Right now, you need reading material more than ever, and our best blogs for August include stories on virtual onboarding, maintaining a long-term focus, and realigning business tech in 2020.
Tips for Virtual Onboarding
Challenging even during ‘normal times’ – onboarding is an important part of incorporating new hires, supporting employee retention, building a positive culture and maintaining productivity. Unfortunately, many companies are now forcing into onboarding online.
Thankfully, many staples of the typical onboarding process can be done online. Companies can still pair a new hire with an experienced employee who serves as a mentor. Managers can also check in regularly via video chat or phone call.
If your organization is now onboarding online, think about creating collectives of new staff members who can go through virtual onboarding together. A group five or six individuals who regularly talk with one another can collectively grasp the processes and culture of your business over the internet; supporting each other while working out how your company functions.
Keep Thinking Long Term
With new COVID information coming out every day, it is easy to get tunnel vision and start thinking only about managing day-to-day issues. However, the COVID-19 virus isn’t an “end of days” plague and even the most pessimistic experts say life will go on at some point.
Business leaders trying to navigate the pandemic and lock-down need to keep this in mind. Of course, deadlines need to be met, bills need to be paid and customers need to buy services and products. However, addressing current challenges shouldn’t happen at the expense of long-term ones. Operations should still work towards meeting long-term goals. Staffing moves should be made deliberately and not in reaction to immediate pressure or a craven desire to boost the bottom line by cutting costs.
Companies should continue to focus on process improvement and new initiatives. Performance metrics should continue to be tracked for later review, possibly to establish a contingency plan for a future pandemic and lockdown. Employers should continue to attract, hire, onboard, and develop talent, as well as move forward on succession plans. Companies leaders should continue to look for growth opportunities.
Realigning Business Tech in 2020
Back in December, many blogs and news outlets rolled out their predictions for business tech in 2020. Those predictions likely didn’t take into account the ramifications of a global pandemic, and company leaders around the world have had to shift all of their operations in light of this once-in-a-generation viral outbreak.
At the moment, automation is a critical application of business technology. Automation can help leaders ensure conventional company operations are efficient, streamlined and highly visible while staff members are not able to access physical items and locations.
IT is also crucial for ensuring the safety of employees going back to the workplace where local rules allow. IT applications can be used for a phased return and contact tracing programs.
As companies embrace a hybrid model automation will provide more visibility on which employees are coming in, what they do while there and the schedule moving forward.
