FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SCALING UP WEBINAR SERIES

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted businesses in every industry imaginable. Over the last two months, we co-hosted a webinar series with SCV Chamber featuring business leaders in diverse industries to learn from their experiences in HR and staffing, facility operations and customer service in responding to this very real “new normal.”

1. Be proactive and prepared.

If there is one thing we have learned, it’s to expect the unexpected. While this crisis has been hard on all businesses, those who were proactive and prepared have fared better. Practicing company-wide disaster drills, having a business continuity plan in place, having access to top legal, insurance and banking experts, and ensuring computers have up-to-date cybersecurity measures were some key recommendations of our webinar participants.

2. Be flexible and adaptable.

Businesses have had to adapt to ever-evolving protocols and mandates. While some “non-essential” companies were forced to close, many essential businesses had to contend with new social distancing and sanitizing regulations. Agile companies able to rapidly implement these were able to get up and running sooner. Panelist recommendations included staggering start and end times to ease congestion at entry points, reconfiguring workspaces and break rooms, and encouraging back office staff to work from home.

3. Communication is key.

Communication is key, both internally and externally. Whether it’s setting up an intranet webpage for team communications or simply providing a comment box for your employees to drop an anonymous note with their questions or concerns, it’s important to keep lines of communication open.

4. Culture matters.

Relationships matter, and having a great work culture helps ensure trust between management and staff. Business owners who take time to understand employee needs, listen and respond to concerns, and have demonstrated a culture of caring before the COVID-19 crisis, reported that their teams were more likely to adapt to change, feel appreciated and respected, and maintain greater happiness in the workplace.

5. Remote work is here to stay.

Many workers have been afforded the opportunity to work from home, and while some look forward to returning to the office, many do not. Several employers said that employees would continue teleworking, at least part time, and have enjoyed freedom from long commutes and more flexibility to handle family and personal responsibilities.

To listen to replays of these very informative webinars visit: www.scvedc.org/scalingup.