he points
working and allowing staff greater out. “This potentially means unlim-
control over how and where they ited fines as well as imprisonment
work as restrictions ease. “I have for individuals and disqualification
announced that I’m doing the school of directors. There is also the poten-
run each day where usually I’d have tial for civil liability.”
used a breakfast club for my children Research by MetLife UK, mean-
instead,” says Alex Arundale, chief while, found that more than half of
people officer. The company has also employees (54 per cent) are consid-
introduced a range of initiatives in ering leaving their job in the next
response to the pandemic, she adds, 18 months. The same survey also
including bereavement and general found that 39 per cent of employees
life counselling, yoga classes, digital would stay with their current em-
detox support and encouraged ‘away ployer if their boss showed more
time’ from desks. regard for their mental wellbeing.
Aside from the moral responsi- For Amanda Cran, senior con-
bility an employer has to ensure staff sultant at HR consultancy Buck, the
don’t suffer as a result of their jobs, business case is simple. “If employees
there is a sound business case for feel their overall wellbeing is not
investing in better mental health. important, employers risk losing
“Evidence suggests this will translate their greatest talent,” she says.
to the bottom line,” says Cooper. “Without an attractive wellbeing
w“Pre-Covid, the UK was tied at the and benefits programme, you are
bottom of the G7 with Italy on pro- unlikely to attract the best talent
ductivity per capita and 17th in the and your reputation may suffer as
G20 – enhancing mental wellbeing one that is not considered to be a
at work is likely to help improve this.” great place to work.” As the economy
Employers also have a legal starts to pick up again, that could
duty of care to ensure the mental be devastating for businesses.
June 2021 7
You are here, your data is there, threats
are everywhere: solving data protection
C
yber-crime is on customer data with their internal and external
the rise. In our actions. Brands that fail to threats. Whether it’s pain-
digital-first world, protect their customers’ ful or not, enterprises will
distributed workplaces personal information in- only benefit from prioritis-
and remote work routines ev it ably place t hei r ing their encryption and
are creating new security reputations at risk. key management solutions
v u l n e r abi l it ie s . But The study reveals that – especially if it means
how are enterprises re- encryption use continues helping their customers
sponding to the increased to rise, with 50 per cent of feel more secure, and
threat landscape? organisations applying an decreasing risk to
The 2021 Global En- overall encryption strategy their business.
cryption Trends Study aims consistently, while 37 per It’s encouraging that
to answer this question and information that enter- number one reason to cent report a limited en- customer data protection
more by examining how prises do encrypt. Instead, deploy encryption. c r y p t i o n s t r a t e g y. is such a high priority for
and why enterprises deploy other data types ranked Clearly, there is a dis- Managing encryption is a organisations, but there is
encr y ption. While IT higher, such as financial connect between perceived pain point for many enter- clearly work to be done in
professionals ranked pro- records, payment-related threats and the realities of prises today. turning that priority into
te c t ion of c u stome r data, employee/HR data deploying encryption when The pandemic has put a reality.
information as the most and intellectual property. it comes to prioritising even more pressure on
important reason for en- That means enterprises are customer data. To regain organisations to apply in- INDUSTRY VIEW
cryption, the study found leaving customer data consumer trust, organisa- creased attention to their Read the full report at
customer information vulnerable, even though tions need to align their encryption solutions to entrust.com/
ranks fifth on the list of t hey believe it ’s t he i ntent ion to protec t protect against bot h go/2021-GETS-Report
Supporting employee in meetings, you could introduce
a policy that specifies one meet-
health and wellbeing
ing-free day each week. Taking
action will show employees that
their feedback results in tangible
during good
outcomes, leading to more honest
feedback that you can use to drive
higher engagement.
times and bad Model healthy behaviours
You may have introduced an un-
limited holiday policy that lets
M
ore than 85 per cent of Below are actions you can take to employees prioritise their mental
employees around the show employees you’re listening. health, for example. But unless
world report a decline in senior leaders embody the desired
their overall wellbeing since the Ask for feedback behaviour and champion the within the organisation, they will
start of the pandemic, according Someone working remotely with policy, it’s unlikely to be adopted begin to embody those values.
to a recent Harvard Business Re- a young family may have different throughout the business. When it comes to employee
view survey. Many cite a decline concerns to a nurse working night- health and wellbeing, prevention
in their mental health, loss of shifts. One might be concerned Make it part of your culture is always more effective than a cure.
