A recent McKinsey report shows just what diversity can do for businesses. At Horton International, we’re here to make attracting, retaining and supporting diverse talent easier for your business, so that you can reap the rewards.

With this in mind, this post is the perfect starting point of building your business case for improving diversity in your team.

Business Lessons From Pandemic Leadership

Many lessons are coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been stark differences in the effectiveness of different nations responses to the crisis. It is hard to ignore the fact that if you collect together the most successful nations, you will find a lot of female leaders.

In Denmark, Mette Frederiksen gave clear, firm instructions which have spared the country considerably while also earning her wide praise for her response. In Norway, Erna Solberg was also praised for her response and effort to curb the virus by focusing on a science-driven approach. While in Finland, Sanna Marin – the world’s youngest head of government – also helped to ensure a minimal spread of the virus.

Another example, Germany, led by Angela Merkel, has one of the lowest death rates in Europe. These are a few extraordinary women in exceptional circumstances, but to ignore this trend would be foolish. Women in leadership positions can be highly successful.

So, how does this translate to business? The reality is that this is just more evidence for a trend that has already been shown to exist. The most recent McKinsey report has followed more than 1000 large companies, across 15 countries for the last five years. It shows that the most diverse companies are more likely to outperform less diverse rivals in terms of profitability. This doesn’t just mean gender diversity, but ethnic diversity too.

Benefits Of Gender Diversity In Leadership 

The Mckinsey report found some compelling arguments for gender diversity in executive positions. They found that the top quartile of gender-diverse companies was 25% more likely to financially outperform their industries average, as compared to companies in the bottom quartile.

The report also found that the higher the representation of women, the more substantial the effect. So, when it comes to a company’s bottom line, it seems clear that having more representation of women is going to improve the chance of boosting profits.

Benefits Of Ethnic And Cultural Diversity In Leadership 

The impact on profitability for ethnically diverse companies is even more significant than for gender diversity. The top companies outperform the bottom ones by a staggering 36%. And again, the larger the representation, the more substantial the effect. If you are looking for a business case for increasing diversity at the top of your company, then this is it.

What Is Behind These Effects?

It is not at all unreasonable to question why diversity within a leadership team would lead to these results. It comes done to having more options and more points of view. A simple way to illustrate this idea is with tomato ketchup.

Generally speaking, there are two types of people—those who keep ketchup in the cupboard and those who keep it in the fridge. If you are in a room full of people who only keep ketchup in the fridge, then you may not even consider looking for it elsewhere. More viewpoints increase your chances of finding what you’re looking for.

This explanation can help with understanding why nations with female leaders have done better in the current crisis. Typically their teams are more diverse. They had more points of view in the room. So, they had more options to deal with the crisis. It’s not that male leaders couldn’t have made the same choices; it’s more that they may not have known there are other choices to make.

Having a significant and clear female and ethnic presence within the leadership team is a way of signalling the company’s ethos. For any talented individuals that you hope to recruit the makeup of the company’s leadership will factor into their decision-making process. Having diversity at the top will become self-sustaining as it will draw more diverse talent into the company at all levels.

Why Inclusion Matters Just As Much As Diversity

It can be tempting to think that the task ends after you make some hiring decisions. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Nothing ever is. The next challenge comes from building a company where all the voices you have collected can feel included. Without a focus on inclusion, you may be able to get more diversity in the door, but you might not keep it. You also may not see the benefits.

You get benefits from diversity when the minority voices in your company can be heard. If those voices do not feel able to speak up, then you lose your advantage. To achieve this, you need to build a culture of inclusive leadership. There must be equality of opportunity, and communication should be open and free from discrimination or bias. This is a challenge that even the leaders in diversity are still working on mastering

How to Improve Your Company’s Diversity and Inclusion

So the next big question is how to go about bolstering the diversity and inclusion of your company. There are a few best practices that are common among the best performing companies in the McKinsey report.

Focus On Pushing Diverse Talent

To make progress on this front, the forerunners have used a data-driven approach. Following analysis of their starting position, they targeted the specific variety of diversity they needed. Every opportunity is taken to advance these talents once they are recruited.

Accountability

The responsibility for diversity and inclusions shouldn’t solely rest with HR. All leaders within the company need to take responsibility for and be held accountable for promoting diversity and inclusion.

Remove Bias From Advancements

Advancement decisions, raises and promotions should be carried out openly and transparently. Where possible, they should be data and analytically driven. The aim is to remove bias from these decisions, whether is it conscious or not.

Managing Diversity And Inclusion In The Face Of COVID-19

There have and will continue to be many challenges for companies of all size over the coming months and years. The fall out of the pandemic will be felt for a long time. Unless care is taken, it can erode any progress that has been made in terms of expanding diversity.

As a company, you need to be aware of the risks. It would be best if you tried to focus on protecting the diversity you have. Your more diverse team members are the most at risk of being cut or lost. It would help if you also made plans to continue to build your inclusion policies. Remote working can easily chip away at morale.

In Summary

Diversity within your leadership team has the potential to boost your company’s profitability in a significant way. To get there, it requires focus and policies aimed at building both diversity and inclusion at all levels of your company.

At Horton International, we’re here to help you find the right talent for your business. With this, it becomes easier to grow and develop inclusion throughout your business to foster exceptional talent and see the outstanding results that can come from a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The post Your Business Case For Improving Diversity In Your Leadership Team first appeared on Horton International.

The rest of us might also be feeling the pinch, but business goes on. I recall client meetings in the 1997 SE Asian financial crisis: “I have ten people, now I see that only four are any good. I need to retrench six and hire two more; can you help?” Well, yes we can.

This enforced lull in business activity may be an excellent time to properly assess your assets – in all classes. Take a cold-eyed look at what you’re working with and think, is this the best that I can do? You will need to move quickly though – just as in good times, talent doesn’t wait around for long.

The post Keep Calm and Recruit first appeared on Horton International.

Businesses that are yet to implement remote working may no longer have that option and must now allow their employees to work from home. Implementing such a policy can be a significant challenge. We will look at some of the things businesses can do to ensure they are ready; see what lessons we can learn from China about remote working, and review the status of some of the flagship tools designed to keep teams connected.

How can businesses prepare for Covid-19 lockdown?

While the trajectory of the Coronavirus is as yet unknown, in many countries up to 70% of the population could contract Covid-19 and, for an extended period, around 20% of the workforce will be in isolation and unable to travel to work. If you don’t already have a plan for dealing with this, then assembling one should be a top priority as time is short. Some critical decisions must be made, for instance:

• Which roles are crucial to operations?
• What tasks can be carried out remotely?
• What are the security implications of remote working?
• How can we ensure data protection and other regulations are not breached?
• Should we set up a VPN for confidential data?
• What hardware is needed, including phones, printers and other office tools?
• What software and tools do we need to keep teams connected?
• How do we monitor the performance of remote workers?
• How do we ensure that all remote workers have all the necessary information, understand their roles, and can reach out should they encounter difficulties?
• How will teams communicate and hold meetings?
• How will they communicate with customers and clients?

