A COO’s Take On Lessons Learned From The Pandemic

What’s changed and what should remain the same

The one-year-since-the-pandemic milestone is behind us, but the lessons learned will be applied for years to come. Amidst the hardships and hurdles, many executives gained invaluable nuggets of wisdom from leading remote workforces and pivoting to adapt to the times. From making the difficult decision to send employees home from the office to their work-from-home realities to learning to lead meetings and close business deals virtually, this past year was a period of short-term discomfort and unfamiliarity but also of long term-growth and development. 
 

As with most disruptive events, one reflects on revelations and rethinks the future. This past year shed light on many practices and processes in need of improvement, and nudged one to look back at what’s changed and what should remain the same. 

It didn’t take a pandemic to realize no two companies have the same cultural DNA, however, it did highlight the importance of taking every opportunity to reiterate company culture and support. The factors that showcase and establish company culture are clearly evident in a typical in-person office environment, but much trickier to implement and practice with employees spread out geographically working from home. 

Regardless of where employees are working, culture is the string that holds employees together, so own yours and take strides to ensure employees feel valued and included. In an office, that might look like bi-weekly happy hours or team breakfasts, but remotely it could look like random virtual coffee chats or frequent office-wide town halls to keep employees up to speed and connected.

The importance of culture and belonging to something larger than yourself didn’t disappear or fade when employees shifted to remote work, and companies must continue to cultivate that sense of community now more than ever. 

Prior to the pandemic, many companies could not possibly imagine a remote workforce. But now, such companies are thriving remotely, or at least becoming accustomed to it. A year after businesses and companies shut down, remote work is still the norm, and it will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. 

With remote work not going anywhere any time soon, companies are beginning to explore a hybrid model. Working from home has shown massive productivity gains, yet it lacks the human element office settings offer that is so vital to employee wellbeing and company culture. A hybrid approach, allowing employees to decide when and if they want to work remotely or in the office, will be the standard going forward. 

Companies have come to realize they can no longer force employees to work in an office setting, and the option to work from anywhere is valid and possible. A hybrid approach allows employees to set their own expectations, so long as they’re getting their work done and contributing. Employees need personal elements an office setting provides, but they also need their own space with minimal distractions — and the freedom to decide what formula works best for them. 

The past year has illuminated that a solid and robust onboarding process is key. It’s not easy managing a workforce, let alone a remote workforce, especially during the hiring and onboarding process. Many companies have seen tremendous growth, which means quick hires and speedy onboarding. But, that initial onboarding and introduction process has ongoing impacts and effects. Companies must lean into a robust, thoughtful onboarding process for maximum outcomes for the employee and employer down the road. 

The Zoom reality has resulted in a few perks, like broadening the employee search pool and breaking down interview barriers. However, it’s made onboarding a new hire leaps and bounds more challenging. The first few weeks for a new hire is where key integration takes place, which is critical to forming relationships with colleagues and learning the ropes. It’s always the company’s responsibility to ensure an effective onboarding process, regardless of the employee’s role or if they’re working remotely or in the office. 

Unprecedented times also bring along unexpected surprises and realizations. One of the most pleasant surprises from the pandemic for many companies has been the success of virtual conferences and events. For example, a virtual conference just a few months ago had close to 1,000 attendees, whereas similar in-person conferences typically expect to see 300-400 attendees. Virtual conferences and events eliminate travel barriers like cost or arranging childcare while away, for example, and ultimately increase conference access and equity.

Another realization is that large deals can be closed virtually and high stakes meetings are still occurring without meeting in person. This is great news specifically for smaller teams and companies, as budgets, travel or wining-and-dining no longer hold teams back. 

While the past year has certainly had its challenges, hurdles and ups and downs, it’s opened business leaders’ eyes to new ways of doing things and offered a much needed fresh perspective. Whether it’s new ways to contribute to company culture or an updated onboarding process, business leaders and executives can take what has been learned over the past year and apply it for years to come. 

Sankar Lagudu is the Co-Founder & COO at RFPIO Inc. An IT professional with over 20 years of experience, Sankar has led cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products and cost-effective solutions for Fortune 500 enterprises. Sankar’s first-hand RFP experience with outdated solutions prompted him to create an industry game-changer, RFPIO. Visit https://www.rfpio.com/  Connect Sankar Lagudu