connection with others, and in- about their mental health due to To support the ongoing health and To ensure success, organisations
creased work demands. a lack of clarity around goals, while wellbeing of your people, organ- need to provide ongoing support
Without a clear approach to the other could be struggling with isational values need to reflect the for employee health and wellbeing,
health and wellbeing, organisa- poor physical health. Ask for kinds of behaviours that support and ensure it is woven into their
tions are often unable to unlock feedback so you can better under- good mental, physical and finan- organisational culture.
the high levels of engagement and stand your employees’ needs. cial health.
productivity that allow them to INDUSTRY VIEW
drive successful change and trans- Take meaningful action As employees become more famil- Rick Kershaw is Senior HR Director
formation in the face of shifting If employees say they are working iar with your values and see them at Peakon, a Workday company
economic circumstances. longer hours and spend too long modelled in the way people act https://bit.ly/3u9UDAe
8 June 2021
The great “Y
ou don’t need energy and leaving an un-
to leave your easy impression that things
room,” wrote could have gone better if
Franz Kafka. “Just sit at only they had known how.
screen test
your table and listen.”
Most of us have done this Remote control
all too often over the past The first step on the road to
year, as video conferencing enlightenment, believes
and communications Antonie Knoppers, adjunct
technology such as Zoom faculty member at Rotter-
and Microsoft Teams has dam School of Management,
Teleconferencing has become ubiquitous replaced the traditional is to acknowledge that
during the pandemic – with varying face-to-face meetings and
water cooler moments.
remote meetings are essen-
tially different.
degrees of success. Paul Bray looks at how For some the experience “Various things are
different businesses have learned how to has been liberating: no
wasted hours commuting
‘unnatural’. Everyone is
made to stare at each other.
turn on, tune in and not drop out… or flying to meetings. For This ‘hyper gaze’ can be
an unfortunate few, tech- exhausting and even un-
nical glitches have exposed nerving. Then there’s the
them to public ridicule in ‘mirror effect’, the distrac-
sagas Kafka himself could tion of seeing ourselves on
have penned: The Lawyer screen. This, combined
Who Turned Into A Cat; with the effort of making
The Politician Who Found non-verbal communication
He Was Naked. more explicit (all the
But many have just felt thumbs-ups, vigorous nod-
a little flat, as the promised ding and waving goodbye),
white heat of technology plus surreptitious multi-
has seemed more like a grey tasking such as checking
drizzle, sapping their emails, makes for quite a
June 2021 9
“It’s harder to present
“Various things are ‘unnatural’ [in remote Tele addicts: top teleconferencing tips
in a remote meeting be-
meetings]. Everyone is made to stare at each cause you get no verbal
Don’t rely on your laptop’s camera and microphone. feedback, and it’s harder
other. This ‘hyper-gaze’ can be exhausting.
Invest in a quality external webcam and a headset or to listen because you can
Then there’s the ‘mirror effect’, the distraction USB speakerphone. Tom Arbuthnot, Modality end up staring at a small
of seeing ourselves on screen” – Antonie screen where not much
Knoppers, Rotterdam School of Management Headsets and video bars with AI-based active noise happens,” says Richard
cancelling can reduce or remove background noises such Goring, director of pres-
as keyboard tapping, office chatter or children playing. entation design agency
different experience, and monotonous voice will Paul Clark, EMEA managing director, Poly BrightCarbon. “One solu-
quite different challenges significantly impact the tion is to have highly visual,
for communicators.” way others perceive you Consider standardising on a single, familiar software animated slides that keep
It therefore pays to em- – and there’s a great danger platform, preferably including not just video conferencing people engaged, which also
ploy a little psychology. of slouching when we’re but the ability to share documents; prepare before the helps you feel confident
“People can get virtual hunched over our laptops,” meeting and follow up afterwards. Matthieu Silbermann, and present more
meeting fatigue when nu- says Knoppers. “The right chief product officer, Powell Software effectively.”
