Print.IT Reseller - issue 84

01732 759725 52 VOX POP The COVID-19 pandemic has put employee well-being at the forefront of the business agenda. According to NTT’s 2020 Intelligent Workplace Report , 86 per cent of businesses will prioritise employee empowerment in their future workplace strategy In June last year, the Office for National Statistics reported that one in five people said that their work had been affected because they were finding working from home difficult. Now, as lockdown restrictions ease and workers nationwide get ready to return to offices, businesses will be faced with a fresh set of challenges: adapting workplaces to conduct business in the new normal, leveraging technologies to bring remote- and office-based employees together, and adapting office design to align with employees’ new needs. With this in mind, PrintIT Reseller asked some of the industry’s business leaders: How important will prioritising employee experience and investing in well-being initiatives be to positively impacting the bottom line, boosting productivity, employee engagement, retention and attraction? Workplace strategy in a post-pandemic world Sam Johnson, Learning and Organisational Manager , Brother UK: “Our success and the relationships we rely on with our partners are driven and delivered by our people. So empowering employees through development and engagement has always been central to our business strategy. And we’re very proud to be consistently recognised by Investors in People as part of these initiatives. “Employee empowerment and investment in well-being is particularly prudent following our shared experiences of the last year. We’re among a big cohort of businesses that are bedding-in permanent hybrid working arrangements ready for the full return to the office. This is a huge investment in the employee experience by many businesses, and a recognition of the better work-life balance that home workers have enjoyed in the past year. But it will require considered change to development and management strategies to become a long-term success. After all, it’s more difficult to see whether an employee working remotely is happy and motivated, than it is for office-based staff. “These experiences have encouraged us to revisit our entire approach to learning and development, with the ‘Brother Academy’ currently being established. Part of this new approach will empower our own people to become subject matter experts, providing guidance and training to colleagues. For example, we’ve always had a sizable field-based workforce, and these colleagues can support our office-based teams on remote management best practices as we move to a hybrid set-up. “However, we recognise that, despite our best efforts to empower employees, losing talent at this time is to be expected. People have experienced a year of reflection and thinking, so a want for change is inevitable. But for firms able to facilitate job flexibility and mobility internally, their chances to retain and even attract talent may be far higher. “Likewise, we know that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to giving employees what they want or need. For example, companies’ hybrid working policies could come under scrutiny from applicants, particularly from talent who are in a position to make their job work around them. It’s important to recognise this as part of our approach to talent acquisition and retention.” www.brother.co.uk Tony Milford, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Asolvi: “At Asolvi, we believe that listening to our employees and encouraging feedback is essential. We are, naturally, therefore consulting widely with our employees on our future workplace strategy. “Improving our employee experience is high on our agenda and as a company that is growing both organically and through a significant number of Sam Johnson Tony Milford