Where employees are unfamiliar with the necessary tools and protocols, essential training will be required. Strong leadership at all levels is called for, and it is crucial to maintain high levels of motivation throughout the crisis.

Lessons we might learn from China

In China, Covid-19 has already forced tens of millions of employees to work remotely, usually from the family home. As we report later, the immediate impact was a massively increased demand for videoconferencing apps.

Chinese workers report varied experiences. While some find the home environment too distracting and others complain of intrusive bosses who don’t trust their employees to work from home, many of the new band of home workers report improved productivity and job satisfaction. Homeworking is particularly beneficial to workers who previously had a long commute and can now use that time for their own as well as their company’s benefit.

At offices where people used to clock in and out, the day now starts with checking in to a talk group app and updating daily work reports. Bosses have to adapt the way they monitor their staff. Many managers report that they now have much less control, that administration is more complicated, and that they are concerned about employees slacking off from work to attend to personal tasks.  Where weekly meetings were the norm, working from home has resulted in daily meetings with employees reporting each day what they have achieved and what they plan to do tomorrow. Unsurprisingly, many workers say that this reduces their efficiency considerably.

Work-from-home tools and software

Worldwide, the demand for video and chat software that can help businesses in their quest to continue as usual is booming, and high tech businesses are cooperating fully. Google, Microsoft, Slack and Zoom are now providing their software free of charge and are increasing their capacity to service the snowballing demand from users. Some offers on the table include:

• Microsoft Teams Premium Edition is now free for six months.
• Microsoft Teams Limited Edition has had its usage limits removed.
• Google Enterprise videoconferencing features are now available free to existing G Suite customers.
• Slack is providing free online training on best practices for remote working.

In China, there has been a five times increase in conference calls and virtual meetings since the end of January. In the US where several big tech companies including Microsoft and Twitter have instructed their employees to work from home, there has also been a substantial increase. The Microsoft Teams platform usage increased 50% with video and audio meetings up by a third, and there were similar increases in the use of Zoom software. In Italy, there has been a massive increase in the download volume of business apps. Google Hangouts Meet is now Italy’s most downloaded app in all categories.

There are many other team-oriented apps designed for remote working and appropriate for different kinds of business. You are probably aware of the best ones that cater to the way you work. If not, now is the time to find out.

Will remote working break broadband services?

There have been various reports in the press and online that increased remote working will break  ISP broadband services. However, many homeworking tasks such as sending emails, updating databases, online messaging, and report writing make only a small impact on broadband networks and are possible on even slow home broadband links. Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Slack report that there have been no issues. Both major and minor ISPs claim that their networks can handle the increased payload without difficulty and that the UK Broadband network is capable of handling mass scale home working.

However, video conferencing, graphic design and 4K and 8K video processing could overburden some broadband links. Often these problems are solvable with a simple broadband upgrade where improved services are available; however, some areas with inadequate broadband coverage are likely to suffer.

Finally

The coming months will be challenging for business. Many are already issuing profit warnings. According to Goldman Sachs, earnings growth will probably grind to a halt.  Ultimately, recovery might be quick, or, in the worst case, the pandemic could trigger a recession. To help weather the storm, businesses should use what time they have to prepare themselves and their employees and, where possible, implement a remote working policy. There is an abundance of tools to help you do so. A stitch in time saves nine, so don’t delay.

The post Remote working and the impact of the Coronavirus on business. first appeared on Horton International.

The whole situation feels like a war without any visible enemy.

Nonetheless, most companies are doing their best to cope with the difficult situation. Supplying customers, patching up unreliable supply chains, maintaining operations – as well as they can.

Some sectors – such as tourism and gastronomy – are inevitably suffering massive declines. But the many other sectors should not let the virus completely determine their economic activities. Of course, priority must be given to compliance with health protection measures. But unwanted forced breaks in daily business also provide an unprecedented opportunity to invest in training employees or in the development of new strategies. It’s true, no one knows exactly how long this virus will continue to affect our lives. No one can reliably forecast the expected sales losses. But one thing is certain; life will carry on – economic life too – after corona. With that in mind, in addition to being fully committed to the immediate protection of the people’s health, it is important that companies keep things in perspective. That they question the business models they have grown fond of. That they finally get to grips with implementing or finalising digitisation.

There is no doubt that business leaders of all sizes of companies – including SMEs – must do one thing first: ensure their entrepreneurial survival. This includes acquiring any necessary state subsidies, renegotiating loans or sending employees on premature vacation or even short-time work. But medium- and long-term planning requires thinking in 6–12 monthly cycles. Is that absurd? No, it may be unusual to think like this, but it is a sensible way to look ahead – even after this phase is over. Sometimes personal, economic or, as now, global crises are an immense threat; but they can also be an opportunity for reorientation. In this difficult situation, one that entails drastic constraints for everyone, every single one of us should also keep an eye on planning.

If everyone just sits back and waits until this is all over or merely buries their head in the sand, it will mean their economic demise. It’s time to buck up and look ahead!

The post Don’t shut down – just lock down! first appeared on Horton International.

Despite the technical possibilities, many companies still stick to old work structures and the classic model of the 9-to-5 job. At the end of 2018, in a survey of 800 managing directors and HR managers by the digital association Bitkom, four out of ten employers (39 percent) said they would allow their employees to work outside the offices. This is a step forward compared to 2014 – when it was just one fifth of all companies surveyed. Nevertheless, the majority of companies are reluctant to accept workers’ desire for more flexibility. There are also differences between individual sectors: the trend towards flexible working time models is much more widespread in the digital sector than, for example, in logistics or industry.

The current Corona crisis could lead to a final break-up of rigid structures, as the companies that have the opportunity to send their employees to the home office – more or less voluntarily – to protect their health. In addition, the closure of schools and daycare centres in Germany poses major challenges for many working parents. Grandparents, who usually help out in such a case, are not an option as they belong to the at-risk group and their health should be particularly protected. So what to do if no one can take care of the offspring? For most of them, the only thing they can do is to find some way to combine work and childcare.

More flexible work structures still an option in the future?

Politicians have therefore already appealed to employers and asked for their leniency in view of the drastic situation. It is important to find a common solution without losing wages. For example, by allowing parents to work from home or, if possible, to make their working hours more flexible. Whether it’s parents alternating with childcare and work on a daily basis, and distributing their hours over the rest of the days or working in “shifts,” so that some are available during the first half of the day and the other the rest of the time. Although many companies offer their employees flexitime anyway, there is usually a core working time that limits the time margin. This must be avoided in the current situation, so that work can also be done at marginal times.