merous remote calls are posture is not only better
scheduled back-to-back, for your back, but also has Poor sound is far more disruptive than poor video. Some Meet market
so they need a few minutes a huge impact on whether conferencing solutions can identify bandwidth issues and The basics of good meeting
between calls to mentally you exude confidence and prioritise audio over visual quality. Richard Roberts, Mitel management should not
recover,” says Magnus Falk, instil trust.” be ignored. “A lot of the
CIO advisor at Zoom. “And Because of the limita- Iffy internet connections can be problematic, especially things people do badly in
booking meetings in the tions of video conferencing, when presenting. Try turning off the camera, and remote meetings are the
late morning or early af- we may actually need to streaming slides from a central server instead of using same things they do badly
ternoon provides more work twice as hard to en- live screen sharing. Richard Goring, BrightCarbon in person,” says Goring.
chance for employees to sure our body language is “So all that best practice
check emails at the begin- picked up – making our Don’t assume participants from outside the company around agendas, minutes,
ning and end of the day voice tone and facial ex- will have acceptable equipment. For really important etcetera, remains as valid.”
instead of during calls.” pressions a little more meetings, ship them a decent camera, video encoder and “We advise people to be
“You need to make an “stagey”, and ensuring any external microphone. Marc Risby, CTO, Boxer Systems much more clear and ex-
effort to replace the ‘rela- gestures we make are in plicit about the process of
tionship building’ time that camera shot. Lip-reading can be tricky over video, so consider using a remote meeting,” says
often happens naturally in Knoppers advises posi- automatic captioning and other visual cues within video Knoppers. “That means
a face-to-face meeting, such tioning the camera at eye conferencing software to ensure remote meetings remain establishing the agenda
as walking to the meeting level, otherwise you will inclusive. Chintan Patel, chief technologist UK&I, Cisco and goals, who talks, when
room or going for a drink appear like an ogre looking and for how long, and
or a coffee afterwards,” down, or a mouse looking Remote working can have serious security implications, whether or not people use
adds Tom Arbuthnot, prin- up. “And if you’re working so businesses need clear cyber-security policies which their cameras, or stay on
cipal solutions architect at on two screens, put the should be communicated to all staff and reinforced mute by default.”
unified communications webcam on the main by regular risk assessments. Andrew Duncan, UK CEO, A sure way to under-
consultancy Modality. screen. Many people spend Infosys Consulting mine the effectiveness of
entire meetings looking a meeting is to fail to re-
Dress for success sideways at their other some colour (plants work pressure off teams to get spect attendees’ time,
Slobbing out is inadvisable, screen. It’s like being in a very well).” non-meeting work done.” believes Dyer. “Most meet-
professionally and person- conference room and talk- Keeping the attention ings shouldn’t last longer
ally. “I’m a huge believer ing to the wall.” Heard mentality of a live audience can be than an hour, and the or-
in dressing up for Zoom,” Homeworkers should However, the full video hard enough, but in remote ganiser/moderator should
says Emma Maslen, vice not be afraid of showing a experience is not always meetings the problems are keep things on track, in-
president of cyber-security domestic background. “We necessary, argues Knop- compounded. “People are cluding starting on time.
firm Ping Identity. “Our get a peek into your home, pers. “It’s advisable to have easily distracted by email, If possible, end five minutes
shop windows are always which can bring out aspects some audio-only meetings instant messages or even early: as a gift of time, it’s
open and it’s important to of you and your personality during the day. We seem surfing the web,” says small, but as a message of
look our best – not only for that we wouldn’t otherwise to have forgotten that the Chris Dyer, a remote work- respect, it’s huge.”
our audience but for our- see,” says Knoppers. “This telephone still exists, and ing expert and CEO of The role of the chair-
selves. If you see yourself can help boost engagement research has proven that PeopleG2. “Try to incorpo- man or moderator is key,
during a Zoom call it’s and keep remote teams moving around can greatly rate activities that compel according to Fran k
important that you look connected. You need to h e lp c r e at i v it y a n d participants to engage and Weishaupt, CEO of meeting
good to feel good.” avoid an overly distracting productivity.” contribute, such as fun hardware manufacturer
Other non-verbal cues or messy background, but “I like the idea of HSBC’s games, or asking each per- Owl Labs. “They’ll make
can be equally important. it does need depth (a plain ‘no Zoom Fridays’,” says son for an update on their sure all participants have
“Slouching or using a white wall isn’t good), and Maslen. “This takes the area of responsibility.” t he oppor t unit y to
10 June 2021
FOCUS POINT
contribute, especially remote Mitel. “So both groups work to-
team members who might other- gether to support the meeting’s
wise find it difficult to speak up.” ultimate goals of making decisions
and carrying them out.”
