Are you ready for the great resignation?
Workers across the globe have spoken
COVID-19 has pushed us 10 years into the future. The crisis forced us to stay apart and then highlighted just how much work could be done remotely.
Before March 2020, video conferencing existed; the most valuable companies in the world relied on code and media as their main revenue drivers; and e-commerce was steadily gaining in popularity, as digital natives entered the marketplace with more and more purchasing power.
And yet, it was the pandemic that forced us to rely on those means. Sixteen months of operating this way has driven adoption and ingrained new habits. The world has changed — and perhaps no change will be as disruptive as the way we work.
In early 2020, not a single CEO was worried about the impact of remote work. In 2021, 51 per cent of surveyed CEOS in The Predictive Index’s annual CEO Benchmarking Report 2021
said working well remotely was their top priority. And with good reason.
Most studies in North America suggest how we work has been forever altered. For business owners, the next 24 months will be more difficult to navigate than the previous 16 months.
According to an Angus Reid survey that polled Canadians on their post- COVID-19 work
place preferences, 66 per cent of Canadians said they want a hybrid option, while 82 per cent said they would quit their job
if they were forced back to the office and their commute was longer than 15 minutes. Some experts predict more than 53 per
cent turnover before the end of 2023. In April 2021, more than four million people quit their jobs in the U. S. — a 20-year high. It has begun. Organizations will have to choose between in- office, fully remote and the hybrid model. And as we choose, so will the people in our charge. There are three reasons, two of which you have little to no control over (but you can influence) — and one that you need to get right:
1. Last year was hard on everyone and, as a result, many desire a fresh start. That includes their job.
2. Opportunity is everywhere, literally. Remote work opportunities have skyrocketed and the war for talent is spreading across the globe. That means local markets will
need to work harder to retain local talent. High performers will have the most choice.
3. Your next normal. Are you fully in the office, remote or a hybrid model? Whatever you choose, it will be a change for most of your people and you will need to be intentional about it. There is no right answer, however, the
mistake many owners will make is underestimating the move to the hybrid model and its particular influence on productivity.
Remote work opportunities have skyrocketed and the war for talent is spreading across the globe.” — Matt Symes, Co-founder and CEO, Symplicity Designs
With every challenge comes opportunity. It’s your responsibility to understand the needs of your organization, your people, your single points of failure and your organizational risks. With your senior leadership team, choose your next normal. You’re going to choose a fully on-site, fully remote or the hybrid model.
Your decision is going to appeal to some and not to others.
Note of caution: The hybrid model does not mean wing it and it’s the most difficult model to get right.
Map out your organization, identify the key roles and the key people. The organizational view
will help you understand all your risks.
Next, connect one on one with everyone in your organization. Get to know them a little more personally. How are they doing? What are their plans? Most times, a meaningful conversation — without distraction — will give you a solid understanding of where they stand and how your post-pandemic organization aligns with their thoughts.
One business leader said bluntly that he knows mass migration is
about to happen. His goal, after he connects with his people, is to be in a position to win the re-trade.
There is no right answer, but there is a wrong answer: confusion. What will you be on the other side?
Matt Symes is a serial entrepreneur, portfolio manager and recovering academic. As a Co-founder of Symplicity Designs, he has helped 400- plus organizations through growth
and crisis management. When it comes to Symplicity’s own human resources, Symes and the leadership team have worked hard to create a culture that supports its employees in every facet of life. For more information on the company’s new Sympli Works training course, The Boss’s Guide to HR, visit Sympli.works.
“Thank goodness there have been efforts to support restaurants. They have been able to pivot by offering takeout and opening outdoor spaces, allowing them to keep their businesses alive while the indoor spaces are closed,” says Frank Brophy, Owner of Foreign Affair.
“Unfortunately, retail cannot offer services similar to bars and restaurants,” says Brophy. “We had to do a lot on our own to survive.”
During the first lockdown, Foreign Affair launched an online store two weeks after the closure. Although the Spring Garden Road storefront is the primary source of business, the new e- commerce site ensures customers are offered an online experience the Foreign Affair way.
Founded in 1973, the curated high- end women’s fashion store was lucky to have an amazing and loyal clientele who ordered online or through other channels to keep the business going during the tough times.