What is a measure of necessity at the moment could perhaps become a real alternative in the future once we have become accustomed to it. Many companies have so far been concerned that productivity and effectiveness could suffer from so much flexibility. At the same time, it is a renunciation of control and requires the full confidence of employers in their employees that they continue to perform the same performance and deliver the required results. However, this is precisely what companies are forced to do in the current situation. And once they have addressed it, they may find that this could be a real option even after the crisis has been overcome. Even in industries where this has not been considered so far.

This article is part of the “Game Changer Corona Crisis” series.

The post New working time models; from necessity to real alternative first appeared on Horton International.

It is important to learn from this crisis and to look forward to the business – but still not to forget the concerns within the company.

How are my team colleagues doing? Does communication work from management to employees? Are they aware of how their areas of responsibility may have changed?

Home office in days of Corona can also be stressful for many, some even consider the unwanted stay in their own home as a prison. In addition to working in the home environment, there are few escape points that can be found to compensate.

After the last laptops have been set up and handed over for the employees, the network connection is established, a video conference is established, the employees should also be contacted regularly.

What was it like in the ‘normal’ office routine? Regular meetings, in a team or face-to-face, this can also be maintained in the digitized world of work.

The usual rituals should be maintained right now, so that no state of suspense arises that unsettles the employees. Forecast on Friday, Jour-Fix on Monday morning, Team Meeting Wednesday lunchtime – the normal weekly calendar helps maintain the work structure in the home office. What should not be forgotten are clear meeting rules, especially in large phone sessions with six, eight or more participants. Set up an agenda, observe speaking times, ask each employee for his or her opinion (and explicitly) because of the lack of physical contact.

How does a company deal with this when even the specialists not working to capacity? What goals should be achieved in the changed situation? Are there online training offers that employees can take advantage of as further training measures in order to be able to move forward after the crisis, strengthened and with new knowledge?

Are there any remaining vacation days or overtime saved in the account that team members can now use up? Here, too, communication is important. Employees who are made aware of the company’s extremely difficult situation are usually prepared to make many compromises and take solidarity actions, as they usually want to support the company. Even without the offer of cheap all-inclusive flights to popular holiday regions, many employees are willing to take advantage of the time. For family outings, for a really thick book, for the garden or forest walks. Deceleration is de facto the magic word that helps employees with time (and little work) to rediscover themselves or the family and gather strength for the time after Corona.

Conclusion:

Home office does not mean structureless work. Employees should be spared a similar feeling of floating: regular meetings, rituals and also targets are important, so that the ‘engine’ remains in motion and does not come to a standstill. Less stress in the home office must not lead to the employee becoming inefficient because he does not have a ‘controller’. Working in a home environment has a lot to do with trust – in both directions. However, if there is in fact no work involved, the company should talk openly with its employees as to whether larger periods of time are also used privately. Often such phases of calm are good for the employees … and later also for the company.

This article is part of the “Game Changer Corona Crisis” series.

The post All arrived at the home office? first appeared on Horton International.

Microsoft reports a rapid increase in the number of users on its own blog. Twelve million new Team users in just one week, bringing Microsoft Teams to over 44 million active users worldwide (as of March 19). The reason is obvious: Because of the current Corona pandemic, many companies send their employees to the home office. In order to be able to continue to work together despite the elimination of personal communication, programs and apps that enable group chats and video conferencing are currently in high demand. The figures released by Microsoft show how strong: In just one week, a total of more than 900 million minutes of meetings and conversations in teams came together every day.

Microsoft’s corporate vice president and author of the blog post, Jared Spataro: “It is obvious that it is now more important than ever to enable teleworking, and that this will continue to have lasting added value beyond the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.”

In the crisis, it is always to be seen that the simple things, such as videoconferencing or the establishment of mobile remote workplaces in order to be able to work independently of location and time, are a prerequisite in the digitising world. In order to be able to offer such alternative possibilities in the future, the IT infrastructure must be equipped accordingly. Working outside the offices requires that servers, networks, devices, or other IT components be accessible from anywhere to enable all activities.

This development will particularly benefit those who specialise in providing companies and individual jobs remotely. Basically, it’s all about mobile devices such as laptops, tablets or smartphones. Especially in companies where the home office has been the exception until now, the majority of employees still have a permanently installed computer workstation. Now that the home office has become the norm, this means a complete conversion or a costly purchase of a second set for the home office as well as possible adapters.

But the digitisation process encompasses much more than corresponding hardware. Although almost all households now have a working Internet connection, additional network components may be needed. Connectivity in the home office must also be ensured. This is where video conferencing tools, for example, come into play. In the current Corona crisis, some providers have recognized the chance to attract new users and make their programs available free of charge for a limited period of time.

Another important point is cloud computing. In order for employees to access company data outside the office and work with colleagues, it must be accessible via the Internet. As a result, demand for cloud solutions and services has also risen sharply. Due to the current trend towards the home office, providers in the cloud business such as Amazon will emerge as potential profiteers from the Corona crisis, according to the market research institute Blueshift-Research.

Not to mention the establishment of additional security measures for remote access to enterprise systems and data, as the potential attack surface for cybercriminals grows. “In addition to an increase in home office activity, we have also found that cybercriminals have tried to take advantage of the excitement surrounding the virus by hiding malicious files in documents with a predetermined connection to Corona,” the statement said. Kaspersky security researcher David Emm in a blog post.

The current situation forces all companies that have not yet dealt with the issue of digitalisation to follow suit as quickly as possible in order not to lose their connection to competition or even to lose their economic footing. Here, the Corona crisis is likely to lead to a further boost around digitalization.

This article is part of the “Game Changer Corona Crisis” series.

The post Global pandemic gives digitalisation a boost first appeared on Horton International.

Of course, the COVID-19 outbreak has not only forced working from home where possible, but it has also posed a huge number of other obstacles for businesses, leaders and workers to navigate.

From adjusting to the role of parent-teacher while working from home to doubling up as a volunteer, carer and supporting your community while managing work; there are lots of ways that lives have been affected by the Coronavirus. This doesn’t even take into account those who are ill from the virus as well as working issues such as network outages and supply, hardware requirements, and having the sufficient tools and resources to work.

Obviously, all of the aspects need to be considered with care and thought. But, for teams that are safe and able to work from home, how can you demonstrate effective leadership when you have to lead in lockdown?

Here are some of the top tips for showing support to your team while still being an effective leader for your business.

Create A Common Vision

In these uncertain times, it can be hard to find purpose in what we do. However, as a leader, it is your role to map out this vision for your team. A clear, shared vision that all of your team agrees can be incredibly motivating. It helps to give everyone in your team a sense of purpose and allows them to find focus and clarity in their work.

This vision can also be fantastic for encouraging innovation, creativity and discovering new ways of working that can help to achieve these business objectives. What’s more, by sharing the vision, you’re giving your team the power to change their approach while allowing them to make constructive suggestions for the benefit of the business.

All of this ultimately helps to keep people’s spirits up while ensuring their attention is focused on positive business results.

Focus On Outcomes

Many businesses are reluctant to let staff work from home as they worry productivity will fall. In fact, studies suggest that working from home actually boosts productivity. A Stanford University study found that working from home resulted in a 13% increase in performance.