Technically correct Technology features can also
As some staff return to their of- help make remote and hybrid
Read the latest titles in our campaigns…
fices post-lockdown, “hybrid” meetings more effective and ef- Best of Business
meetings combining in-person ficient. “These include editable
and remote participants will transcription, AI-driven meeting
The Future of Manufacturing
become a particular challenge. summary tools, online recordings Internet of Things
Is the office meeting room tech- that can be shared with absent Facilities Management
nology compatible with the apps members, and real-time interac- The Future of Energy
on homeworkers’ laptops? Can tion with to-do lists to capture
remote participants clearly see the status of actions as they arise,”
The Future of Supply Chain
and hear who is speaking, and be says Falk. The Future of Retail
seen and heard themselves? Are Another simple value-add The Future of Insurance
there different dress codes for technology is chat. “In a face-to- The Future of Banking and Fintech
in-person and remote staff? face meeting, chatting while
But, if properly managed, someone else is presenting would
Risk Management
hybrid meetings can create a be rude,” says Goring. “But in a Smart Cities
positive symbiosis between pres- remote meeting it can keep people The Future of Work
ent and remote workers. “In-office engaged. If they need some small The Future of Payments
participants are more likely to clarification, someone in the
continue the conversation among audience can answer and nobody The Future of Sustainable Packaging
themselves after remote attendees gets distracted.” Digital Economy
have dialled off, while the remote So although meeting remotely Fraud Prevention
attendees are more likely to take may be different from face-to-face, The Future of Customer Experience
immediate action,” says Richard with the right approach and ju-
Roberts, vice president for North- dicious use of technology, it business-reporter.co.uk/digital-reports
ern Europe at telecoms company doesn’t have to be worse.
Collaborate and grow: how Ariba benefits
supply chain planning and performance
A
ccording to the of multiple supply chains. mission-critical business chain capable of withstan
World Economic Today, we believe that these processes, supported across ding shocks and ensuring
Forum, Covid-19’s remain essential issues that the extended enterprise continuity of supply.
impact on major economies need addressing, not just to with one single source of
has already been four times deal with the constraints of live information. Making your extended
worse than that of the 2008 the ongoing pandemic but supplier network visible
global financial crisis. So, for the benefit of supply Forecast procurement A ll complex demand
finding ways to improve chain health regardless. spend visibility planning, material require-
performance by working To that end, we have A c h ie v e e n d - to - e n d ments planning (MRP),
better with data and digital identified the Ariba network forecasting, demand plan- and associated changes
tools will be key to finding as a key platform for supply ning, allocation, and remain in the companies’
efficiencies and maximi chains to plan and build execution across the busi- ERP and planning system,
sing your competitive edge. resilience, while improving ness by bridging the but they can be digitally
In March last year, a transparency and perfor- communication gap be- availability, orders, ship- shared with suppliers, live
McKinsey article warned mance. Below we have tween sales and marketing, ments, quality and goods and in real time.
organisations to take urgent outlined five challenges customer service, procure- receipts. This can also
action within their supply where Ariba can help ment and supply. r e duc e l ate n c y a n d INDUSTRY VIEW
chains, to build resilience supply chains plan, colla lead times. To find out more about how
and guard against future borate and grow. Mitigating risk Olivehorse helps custo
shocks. Improved planning, by optimising Striking the right mers improve their supply
transparency and supplier Managing contract working capital buy/move balance chain or to book a discovery
optimisation were cited as coverage commitments Optimise capital by increa Accurate forecasting and session, please contact
key factors, especially given Ariba enables you to digi sing the transparency planning is key to building Olivehorse at https://
the complexity challenges tise the supply chain and of fore c a st s, supply a resilient, efficient supply olivehorse.com/contactJune 2021 11
Building a culture of excellence
Covid-19 has had a transformative effect on the world of work. Enterprises
must now prepare to navigate a period of sustained unpredictability
O
ver the past year, a – but those times have formation Series, new
new work ecosys- passed. Three new charac- agile certifications with
tem has emerged, teristics and qualities have Disciplined Agile, PMI
placing greater demands come to embody the mod- Citizen Developer and
on our ability to think cre- ern era for business: Wicked Problem Solving
atively, act with agility and shock, sensing and speed. – PMI is well positioned
respond quickly to change As such, we have seen the to serve changemakers as
and crisis. While this eco- evolution of what we at the global “go-to” place
system has been evolving Project Management Insti- for all things project-
for some time, the full-spec- tute (PMI) call gymnastic related. If enterprises are
