What I Learned From Working Through a Pandemic and the Changes We Made to Our Business as a Result

In March 2020, the pandemic turned the entire working world upside down. Employees who had previously worked in a traditional office setting found themselves working remotely for the first time – some even juggling work, elderly parents, and toddlers. Workplace connections and water cooler talks that casually occurred in the office were no more. Meetings and events were held virtually. 

It has been a challenging 2.5 years, and if you are anything like me, you want to see at least a sliver of a silver lining. The challenges of the pandemic and the still-uncertain risks are far from over, but here are some lessons that stand out to me as I reflect on the last couple of years. 

Trust in staff

During this incredibly challenging phase, our approach was to trust in our staff. We believe that our colleagues can do their part of the shared work to a high standard, irrespective of where they work. We have a fantastic team, and when the pandemic hit, we took a leap of faith and kept everyone employed. In rapidly adapting to a remote working model – entirely new to us – this trust has returned enormous improvements for us as a business, with the time spent training, improving, and planning for life post-pandemic.

As we started to find our feet and create new ways of working, we continued to seek more feedback from our teams and include them in decisions. From pulse surveys to find out what our team members needed to ask them about their readiness and comfort in returning to the workplace, our employees' opinions shaped our decisions about when and how people would return to work. Now that things have returned to somewhat normalcy, we have reimagined the physical and digital workplace and our ways of working to prepare for a hybrid future. 

Ditch the first in, last out mentality and get objective-focused

The first-in-last-out approach, like the clock-in clock-out approach, was an idea that started in the manufacturing era when time clocks were the best way to measure an employee’s productivity on the line. But times have changed, and time spent in your ergonomic office chair is no longer an accurate measure of productivity. As long as a project is completed on time and results are produced, the journey shouldn’t matter as much as a result. It’s a big adjustment, and many businesses aren’t ready (or have the metrics in place) for this approach - but if you do get it right, it is a different way of looking at business for the better. 

Accept that the office will never be the same again (and it’s not necessarily a bad thing)

The pandemic caused massive organisational disruption to companies worldwide. Still, it has also offered us valuable lessons and significant opportunities to make our workplace a better, more efficient space where employees can thrive. Workplaces will no longer be grim cubicles of employees engrossed in their computers but rather places to interact, connect, collaborate, and innovate. This transition, however, is not easy. It takes a shift in setup, mindset, and culture to achieve this and a suitable workspace. 

We continue to invest in our head office to have the physical workspace and equipment to help power the productivity and engagement of our teams.

As part of our flexible work policy, we have regular department days and company days designed to be different. In a world of continued remote work, these days were introduced last year to encourage our team members to meet in person throughout the year to strategise and drive improvements across the business. From workshops and team-building challenges to SWOT analyses, we have found these days to be a blend of fun, ideas and input. 

It’s good to talk

From the uncertainty and fear of the pandemic’s spread to movement restrictions and the loss of loved ones, everyone has struggled at some point during the pandemic. In a way, this made it a safe space for people to open up because we were all operating in the same environment - from staff to family to other business owners. I found great solace in talking through the challenges I faced personally and Codex faced as a business. Business leaders and employees need to learn from this and continue fostering a safe communication environment. 

That said, not everyone may be comfortable confiding directly to their boss or colleagues, so we introduced Spectrum Life’s EAP programme in 2020 to ensure that all staff had a professional avenue for support and counselling.  

Continuous improvement permeates all levels of our organisation. We believe in constantly pushing the envelope and strive to find ways to innovate, implement best practices, and work with other Irish businesses in our local community.  

Connect with me or learn more about us here!