With this in mind, instilling trust in your team is essential for productive and effective working from home. If you give your staff a list of tasks or activities for the day, staff may be inclined to complete these as quickly as possible – with little thought or attention to what they are doing and why.

Instead, if you focus on the outcomes you want to see, you’ll enjoy better results and performance. Setting your intentions with clear objectives such as a quality standard to adhere to, a specific deadline to meet and a positive result, you don’t need to concern yourself with the employee’s process.

With people under a great deal of stress from the COVID-19 outbreak, now is not the time for micro-management. Instead, set clear goals, but give your team the creativity and flexibility to work how they need to work. As long as the work creates the outcomes you want to achieve, it doesn’t matter how or when your team complete their work.

Check-In But Don’t Check-Up

It is a fine line between being there to support your team and bothering them with persistent communication. It is important to check-in with your team to make sure they’re happy and healthy. But, it is unlikely you’ll need to continually chase for work or to check-in to ensure everyone is working. This wastes your time and theirs.

On the other hand, you may be struggling with constant communication from your team members when you’re trying to work. It can be hard to be available to your team every minute of the day. So, instead, set up drop-in sessions. These virtual drop-ins can allow your team to catch up with you and get the answers they need while also allowing you to carve out time for focus and concentration, without interruption.

It can also help to have a team video-call at a set point in the day. During this, they can fill you in on their progress, as well as allowing your team to stay connected. A video conference needn’t be long, but it can be a welcome opportunity for your team members to connect with each other and enjoy the company of people outside of their home – which can be essential for their wellbeing.

Force Breaks

Working from home can improve productivity, but it can also lead employees to struggle to switch off. Furthermore, house confinement can lead to fewer breaks and less exercise. Breaks and regular exercise are essential for employee health, wellbeing and productivity. Even when you’re all working from home, you can encourage breaks, walks and time-out.

The outbreak and lockdown have affected almost everyone on an emotional level and can severely impact our mental health. This is why it is now more important than ever to look at the ways you can improve employee welfare and wellbeing.

It may be as simple as telling everyone to take 15-minutes to make a drink before the next virtual meeting. You can schedule team walks – even if everyone is walking alone. You could even set fun photo challenges where everyone has to take a photo of something, whether that’s some form of nature or something that made them smile that day. You could also take on one of the many home-exercise challenges that are going viral on social media.

Be Understanding

Everyone will have a unique set of circumstances to deal with when it comes to lockdown. Some will be parent-teachers, some will be carers, others will have other issues to consider. At this time, while the lockdown is still so new, it is well worth loosening the reins for a little while, so that everyone can adapt to their new routine.

While you should make your expectations of the team clear, keeping an employee-centric approach at this time is vital to reduce stress and anxiety that your team may face. As well as the day-to-day work for your employees, try to give your team time to maintain their personal development and learning. This helps to ensure your top talent continues developing their skillsets and are ready to progress within the business in the future.

The post Leading In Lockdown: How To Support Your Team While Strengthening Your Business first appeared on Horton International.

Well, here we are now, faced with a massive example of a VUCA. In the middle of a crisis, it is critical for leaders to pause and take time to reflect on what is happening and how have we been able to lead during the past weeks and how to move forward. One could say the time of crisis is a “moment of truth” for us as a leader.

To help to reflect, I listed few ideas on where the focus should be in order us to be “the best versions of ourselves as leaders” during these times of crisis and in the VUCA-world.

1. Re-emphasize and concretize and the purpose and the direction. Then walk the talk. Now, more than ever your actions talk the loudest. Your actions will reveal what your purpose and values really are. Your future culture is set today.

2. Your perception of human nature becomes visible

2. 1. Do you believe that humans can be trusted and are capable of Independent and responsible decision making? Do you engage them actively and systematically to make sense of the situation? Do you keep them actively informed about what is going on, what are decisions and why? Do you make sense of the wold together?
   2. Do you make sure that any communication towards the people in your organizations is empathetic and respectful? How do you make sure that you utilize all the capabilities across the organization? Also, those that may not have been utilized as a part of the normal business. People do have great powers if you just are able to empower them
   3. The power of community is enormous. Do you create an environment where people can relate to each other, get support and be supported?
3. Are you leading and changing your structures and ways of working in an agile way to be able to respond most efficiently? Or are there still things that should not be discussed or questioned? Have you stripped down the bureaucracy and hierarchy and moved the decision making there where the expertise really is?

It seems that the world is profoundly changing. I do think that there is a great opportunity as long as we get past this immediate crisis with dry feet. It’s a moment of truth for all of us.

The post Leaders- Take time to reflect first appeared on Horton International.

This current phase, in which all companies worldwide are affected, is an extraordinary situation for everyone. Horton International is increasingly focusing on communication and trust in our teams.

The health and also the safety of our employees, customers and business partners is a top priority for all of us, which is why we have taken numerous measures to maximize protection and minimize infection. These include additional cleaning and disinfection measures in all offices as well as the standardisation of the home office.

On the IT side, we had already switched over to Microsoft Office 365, using Teams as a communication platform. All employees were given Surface Devices to work on, regardless of their location. The hard work of the IT managers at Hager has really paid off today. In places where other companies were still in the process of converting and testing at short notice, this was already a tried and tested part of everyday life for us. But one challenge is dealing with this new situation from a technical point of view, the other is mastering leadership in a predominantly virtual time.

The most important thing here is regular communication both with your own employees and with clients and candidates. Especially in a time when many people are unsettled by headlines and mood swings, it is all the more important to stay in regular contact. Personally, I try to think positively and to look ahead even in these difficult times.

A home office does not only mean staying in a private environment, but due to the current situation, it even means to experience the whole family intensively as well as being entrusted with school-related topics of the children. Normally, very few managers are at home during the day or are confronted with daily schoolwork. However, at the moment many parents are challenged in the home office to also take care of the school issues of their offspring and to support the so-called homeschooling of their children.

At the moment, it is a balancing act to also provide parental care in addition to the topics that help our company move forward. Binomial formulas and entrepreneurial visions, a special kind of multitasking.

A dash of empathy, a pinch of optimism and a lot of adaptability – that could be a simple recipe.

In these uncertain times, it can be difficult for many employees to find meaning in what they do. As a leader, it’s part of the job to work out a vision for the team. A clear, shared vision that everyone in the team agrees with can be incredibly motivating. It helps all team members to see a sense in the matter and also to find a focus and clarity in their daily work. All of this ultimately helps to maintain people’s mood while ensuring that their attention is focused on positive business outcomes.

Exchange with employees in person – unfortunately, it is not possible at the moment. Nevertheless, exchange is essential to get a feel for the mood in the company and to strengthen the team spirit. Virtual coffee breaks during working hours, joint lunches, cooking together (each in their own kitchen, using the same recipe) – it is important that the feeling of cooperation is or remains strengthened. Rituals and regular team meetings to agree on goals and projects should be a matter of course for every manager in the current phase. Likewise, an open ear for the concerns and also personal problems of the employees.

