How Suncorp coronavirus-proofed its whole workforce
QUEENSLAND'S biggest company has half of its staff working from home under a contingency plan hatched five years ago to allow it to survive a crisis like the coronavirus epidemic.
Suncorp Group chief executive Steve Johnston said the financial giant's 13,000-strong workforce had been split into two teams which take alternate turns working at home one week and then in the office.
Mr Johnston said this reduced the personal contact between staff members while allowing the business to continue normal operations.
“With fewer staff in the office it allows us to have more space between people,” said Mr Johnston. “I am working in the office this week but will be at home next week as part of that plan.”
He said Suncorp decided five years ago that it wanted to have the technical capacity to allow the majority of staff to work remotely.
This not only allowed it to cope with a crisis like an epidemic but reduced the need for office space and allowed people to have more flexible working arrangements. “On any normal day prior to coronavirus we would have about 30 per cent of staff working remotely,” Mr Johnston said.
“That has allowed us to reduce our real estate footprint so that for every 10 people we have 7-8 physical desks.”
He said call centre staff were now working from home dealing with bushfire claims, proving the business could continue amid the current crisis. “It shows it is possible from a technical point of view but it also requires an institutional change and leaders have to adapt to teams that are working remotely.”
Mr Johnston said productivity does not suffer as a result of so many people working remotely. “We sent all our Brisbane office staff home during G20 a few years ago and productivity actually improved,” he said.
But he cautioned there was a need to maintain social interaction between staff even if it involved virtual meetings.