trum disarray caused by enterprises. to undergo the transfor-
the pandemic has acceler- Crisis management had mation necessary to ensure
ated the need for many once been rooted in reac- they turn crises into oppor-
organisations to develop t i v e n e s s – w h at a n tunities, they must:
resilience and a culture of enterprise could do to limit
excellence that will ensure the damage after a crisis • Understand that strategic
their future relevance. hit. Gymnastic enterprises, transformation is not about
Take the media sector however, do things differ- small changes, but a quan-
as an example. Well before ently. They know they tum leap in operational
the pandemic, the industry cannot plan for every even- and/or cultural evolution
was hit by substantial shifts tuality, and that waiting
in the way we consume until the storm has passed • Develop gymnastic op-
news, access video content before executing a clean-up erating models that ensure
and more, with legacy operation is risky and they can respond effec-
outlets forced to compete costly. Rather, they are tively to uncertainty
with more dynamic social nimble from the outset and
media platforms. The need skilled in a range of ap- • Upskill and reskill
for agility was already proaches that can be changemakers with the
apparent. Those that sur- deployed depending on the right tools and technologies
vived understood two size and shape of the prob- has made strides in this these individuals with the so they can drive transfor-
things early on: preparation lem they are addressing. area, offering employees resources they need in mation efforts from within
for sharp and unexpected Central to the success input into the design of its a rapidly changing work the enterprise
deviations from the usual of gymnastic enterprises offices, breaking them up environment.
path is key to survival, and is their ability to empower into small teams that fore- These are the results of
companies who want to changemakers to bring ground commercial agility Driving the emergence PMI’s unique insight into the
retain a driven workforce about this necessary evo- and flexibility, all in line of The Project Economy new work ecosystem, and
must ensure the work is lution, as explored in our with its core values of be- The future of work will our conviction – born from
meaningful. Enterprises 2021 Pulse of the Profes- nevolence, transparency increasingly centre on years of studying how up-
t h at e mb e dde d t h i s sion® report. As such, and optimism. executing projects. Mean- heaval impacts business
understanding and created employees are trained and These qualities are es- while, careers will revolve operations – is that, if ap-
a culture of excellence upskilled to master differ- sential to build a culture of around a portfolio of projects proached carefully, crises
are those that have been ent ways of working and excellence in the new work rather than a bulleted list of provide opportunities for
able to excel dur ing evolve their persona to ecosystem, and it will take static job responsibilities. those willing to undergo
the pandemic. demonstrate their power strategic transformation The global economy needs transformation.
skills – collaborative of many enterprises to 25 million new project pro-
Beyond VUCA leadership, emotional in- embed these practices and fessionals by 2030, according INDUSTRY VIEW
We have long operated telligence, an innovative mindsets. Enterprises that to PMI’s Talent Gap report. Sunil Prashara is president
i n a world of r apid mindset and empathy for can execute such transfor- After months of upgrad- and CEO of Project
change defined as “VUCA” both employees and cus- mations are twice as likely ing and modernising our Management Institute
– volatility, uncertainty, tomers. Airbnb’s Employee to invest in developing foundations – including @PMInstitute
complexity and ambiguity Experience department internal talent and equip our Organizational Trans- www.pmi.org12 June 2021
The biggest post-pandemic
threat to businesses?
A lack of people strategy
More than a year
O
ver the past year, many talent at a time when they will encourage them to look for a new
businesses have been in depend upon it most – hampering job if it were to happen in the next
of working under crisis mode, dealing with productivity and performance, six months.
urgent new tasks and concerns. and tarnishing employer brand We also found that a lack of
the shadow of And for some the focus on fire- – but it could take a significant toll awareness among employers of
Covid-19 has fighting has caused other areas,
such as their people strategy, to
on profit margins too. Overall, the
cost of additional staff turnover
how their company’s handling of
the pandemic has been perceived
given employees fall to the wayside. in the UK and Ireland over the could be contributing to a lack of
a renewed voice But negligence can come at a
cost – and businesses that don’t
next 12 months could cost the
economy an estimated £16.958
loyalty among employees. HR
decision makers are more than
– and employers prioritise their people strategy riskbillion – equating to £10,076 per twice as likely as employees to rate
paying the price for their actions business – and up to £5.807 billion their business’s support for career
would do well to later, in the form of a costly talentfor SMEs alone. development as “good”, and
listen to them exodus, damaged employer brand
and a productivity drought.