What is important under normal circumstances should now become even more important: responsibility for the team members. Confidence must be given to the employees in advance: everyone is an expert in their field and is responsible for them independently. When employees need support, they should know that they can always come to terms with their manager.

It is important to actively convey a feeling of “we” to the employees and not to neglect them or to leave them completely to themselves. This motivates everyone and ultimately brings the company forward – we all have a life after the coronavirus.

The post Leading from the home office first appeared on Horton International.

You can find Gary’s original post on LinkedIn here and read the full interview with Hunt Scanlon below:

“April 3, 2020 – With all the drama around the coronavirus crisis, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that it might – just might, and with luck – be short-lived. When that happens, the world can start to get back to normal.

“Many companies took advantage of the recent easy, good times to build their businesses,” said Gary Woollacott, managing partner at Horton International. “Now that their sectors have shrunk back, those companies are exposed. The rest of us might also be feeling the pinch, but business goes on.” He recalled client meetings during the 1997 Southeast Asian financial crisis: “I have 10 people, now I see that only four are any good. I need to retrench six and hire two more; can you help?” Well, yes we can.

“The current enforced lull in business activity may be an excellent time to properly assess your assets – in all classes,” Mr. Woollacott said. “Take a cold-eyed look at what you’re working with and consider if this might be the best you can do.” You will need to move quickly though – just as in good times, talent doesn’t wait around for long, he said.

Focus on Candidates Caught in the Crossfire

When asked what impacts the current pandemic crisis will have on executive search, Mr. Woollacott said it is “too early to forecast the long-term impact on our industry. There’s plenty of speculation but I don’t think that executive search is dead and buried – we will still have our uses.” If anything, he added, there may be another ‘flight to quality’ as often happens in downturns.

“Rather than focusing on clients, now is the time to focus on candidates,” he said. “When this is over, they will remember how we (and their employers) treated them and made them feel. If employers make sacrifices on behalf of employees that will help sustain the business post-CV19.  From our point of view, candidates might be more open to move if they see that their employer doesn’t value them quite as much as they had thought.”

The use of technology in this downturn can also help us push through this more quickly than in past slowdowns. “The technology is there now – it wasn’t in SARS, for example,” said Mr. Woollacott. “We’ve been using it for a while anyway, and now this crisis is highlighting how good it is. That said, final interviews are still going to be face-to-face; senior executives won’t want to move without it. Similarly, hiring someone senior without that in-person meeting is just adding risk.”

Some companies are posturing that they have worked remotely for years, he said. “It sometimes comes across as a brag, rather than offering concrete tips on what they have learned and how we can all benefit from that. Naturally, many jobs simply have to be done in person: doctors and nurses, food deliveries, waiters and shop assistants – for now; technology may change all that in the future.”

A Pervasive Slowdown

“Separately, we are taking extra practical precautions on behalf of candidates and clients with ongoing searches to accommodate their concerns,” Mr. Woollacott said. “This is an excellent time for a client to be recruiting, or to be a candidate open to an opportunity, while the competition is confused and panicking.”

People generally prefer to work for a company that is genuine and sincere, with a real sense of purpose. “That adds up to sustainability,” he said. “Senior managers who sacrifice their employees in the name of cost-saving may well find that their best people leave, once they realize where the true loyalties of the company lie. It doesn’t look like this slowdown is going away quickly – it’s so much more pervasive than anything else we have seen in decades. Naturally, we hope for the best, but we are hunkered down for the worst.”

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

The post Keep Calm and Recruit: Why Now is the Best Time to Assess Your Talent Assets first appeared on Horton International.

While the business in food markets continues to be in full swing, a large part of the non-food shops, such as clothing and sports shops, electronics stores and furniture stores, in some places DIY and garden centres, have had to close their doors indefinitely.  “Retailers who already operate multichannel channels can now shift sales to e-commerce,” explains Nils Zündorf, e-commerce expert at the agency faktor-a. On the other hand, those who do not yet operate their own online shop or do not offer their products via platforms such as Amazon or eBay have no possibility to sell goods at the moment. According to the German Trade Association (HDE), this still applies to around two-thirds of stores in Germany, including mainly small shops and boutiques. Store closures no longer mean revenue for them – despite ongoing costs.

In principle, sales have been increasingly shifting to the network for several years. In some cases, the large stationary retail companies are already generating significant sales through the digital sales route – especially in the consumer goods sector. The online share of consumer electronics was already 31 percent in 2018, while a quarter of fashion and accessories and leisure goods were ordered via the internet (source: Handelsverband Deutschland).

Breaking up the habitual shopping behaviour

However, trade in the network is not completely spared from the effects of the Coronavirus. In the short term, there will be logistical problems and supply bottlenecks in some areas, especially in the case of cross-border deliveries of goods. Nevertheless, the trend towards digital distribution is likely to be further exacerbated by the virus situation and, above all, to a change in consumption in the long term.

Since there have recently been delivery difficulties in stationary trade for products in high demand such as durable foods, disinfectants or toilet paper, access to e-commerce resources has also increased here. Before the crisis began, many people were sceptical about ordering fresh food online. This picture has since changed dramatically. The largest German e-commerce operator for fresh food is Rewe. The retail chain is now experiencing a real boom: “In online retailing, we are noticing a significant increase in order intensity,” a Rewe spokesman told the news magazine WELT.

For fear of contagion, more and more people are avoiding the public, especially members of the risk group. When shopping online, the danger is minimal, which is why those who previously preferred to do their shopping locally are now becoming increasingly aware of e-commerce services. “The uncertainties surrounding the novel coronavirus are breaking up habitual shopping behaviour to a great extent and putting online food retailing in a more attractive, new light for many consumers*,” explains Dr. Eva Stüber from the Cologne IFH Institute in a press release. Longer delivery times, due to the high demand, are also accepted for this. Online trade thus has a “very central supply function”, emphasizes the digital association Bitkom.

Post-crisis change

Man is a creature of habit: Practiced behaviours are no longer discarded and so the trend of “we order online” will probably continue even when normality has returned. The current situation means that everyone has to sort themselves out and realign their distribution channels. The real change will therefore only take place after the crisis and will lead to a revival of e-commerce in the long term.

The post Game Changer Corona Crisis first appeared on Horton International.

The VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium

The fight against Covid-19 is critically dependent on the availability of medical ventilators, and we don’t have enough of them. While there are questions to be asked regarding how this situation was permitted to happen, more important than playing blame games is fixing the problem, and that is precisely what the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium intends to do.

