The Defining Moment for Remote Work
A Page from the Fortune 50’s Playbook
As the world experiences this watershed moment caused by the effects of COVID-19, executives from companies big and small strive to connect their teams across the remote work chasm. We’re living a new normal and we see our Fortune 50 clients starting to build for resilience – a shift from the recent focus on efficiency.
For decades, efficiency took center stage as companies worked to preserve resources while producing top results. Now, as we shift to telecommuting and investing more in infrastructure and education, we see executives trying to succeed with the real-time challenges of a newly remote workforce while simultaneously building new long-range plans considering contingency. To do this, they’re focusing on the bridge between technology, HR and marketing/communications teams.
We’re living a new normal and we see our Fortune 50 clients starting to build for resilience — a shift from the recent focus on efficiency.
Few teams, if any, have immunity to today's challenges that contribute to rising anxieties and social isolation. Mix this with the technology skill gaps and infrastructure issues for in-demand products like video chat tools… with the abrupt transition to remote working… and we have an unprecedented puzzle. And the solving of this puzzle extends beyond the scope of any one team.
As technology teams strive to proactively solve for these operational difficulties like surging help desk tickets, buffering video chat systems, and the technical knowledge-gap, they need to simultaneously partner with HR and Communications teams to best understand today’s emotional pulse of the newly remote workforce. Only then can employees receive regular and timely updates, such as working from home tech tips. Technology, HR, and Communications executives need to work in lockstep as they make sure the operational infrastructure can support this shift, employees feel supported, and that all of the key audiences – internal and external to any given company – receive timely information.
Technology teams… need to simultaneously partner with HR and Communications teams to best understand today’s emotional pulse of the newly remote workforce.
In response to these challenges, Fortune 50 companies strive to create a new sense of normalcy. Team newsletters go out regularly – highlighting relevant company updates and remote work tools, pictures from individual working from home spaces, and funny memes to bring levity to the virtual water cooler. (Employers are even helping employees find virtual volunteering opportunities!)
Technology support teams leverage tools from ServiceNow, stepping up virtual support and trainings to lessen the skill-gap. Executives hold virtual happy hours, frequently at the suggestion of their HR leaders. And Communications teams make it all easy to understand. It’s about finding and creating opportunities for connection through careful orchestration between technology, HR, and Marketing/Communications.
Strategizing and delivering around this careful orchestration is what Ellebridge does best. Our Fortune 50 clients can act with speed because of our fluency in these three essential disciplines —and aligning them for success. Ellebridge helps assess key needs, provides additional womanpower to craft compelling messages/stories, and gets those pivotal communications out the door in the most effective way.
Even if your company has not started aligning close partnerships with Technology, HR, and Marketing/Communications teams, Ellebridge can help. Bridging these disciplines will continue to have hockey stick growth. We are currently living in the defining moment and must adapt to stay afloat. Luckily, we know it’s possible to succeed and make it through this.
Strategizing and delivering around this careful orchestration is what Ellebridge does best.
Contact Ellebridge to learn how we can help you and your teams solve today’s unprecedented puzzle.