But what’s triggering this
exodus? While there are various
around a quarter are more likely
to see its support for work/life
In our latest research we sur- factors at play, the research un- balance and mental/physical
veyed 500 HR decision makers covered a worrying disconnect wellbeing in a positive light. More-
and 2,000 employees in the UK between employers’ perception over, they are also significantly
and Ireland. We set out to explore of what will encourage their staff more likely to overestimate how
the cost of poor people strategy to leave and employees’ reality, successfully their organisation
during the pandemic and assess highlighting a lack of understand- has managed company culture,
the actions businesses can take to ing of staff ’s problems and resourcing and inter nal
mitigate the risks of mass resig- priorities today. communications.
nation in the near future. Here’s Crucially, while HR decision It’s clear that many employers
what we found. makers are right to speculate that are worryingly out of touch with
a pay freeze or cut and a worsening their employees’ priorities and
A talent exodus work-life balance could cause concerns. And, if businesses fail
is on the horizon workers to look elsewhere, they to identify this disconnect and
Our new research reveals that, underestimate the pushing power address any issues at hand – such
having navigated a myriad of of a toxic workplace culture. as burnout or a lack of appreciation
market and operational challenges Toxic workplace culture is a major – this could prompt people to leave
over the past year, businesses could push factor, with 21 per cent of and put their employer brand on
be sleepwalking towards a talent employees saying this would the line.
exodus – with nearly one in four
employees looking to change roles
in the near future.
Although some employers are
aware this exodus is on the way
– with nearly half of HR decision
makers worried staff will leave
once the job market improves –
they might not be taking the
necessary steps to prevent people
leaving. Only a quarter of HR
decision makers are reporting that
talent retention is a priority for
their organisation over the next
12 months.
Not only does this mean busi-
nesses risk losing their valuableJune 2021 13
A looming such as low motivation and morale, at their business. This figure With the potential to provoke
productivity drought or burnout. should be 0 per cent – especially a cascade of negative outcomes,
Employers aren’t just overestimat- It’s crucial that employers ad- when good people strategy goes such as poor staff retention, dam-
ing how well their organisation dress these issues sooner rather hand in hand with productivity. aged employer brand and poor
has handled the pandemic – they’re than later if they’re to prevent a The research found that, of those productivity, this could ultimately
overestimating their team’s pro- looming productivity drought. HR decision makers that reported cause a significant impact to a
ductivity too. While three in ten With 83 per cent of employees an increase in productivity during business’s bottom line. And for
employees (31 per cent) say the saying a good workplace culture the pandemic, 67 per cent said businesses that haven’t prioritised
pandemic has made them more helps people to be more productive, people strategy is a priority at their people during the pandemic,
productive at work, this is notably it’s clear that getting people strat- their business – demonstrating any detrimental impact may not
different to what HR professionals egy right is key to solving the that successful firms invest in become apparent until it’s too late.
believe they have seen, with more productivity puzzle. their people. But there’s still a chance to turn
than half (52 per cent) saying they Evidently people strategy is the tide. By prioritising their people
have noticed an increase in em- People strategy integral to productivity and per- and taking a more strategic ap-
ployee productivity. as a crucial priority formance, driving business success proach to people management,
Unaware of the reality of how Behind every great business is a and, in turn, the economy, and employers can drive their business
employees are feeling, this opti- great team. And a great team re- this necessitates that HR becomes performance as well as the wider
mism could pose a risk: if quires a brilliant HR function more strategic still. But in order economy. And as many employers
employers don’t recognise that – which is why an effective people to fulfil this strategic function, HR prepare to open offices again, it’s
employees feel less productive, strategy is so important. teams need more support. Half of critical they involve their employ-
they’re less likely to take steps to But, shockingly, 39 per cent of HR decision makers still wish HR ees in what the future of work in
address it – and this could cost HR decision makers don’t cite had a bigger reach and influence their company should look like,
them in the long run. people strategy as a top priority within the business, while 46 per and listen to their concerns, to
And it’s not just how employers cent say the HR function lacks the avoid yet more disconnection.