The consortium includes the following organisations: Airbus, BAE Systems, Ford Motor Company, GKN Aerospace, High-Value Manufacturing Catapult, Inspiration Healthcare Group, Meggitt, Penlon, Renishaw, Rolls-Royce, Siemens Healthineers and Siemens UK, Smiths Group, Thales, Ultra Electronics, Unilever, Haas F1, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Racing Point, Renault Sport Racing, and Williams, and is chaired by Dick Elsy, the CEO of High-Value Manufacturing Catapult.

To say these are some of the most innovative organisation in the UK would be an understatement. Never in peacetime has there been such a concentration of talent all set on one goal; making ventilators to save lives. At the time of writing, they had already received orders for 10,000 units.

Dyson to produce 15,000 ventilators

In a separate initiative, Dyson is set to make 15,000 CoVent ventilators. This is a bed-mounted mains and battery-powered ventilator that can be used in field hospitals. Ten thousand of these are earmarked for the NHS and 5,000 will be exported to other countries where ventilators are in short supply.

Dyson designed and made the prototype within ten days of being contacted by the UK government. The company switched production lines and now hopes to have the first models in hospitals within weeks.

Tourism industry initiatives

The travel industry is feeling some of the grim economic impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak, but that hasn’t stopped many members from doing what they can to contribute. Tourism may have ground to a halt, but that means there are many empty beds in hotels. Several operators are making these free to use by medical staff who wish to avoid the possibility of passing the virus on to their families and need somewhere to rest their head after their harrowing twelve-hour shifts on the front line.

Similar initiatives are in place across the world. In New York, the Four Seasons Hotel is also housing doctors, nurses and other medical staff for free, and hotels owned by footballers Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are making upwards of 150 beds available to medics. Roman Abramovich has followed suit with The Millennium Hotel at Chelsea Football Club.

In Spain, where hotel wards are overbrimming, several hotel chains are housing Covid-19 patients, and several cruise lines have offered various governments worldwide to convert their cruise ships into temporary hospitals. Airbnb is providing free and subsidised accommodation across the world for 100,000 medics and Covid-19 responders.

Numerous restaurants are preparing and delivering free food to healthcare workers. Jetblue is using its freed up capacity to shuttle medical volunteers to New York, and Delta Airlines is providing similar services.

Personal protective equipment

In many places, there is a dire need for more personal protective equipment for medical staff, responders and carers. Across the world, there are numerous initiatives to design and produce these using 3D printing. Stratasys, a 3D printer manufacturer in the US, is aiming to print 5,000 face disposable and renewable shields using numerous printers they have previously supplied to customers. Also, in the US, 3D Systems has released a ready-to-print face shield data file that can be downloaded and printed.

In Italy CRP Technology is 3D printing critical PPE components and, in the UK, a crowdfunding initiative has been launched to fund 3D PPE printing projects. Over 100,000 3D printed masks have already been ordered.

Fashion retailers are also heling with PPE. Prada, Armani, Zara, Yves Saint Laurent and other fashion houses are mass-producing surgical face masks.

Hand sanitisers

In the UK there is a massive shortage of hand sanitisers. To fill the gap, Billionaire Sir James Ratcliffe, supposedly the third richest man in the UK, is building two sanitiser factories within ten days through his chemical company Ineos. One factory is located in Manchester and the other in Germany. The plan is to produce one million bottles of sanitiser a month, supplying the NHS for free.

As part of the initiative, various breweries and distilleries are producing alcohol for sanitisers while the craft beer business BrewDog is manufacturing its hand sanitiser called BrewGel; it will be provided free of charge to local charities and the community.

Wartime legislation to force companies to help out

Despite the massive effort by businesses across the world to contribute to the fight against Covid-19, in the US Donald Trump has revived the Defence Production Act which can be used to compel companies to manufacture specific products. The Act has now been used to force General Motors(GM)  to produce ventilators, but even before then, GM had already announced that it was working with medical supplies businesses to do just that.

What of the future?

This is a wartime effort from retailers and manufacturers in many sectors. Ventilators, masks, berths on cruise ships, and free hotels are just some of the contributions. Others are following. No doubt we will emerge into a different world once this is over. Let’s hope we will not forget the lessons we will have learned and that the spirit of cooperations continues. We need to be better prepared for the next time, should ever there be one.

The post Businesses Unite in Fight against Covid-19 first appeared on Horton International.

The post The Sudden, Inescapable Reality of the Remote Workforce first appeared on Horton International.

Many companies had to stop or at least reduce their production because of the coronavirus. Some products are currently not in demand and others – such as protective equipment and disinfectants – are no longer available on the market because production capacities are unable to cover the huge demand.

Some companies have switched their production at short notice to goods that are virtually non-industrial for them, thereby supporting the acute demand for products that are in high demand and in some cases urgently needed. The automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance has been producing breathing masks in China since the beginning of March. This does not primarily serve external demand, but primarily because in the Chinese plants with government regulations, workers have not been allowed to work without face masks since the outbreak of the corona crisis.

Italian car company Fiat Chrysler currently plans to produce more than one million masks a month. In addition to respirator masks, disinfectants are also urgently needed goods. Some alcohol manufacturers are providing agile support here, such as the companies Jägermeister or Berentzen. This change in production is not the core business of these companies, but at the same time it shows that it is possible to produce articles that are not part of production or at least to expand the depth of production.

Restaurant operators have switched to ‘to-go’ to keep themselves afloat. Book and toy shops run their business online. Need or virtue? Both: The business models are being revised and partly restructured.

The current situation worldwide can clearly be described as very diffuse, sometimes even chaotic: Nobody knows when or how things will continue. But nevertheless, those involved should remain level-headed, plan with the currently known circumstances and look ahead. Of course, managers must not make promises to their employees, customers or creditors that they ultimately cannot keep. But good managers should be able to focus their attention – both internally and externally – on both the present and the future.

First of all, it is advisable to carry out a kind of inventory and analyse what resources are available. Based on the questions: What skills, networks, resources distinguish us, what else can we do to act in the market at short notice. Are there any restrictions in the current situation? If, for example, it is currently not permitted to enter the company premises for quarantine reasons, but remote access to IT resources is available, operations can be kept running, for example, via an IT partner network and its resources.

The second question, which is crucial in the long term, is: What are the company’s strengths and potential? What are the potential fields of action for future business. Do employees have creative ideas for new opportunities in the market? This is where visions that were previously taboo must be realized. Can the company completely reorient itself? Automobile manufacturers have already thought about the fact that the old core competence – manufacturing vehicles – will be transformed into the competence of making transport possible. With digital networking, the provision of platforms and cooperation with other service providers.

Can banks combine their business models in such a way that they both offer digital services and once again attach great importance to personal advice? Are services also possible remotely and require infrastructure? The models currently still in existence must be questioned. Yes, here, too, the question of necessary disruption arises – caused by viral factors. Consistent change in business, vision forward. But without completely neglecting the core competencies. The time is now – unintentionally – there to critically question business models.

