Ask An Entrepreneur – Different Approaches Of Going Back To Work After COVID-19

As the world gnaws back towards a new normal after being severely battered on all fronts by an unprecedented situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, one pressing question continues to faze everyone in the corporate world i.e. how exactly can we make works rejoin work now safely and securely? What’s the best approach here?

Just like how difficult it was to suddenly shift from a physically functioning office to a “Work From Home” structure without any prior notice, similarly, businesses are finding it incredibly complex to strategize and plan on how to continue with things once things have started resuming.

To help the business community out, we went to some top entrepreneurs and founders to know how exactly are they handling this issue and whether they have any strategies that can be shared with others.

For this, we posed them a simple question:

“How exactly are you planning the different approaches of going back to work after Covid-19?”

This is how they answered:

1.    The Role of Technology In Making Things Possible Will Be Huge

Estella Fletcher CEO at Rerise Digital

“With no end in sight for COVID-19, I think it’s essential we all keep an open mind as to how we can work going forward. For the sake of the economy and our livelihoods, we must adopt flexible and practical methods to remain a part of our work community.

Technology is going to have a huge role to play in keeping us connected as more people seek to work from home. I’m expecting we’ll see some very innovative tech in the coming years as we adjust to a new normal.

Things like secure file sharing, remote and digital document signing, and communication mediums are going to be essential. I think flexible working arrangements regarding remote work and shared office space is going to be popular in the future, which could be amazing for the environment. Fewer people travelling to get to their office means fewer germs being spread and less pollution.

Navigating COVID-19, from a business perspective, has and will continue to be very tricky. Still, with a positive attitude and a flexible approach, new job opportunities will be created, and we’ll come back working smarter than ever with an adaptive view plus new and improved ideas.”

2.    Openness & Clarity is What You Need To Get On Track:

Cynthia Overby President and Co-Founder at Krisecurity.com

“Key Resources, Inc. is a small business whose success depends upon our employees and contractors.   We take our responsibilities very seriously to provide them with a safe and secure work environment. They are the reason that we have been in business since 1988 and remain our number one asset. 

Our approach to re-opening our development center has been focused around the unique needs of each person, while balancing with the needs of our clients.  Our first step was to virtually meet with each client to determine what we needed to focus on to continue to meet their needs and deadlines. 

Our next step was to meet with each employee and contractor to discuss their concerns and determine what made the most sense to keep them productive and safe.  

We were also concerned with the financial burden we would incur in keeping the development center sanitized.  Our action plan became very clear once we had of the data necessary to re-open.  We found that by listening to everyone’s needs and issues we were able to build consensus around a plan that is practical and realistic.”

3.    Introduce Fluidity & Look For Something In Between To Get Benefits From Both Types Of Work Situations:

Lina Yu Founder at Achievers Profit

“The traditionally office-based working model has certainly been challenged by COIVD-19. Many have realized that a lot of work can actually be done from home with no less efficiency. For employees, no need to commute saves a lot of time.  They have more autonomy in making their working places catered to their personal convenience and comfort. A few companies have conducted a survey on their employees’ preference over working mode. The result shows that most of the people are inclined to work from home.  

As for the companies, a considerable amount of cost can be saved from sizing down the scale of their working place, especially from the part of office rent, renovation, daily maintenance.

So, what would the working environment be like in post-COIVD19 period?

Instead of choosing either working from home or working in the office, there is more in-between ground.

The working place can be more fluid.  Employees do not have to come to the office every workday if not necessary. The office setting would be more agile as well.  For example, instead of having a desk for everyone, the number of the desk can be limited to a few positions that require employees’ physical presence. The fixed cost saved can be re-deployed to value-adding activities such as increasing employees’ health allowance to improve their life quality, investing in R&D to improve their product/service, or organizing incentive and bounding activities to motivate as well as to enhance the company’s culture.”

4.      Lessen The Impact & Open Gradually:

Ryan Shirzadi  Partner at TekRevol

“For us it’s been a riveting journey filled with motivation and challenges alike. The “Work From Home” scenario unsettled us just like it did others, but we did manage to find a way through it, but now as things resume, we have prioritized the safety of our staff and offered them an alternative day policy.

This way, staff is coming to the office in rotating shifts. We did this because we knew that if we opened up all of a sudden, it will again have a major impact on your employee’s performance. We didn’t want to unsettle them again, so we are taking a gradual approach so that they can get accustomed to things again before we think of opening up fully.”

Also, because the novel coronavirus is coming to an end and businesses are getting back to work – we believe this is a great time to launch a new brand.

Our business recommendation for entrepreneurs would be to launch a custom-tailored app that capitalizes on the hassles people faced during the pandemic. Also, we have a great blog on “How Custom Apps Can Help Entrepreneurs,” so be sure to check it out.