“Our ability to survive during the pandemic has really come down to the incredible team we have and their strong relationships with the people in Nova Scotia and beyond,” says Brophy.
The hope is that as people emerge from lockdowns, they will be particularly craving inperson experiences and connections, including retail shopping. And it’s something the downtown core can reoffer in cascades.
“I actually think, especially as many people suffered from online fatigue, that there will be a renewed market for the mainstreet store,” says Mackinnon. “But perhaps one with a smaller footprint, who also sells online, manufactures on-site and potentially shares space with other uses, such as food and drink.”
As more people return to instore shopping, downtown shopping ought to become the heart of the city once again. When that demand increases, more experiential retail stores will supply by taking over vacant storefronts that were, at one point in time,
vital to the downtown core.
DOWNTOWN CORE, NEW DIRECTIONS
“The story of downtown is the story of adversity and overcoming societal shifts,” says Mackinnon. “Pandemics aren’t new. Yellow fever used to sweep across eastern cities in the late 1700s, forcing people to flee the cities. And more recently, downtowns emptied out postWorld War II due to subsidized suburbanization.”
Mackinnon knows downtown will survive — and it will survive COVID-19, especially with the abundance of tools, resources and technologies now afforded to businesses. However, things will need to change.
Greater workplace flexibility and remote work, with varying hybrid options, became the norm throughout the pandemic and are bound to remain so for a while. This will stimulate the creation of distinct workspaces to meet new needs and different commuting times and patterns. Most importantly, it means a growing residential population is in the making, which has not slowed down in Halifax or across Canada.
“As a small business, and any business for that matter, it’s no fun to be in a construction zone,” says Marshall Haywood, Owner of Venus Envy. “But when it’s done, having more residential units downtown is just great for every downtown business.”
Located on Barrington Street since 1999, Venus Envy has experienced waves of downtown developments. As a business owner, Haywood finds them frustrating, in addition to the lack of parking and having to pay to park. It drives out shoppers to business parks, where it’s much easier and free to park.
“Parking is the perennial issue for any business downtown and is also one of the reasons I am encouraged by so many new residential units downtown,” says Haywood. “Those are people who already live in and probably worked downtown, so they don’t need to drive in and find a parking spot.”
“Our sales really suffered because people weren’t coming
downtown to go to the parks and the arts, not having music and theatre venues. The last year and a bit has really impacted foot traffic and how many people come downtown.”
“This means we need to be much more thoughtful about how we make our streets even more pedestrian focused and ensuring our public spaces are intentionally inclusive for all,”
says Mackinnon. “The good news is that Halifax, as a mid
sized city with a very walkable downtown and lots of opportunity for residential growth, is relatively well positioned for recovery.”
To rejuvenate the vitality of downtown, residential developments are worth pursuing for large developers. The down
town density in the making is providing a much-needed positive outlook to downtown
storefronts, who are yearning for a steadier increase in foot traffic and sales.
“Having more residential units, either condos or apartments, downtown is just great for every business downtown,” says Haywood.
Additionally, the city is investing in a Grand Parade concert series this summer to help bring vibrancy back to the main streets. Downtown Halifax Business Commission has also created placemaking and music grants for its members.
“We also plan to activate our district with events, seating, flowers, art, music and open streets this summer and can’t
wait to welcome visitors to our community,” says Jackson. The North End Business Association has been echoing the voices of businesses in its area to the government and advocating on their behalf.
“We have provided digital grants to set up online stores, beautification, patio and façade grants, put out social distance markers and mask decals in shop windows,” says Jackson. “All of these were important to do, but the most valuable takeaway from all of this is how important it is to just be there for your businesses, to listen to their concerns and assure them that
someone is out there fighting for them.”
“With an end to restrictions in sight, we now need to look ahead to how we recover from
this and rebuild as a business district and as a city,” says Jackson. “We have been very
lucky in the north end to have had approximately 25 new businesses open up during the pandemic.”
This is a true testament to the resiliency and perseverance of small businesses, who are still gravitating toward the downtown area, believing in the strength of downtown. It’s a reflection of the optimism of small business owners and the downtown core’s commitment to vibrancy.
“When people come downtown, they expect to see things happening,” says Mackinnon. “And we are confident that the area will recover.”