How QualityKiosk Plans Return to Workplace
The pandemic has advanced years to our lives. What was earlier being planned for the future has suddenly been advanced to “now” and this defines the new normal, which is changing rapidly. In a way, the normal has now become a moving normal which has compelled us to be more resilient and tenacious, increasingly adaptive and responsive as well as being more open to accepting things.
Uncertainty, it seems, is a new certainty. The B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) which everyone had, has now got refocused to being #futureready in the present. Upskilling has acquired a new paradigm and we need to be prepared for any eventuality.
In this brave new world, work has acquired a new definition. Work from home, which earlier used to be treated differently, is now the norm. Scalability and agility is a given. The pandemic has taught us that if we want to survive, grow and prosper, we will have to be agile in our thinking and execution.
Life, be it work or otherwise, has now become sprint-driven. And that gives each one of us the flexibility to reorient to the ever-changing normal. Organisations have become conscious about their overall responsibilities and are showing it in their actions.
Demonstrative leadership is the way forward to a result-driven and well-defined road to success. At QualityKiosk, our Founder & CEO – Maneesh Jhawar, led from the front and has ensured that the team remains focussed, agile and #futureready.
Ensuring that our customers aren’t impacted due to the lockdown, a series of measures and actions were initiated early on to remain agile, responsive and scalable. Being a global organisation, we have been nimble-footed to the evolving situations in the geographies that we operate in. Our people policies have been made adaptive to this effect. All of these helped the organisation to successfully maintain its growth momentum.
Return to Workplace Strategy
As we plan to gradually return to work (place), we are conscious of the fact that employee well-being and health are the responsibility of everyone. We have sensitized our people to get themselves voluntarily vaccinated and have a program around that. We can only conjecture at this point in time whether the future will be a complete return to the workplace or hybrid working.
I would like to believe that sooner or later, we’ll be back at the workplace, albeit with a different set of rules and protocols, which includes staggered/ differential working. Online connects and digital engagement plans are good but they can never be a substitute for face-to-face conversations.
However, it is important to remember that “digital” will be the way forward. The integration and application of basic human intelligence with artificial intelligence to deliver a seamless experience will be crucial. A holistic workplace well-being plan will have to be designed and thoughtfully implemented.
The pandemic has taught us that we need to understand and respect time-schedules of people. While flexibility will always remain a focus area, it has to be well-defined so that work time and family time are balanced. The “trust” and “camaraderie” between people will have to be cemented through increased workplace dynamism and reduced workplace dynamics!
Human Resource professionals, irrespective of their levels, have to lead the engagement in the brave new world to prevent burnout and ensure balance. We have seen that during the pandemic, their role, apart from being subject-experts, has been that of sensitive coaches, able counsellors and solid connectors. This role of every Human Resource professional will be a key ask from the organisation as we move ahead.
Leaders and managers of people will have to ensure that a positive attitude is maintained through focussed engagement, deeper conversations and respecting the opinions of everyone. Workplace inclusion will not just be about the traditional definition of D&I, but that of respectful acceptance of different views, ensuring collaborative working, and a razor-sharp execution-focus for greater cohesion. The metrics of success have changed and all of us have to ensure that people are sensitised and made adaptable to these.