On the personnel strategy side, too, companies are faced with the question of which paths they want to take after the Corona period in order to be well equipped in terms of personnel. Joy and sorrow sometimes lie close together: the current situation on the labour market can result in the acquisition of missing personnel data that would otherwise not have been available. But also existing, good employees can be bound to the company in the long term through concrete action if the right signals and measures are taken now.

Employees need security now and opportunities for the future. If there are clear regulations to secure jobs and the location, but at the same time flexibility is granted to meet the current needs of the employees, they are usually loyal and grateful.

Conclusion:

At present, companies and management should systematically examine what conditions they have in place and what additional resources may be needed to be prepared and to implement change as an opportunity with new strategies.

The post Responding to change – What opportunities does the crisis offer managers? first appeared on Horton International.

As employees adapt to new ways of working, anxieties around the long-term health of the organisation (and the state of the world in general) can negatively affect morale and performance. Managers don’t have all the answers – but they do have a chance demonstrate capable leadership.

The best place to start – the foundation of a good crisis-management strategy – is open, clear, honest communication.

To that end, here are seven steps managers can take to strengthen their communication efforts during COVID-19.

1. Strengthen your voice by leaning on experts

Any effective crisis strategy begins by separating charged emotions from facts and data. Everyone has their own ideas around the crisis, and these ideas are often fuelled by 24-hour news coverage and the onslaught of social media. Instead of playing into the hype, managers should aim for a calming, unifying tone that instils optimism and level-headed determination.

2. Show that your business is prepared

Even if your business continuity plan isn’t a blueprint for dealing with the current crisis, it must contain elements that do apply. By highlighting relevant sections of an existing plan, and communicating this information to your employees, you can support the psychological and emotional needs of the organisation:

• It demonstrates forethought, competence, and continuity during a chaotic moment
• It shows concern for the well-being of your workplace and your community
• It reduces the need for leaders to speak and act extemporaneously

3. Build community in the workplace

Building a strong sense of community is an important driver of mental wellness and organisational success – but for now, our everyday experience of work has changed. If we’re going to build community during coronavirus, we have to get creative in the digital world. Our communications should lean on facts and preparedness plans, yes – but we should also acknowledge the human toll a crisis. Three suggestions:

• Issue a morning message from the CEO

• Establish times when employees can virtually convene

• Highlight existing resources and remind employees to support one another

4. Solicit feedback

How can employees be productive if they don’t feel secure at work and at home? Even though the company can’t address all of the human challenges its employees are facing, its managers can and should be carefully tuned into those challenges.

5. Bend (or change) the rules

The impulse to charge relentlessly forward – to follow the rules without making exceptions – is not always going to serve managers well during COVID-19. It might make sense to bend or change established rules for a number of reasons (e.g. to address tangible health requirements, or show support for people’s emotional needs). To lead effectively during this crisis is to show your willingness to work with people. Be an advocate for your team – they will remember it long after the crisis has ended.

6. Be transparent about your decisions

Now more than ever, trust is an important currency. In order to build it, managers need to show direct examples of managerial competence. The best way to do this? Document your decision-making. Ask people in your organisation to be ambassadors by channelling information upstream and down. Be prepared to answer questions and explain your choices. If we take a “wizard behind the curtain” approach in the age of coronavirus, trust will start to erode and performance will suffer.

7. Emphasise passion over persuasion

Keep in mind that employees are human beings – outside of work, they have families and lives that are deeply important to them. By showing empathy and dedication to the whole person, managers can improve solidarity and optimism in the workforce. Good leadership – especially during a crisis – is not one-dimensional.

What managers do today will have far-reaching effects

It doesn’t matter if you’re the manager of a small company or the CEO of a multi-national corporation: What you do in the early phases of COVID-19 will have ripple effects that outlast the virus itself. Your employees, customers, partners, regulators, and community are waiting for great leadership. If you lead with equal parts humanity and technical skill – and with a strong commitment to communication – you will deliver where it counts.

The post What’s the Key to Effective Management During COVID-19? first appeared on Horton International.

Like opportunistic teenagers home alone and unaware of the risks, now is party time for your unchecked blind spots to wreak havoc. Do not to let this pandemic become the perfect breeding ground for collateral damage.

Your team needs you more than ever.

• Take Off Your Leadership Mask

Yes, you must convey a vision and drive for results. Yes, you must cultivate collaboration and demystify the data.

But first, meet people where they are. Otherwise, you risk coming across as cold, detached and out of touch.

Be transparent. Name the problems and issues quickly.

Ask your team, “What’s on your mind right now? What is important to you? Do you have what you need, and how can I help? How are things with you and your loved ones?”

Now is also the time to expressly debunk the myth that a leader needs to have all the right answers.

Sometimes, the best answer is the most honest one, “I don’t know right now. When I do, you will know too.”

The more you model authentic connection, the more your teams will pass it on to their own people.

• Show Trust In Your Team

Sure, you trust your people. But how do they experience this?

Unless you are intentionally conveying trust-based behaviours in the everyday, you are simply leaving to chance the most important foundation block for team success.

Patrick Lencioni, author of “Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, urges, “Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”

Go first. Be vulnerable. Talk about your concerns and loved ones. Ask your people what they need to bring their best to this situation. This may mean the parents in your team mixing up their hours to fit around home schooling, or the morning lark starting early and finishing early.

Actively seek out ways to let your team know that you have their best interests at heart. Don’t leave trust to chance.

• Share Common Goals

Add a dispersed focus to a dispersed team and you’ll soon find yourself expending all the energy it takes to herd cats.

First, align on common objectives to maintain a sense of purpose and direction. What are your team’s priorities in this new normal?

Second, assuage that sense of overwhelm and anxiety by breaking down targets into bitesize pieces.

Bain & Co recommend daily five-minute meetings to review short-term priorities, track progress and triage critical issues. “Getting the team together in this way helps us focus on the metrics that matter… and helps us know where we should focus our energy.”

Third, keep sight of the bigger picture. Schedule a weekly meeting to focus exclusively on your team’s forward-looking thoughts. Ask, “What can we not afford to lose sight of? Is there anything that we have not yet considered that could be critical?”

• Inject Fun

Every elite athlete knows the importance of recovery time after a workout.

To get the best out of your team, spend some fun down time together each week. The only rule is that you cannot talk about work!

Teams around the world are posting on social media their meeting ideas: coffee with pets, Friday happy hour, mad hatter breakfast.

What’s yours to be?

• Take Care of Yourself

Look after your greatest asset – you.

You may be grappling with remote working, crunching numbers for the hundredth time, and the children think that because you’re home, it must be time to bake a cake together. It’s exhausting.

In “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, Covey instructs readers to “sharpen the saw”. This means keep yourself fresh so that you are able to do everything else.

Go for a power walk, be present with your loved ones, zone out with a video. What is it that you need to do for yourself?

Covid-19 presents an unprecedented challenge for leaders globally. By taking off your leadership mask, showing trust in your team, sharing common goals, injecting fun and taking care of yourself, you and your teams will not only survive this current crisis but emerge all the stronger for it.