and employees rate productivity data and insights it needs to
where there’s a mismatch – they support the business in the best INDUSTRY VIEW
are also at odds over the reasons way possible. Personio is the all-in-one HR
behind productivity losses. Indeed, software for SMEs. It makes
HR decision makers are more likely Where do we go from here? processes as transparent and
to believe that external factors are People are a business’s greatest efficient as possible so HR can
driving poor productivity, such as asset. So when people strategy is focus on the most valuable assets
distractions or managing child- not well planned or thought out in the company: people. For the
care, whereas employees are most – or its impact is overestimated – complete survey results, visit
likely to attribute productivity loss this comes at a cost to the people https://www.personio.com/
to factors related to their work, and the business too. resources/hr-study-202114 June 2021
S
mall and medium-sized
businesses have suffered
grievously during the Covid
pandemic. Lacking the depth of
pocket, breadth of interests and
extent of continuity planning of
larger companies, many have had
a torrid time, with owners often
spending their own savings or
taking second jobs just to keep the
business afloat.
But smaller firms do have one
invaluable advantage over larger
rivals: agility. While the corporate
CEO is straining at the helm of the
oil tanker, the SME skipper can
reset every sail and disappear over
the horizon.
Risky business
“By nature, entrepreneurs are risk
Staying afloat in the
takers and the most agile of the
workforce, traits that lend them-
selves well to difficult economic
times,” says LJ Silverman, head of
storm of the century
the LSE Generate entrepreneurs’
programme at the London School
of Economics. “Customer tastes and
preferences have changed at stag-
gering speed over the past 18
months, and radical innovation is The past year has seen many firms suffer – but small enterprises have
required to keep up. SMEs are proved surprisingly resilient. Paul Bray looks at SMEs that have been
usually a catalyst for this, so there’s
often a spotlight on them to kickstart nimble and innovative enough to sidestep the pandemic potholes
the economy and adapt quickly to
new ways of working.” “We moved at pace to pivot and and event offer,” says CEO Saman- franchise business for yoga
“One of the positive things develop new digital services, in- tha Rowe. “Our creative and instructors, just could not make
during the pandemic was seeing cluding a digital lear ning project management teams had ends meet during the pandemic.
so many SMEs successfully adapt management system for retail to upskill immediately, working So founder Cheryl MacDonald
and pivot their businesses,” says sales teams. We’d been strategising nights and weekends, and by June closed down the franchise
Victoria Price, UK&I private client
this for a while, but the pandemic 2020 we’d delivered our first busi ne ss a nd moved to a
services leader at EY. “For some, forced us to rapidly speed up de- virtual exhibit.” licence-only model.
this required changing their op- velopment. The upshot is we’ve The firm has now recruited a “We also went back to the
erating model, such as adopting been able to train many more staff, specialist digital team and beefed drawing board and came up with
home delivery or online platforms.and created a valued new service up its business development ca- Empower by YogaBellies, a 300-
Others had to embrace a funda- [to] complement our in-store ac- pability. “As live events are still on hour course that helps you
mental shift in products and tivity. So in meeting the needs of hold, we’ve expanded our digital transform your life through yoga.
services, [such as] the distilleries
the evolved channel, we’ve helped offer into areas outside live events “Ultimately we’re starting again
and breweries who switched to diversify our business offering.” to ensure additional revenue,” says from scratch. But we still have the
manufacturing hand sanitiser.” International exhibitions Rowe. “We hope this will help power of the brand and our loyal
and events company Ignition ensure the longevity of the business customers and teachers, plus a
New routes to business watched in horror when Covid hit, should the pandemic continue, brand-new course that will build
Even in the hardest-hit sectors, as planned events were cancelled, and plug short-term gaps until live on our previous knowledge. We’ve
SMEs have found new routes to and revenues shrivelled. But it projects return.” learned that you need to be ready
market, often online. Pre-Covid, soon realised that clients wanted to pivot your entire business model,
field and retail marketing agency to meet their customers as Out of the ashes assess the options and the market,
Gekko majored on training shop- much as ever, if only they could If realignment is not enough, there and be able to make tough
floor staff, so lockdown was a find the means. is always resurrection. Despite decisions.”
hammer blow. CEO Daniel Todaro’s “We immediately put a plan in cutting costs and trying new Which, of course, is just where
response was to go virtual. place to create a digital exhibit revenue streams, YogaBellies, a the best entrepreneurs excel.
| Publisher Bradley Scheffer | Editor Dan Geary | Client manager Maida Goodman | Project managers Matthew Rodford, Paul Aitken, Marc MorrowYou can also read
