Most everyone agrees: Before the pandemic, creating a company culture and encouraging people’s connection with their colleagues was simpler – many SMBs had a shared office where employees could gather, work, and collaborate. Today, things are dramatically different – and HR and IT leaders must shift their strategies in kind.
In this 4th episode of our 5-episode podcast, Essential Connections: The Business Owner’s Guide to Growth During Economic Uncertainty, we explore the way employee engagement has changed, and how business and tech leaders can nurture a healthy and productive workforce in new times with a focus on strong connections.
“It’s been kind of a crazy three years. I feel like we keep using the word unprecedented … there’s so much going on. We shifted a lot for our people. And we had to do it very quickly, in response to the pandemic,” says Jo Deal, Chief Human Resources Officer at Go To. “But I think what people want from work and from … what they want from each other, that cultural kind of human connection piece, has not changed.”
“Connections is what is important to people,” she continues. “We value working with other people and connecting with our colleagues and with our customers.” As a result, SMB tech and business leaders must consider what technology and tools can do to make those connections possible.
“You don’t have any raw materials, you don’t have a production, you just have people,” she notes. “That’s key. If your people are engaged at work with their work and connected to the culture of the company and to each other, if they know what’s going on, they know what the company’s mission is, and they know how they connect with it, then I really believe amazing things can happen.”
Listen in to learn all the details, including actionable insights on how to establish and maintain connections, even when the definition of work has changed, and how to create an equal experience for everybody, no matter where they are.
Be sure to listen to other episodes in our series, Essential Connections: The Business Owner’s Guide to Growth During Economic Uncertainty, and learn how you can future-proof your business with agile IT leadership.
IT Leadership, Small and Medium Business