The post 5 Ways to Keep Your Team Strong in a Crisis first appeared on Horton International.

For businesses, one of the biggest benefits is productivity. 94% of employers believe that remote working provides the same or higher levels of productivity. In the US alone, remote working can save over $4.5 trillion per year. This is thanks to the agility, flexibility and productivity that remote working can bring. Furthermore, 85% of businesses confirm that greater location flexibility can increase productivity.

For many employees, remote working is quickly becoming non-negotiable. 76% of workers believe they would be more loyal to employers with flexible working options, and 61% of employees have even left a job due to their lack of work flexibility.

So, with remote working becoming essential, leaders need to understand how to navigate a remote working future.

While remote working can offer significant benefits, for leaders, it can be a challenge to manage a remote team. So, what can leaders do to manage a remote team and keep them happy, healthy and productive?

*Article edited June 2021 with updated data.

The post How Leaders Can Keep Remote Workers Happy, Motivated & Productive first appeared on Horton International.

Now, after a period of lockdown, governments are beginning to consider the lockdown exit strategy. Consequently, businesses should be doing the same and working out how to come out of the other side of this outbreak stronger, more agile and ready to take their team, customers and business forward.

So, how can businesses use this time now to prepare for a post-lockdown success?

How To Create Your Post-Lockdown Strategy – The Five R’s Of Success

Reflect

In all the commotion of lockdown, it was likely that you had to make quick-thinking (and possibly, rash) decisions. While it was essential to work fast, there may have been aspects that, with hindsight, could have been handled differently.

Now is a great time to pause for reflection on your actions and work out what went well and shows your business strengths, and where there are areas of improvement.

It may be useful for you to instruct a focus group, or send out a survey for this reflection so that you can assess the opinions and ideas of people from all areas of your business – from shop floor to high management.

Resolve

There may be immediate challenges that your business needs to face before you begin working on business improvement activities. It is crucial to touch base with your employees, suppliers, contractors and customers and determine if there are any immediate issues that you need to address.

Unfortunately, the outbreak and economic downturn may mean you have had to let staff go, and there may be areas of your business and responsibilities that now need assigning to other members of your team.

Similarly, your suppliers may have struggled or possibly collapsed with the economic downturn. It is vital to thoroughly review your supply chain network and ensure everything can run as it should when you’re back to operating at full capacity.

While focusing on resolutions, prioritise the key aspects of making sure your business will be ready to get back to work immediately when it is safe to do so. Prepare your back-up plan (such as alternative suppliers, temporary workers and hiring strategies) so that there will be no hitches to get in your way.

Reach Out

Communication is essential during this time. With so many people in isolation, us naturally sociable humans are craving interaction. Your business has this prime opportunity to reach out to your customers and strengthen relationships in a way you haven’t been able to do before.

Depending on your business and approach, there are lots of ways to drive communication and engagement with your brand. From hosting free webinars, to developing Q&A sessions with influential people in your industry to simply sharing business news. There are lots of ways that you can help your customers to connect with the brand on a deeper level.

More people are online and using social media than ever before. For example, Facebook usage is up 50%. So, make sure you’re where your customers are, so you can expand your reach and grow your audience and sales funnel. Giveaways and competitions cost very little but can have a significant impact on engagement. Be creative and inventive to use this time to grow your followers.

Many businesses have switched their services during lockdown to being one of help and support for those in need. From donating to charity, to free tools and resources, such as free trials of software and developing products to help key workers. While these may not be revenue-generating activities, they are increasing brand awareness and improving brand perception, which can pay off hugely in the future.

Remember, how you interact with consumers now may shape how they feel about your business in the future.

Revenue

One positive of this outbreak is that it has led many businesses to diversify their offering to create sustainable revenue streams. For example, businesses in the FMCG sector are seeing their trade soar. While also selling well in supermarkets, many FMCG businesses have diversified due to consumer demand to sell directly through e-commerce channels.

For FMCG businesses, the demand is instant, and the response time needs to be fast. This is why many firms have adapted their supply chain and business strategy to focus on being closer to the customer.

As well as FMCG, many other businesses are finding new revenue streams through online offerings. For example, training providers are moving their courses to virtual classes and e-learning, gyms are offering online classes using video platforms and social media platforms, coaches and consultants are working virtually.

With the lockdown exposing customer demands, businesses that can adapt to these new, innovative revenue streams will be agile and in a better place than companies that have downed tools completely.

Reimagine And Redefine

This outbreak has been a huge wake-up call for businesses who may not have responded in the best way possible. Now is the time that organisations can ensure they get back on the right trajectory by redefining the business and perhaps incorporating aspects that have been neglected, such as online offerings.

While we all hope that the Coronavirus outbreak soon passes, it is expected that the pandemic has redefined a new normal, at least for the foreseeable. Businesses must make sure their objectives and plans align with this new normal. Aspects to consider include virtual services, safer business practices and a more personalised and sociable service – such as fulfilling the requirement of interaction which has been an apparent consumer demand during the lockdown.

One key takeaway has been the critical importance of being agile, flexible and fast thinking. If this hasn’t been the case for your business, how can you reimagine your business processes so that you’re ready for any shift or hurdle that may come your way?

The post Preparing Your Business For Post-Lockdown Success first appeared on Horton International.

“Just-in-time”: This is the mantra that has shaped the logistics industry for decades. The aim is to minimise stocks at the processing site by delivering goods that are accurate in time and quantity. In order to save storage costs, fast and direct supply chains are increasingly being used. Safety buffers are hardly available. This type of logistics system requires a smooth flow of goods and is therefore extremely susceptible to disruptions, for example due to environmental influences or traffic congestion. If the supply chain is interrupted by production downtimes or the like, just-in-time is no longer possible because the limited quantity of goods in the warehouse is quickly used up.

It is not surprising that the current corona crisis is leading to considerable disruptions in this finely timed system in some places. Instead, the current situation shows us the importance of a functioning supply chain and how crisis-prone the logistics sector is at the same time.

Ensuring basic supply through greater storage capacities and higher delivery density

Miles and miles of traffic jams caused by border controls and closures, the absence of employees who have to go into quarantine or look after their children at home, and a major change in consumer behaviour – all factors that logistics companies are currently facing. While business in some sectors, such as industry and retail, has come to a complete standstill in some cases, food markets have been experiencing a rush since mid-March, the kind of rush previously seen only before seasonal holidays such as Christmas and Easter. In order to ensure the basic supply of the population with food, drugstore and hygiene products, medicines, fuel and everyday necessities during the crisis, freight forwarders and transport companies have already increased their loading capacity and delivery density. The Federal Government has also relaxed the ban on Sunday driving for trucks. In order to be able to increase stocks during the crisis, new storage facilities and logistics areas are being sought in the short term, especially in conurbations.

Expansion of production capacities at the multi-logistics level

As already reported in our last article of the series Game Changer Corona Crisis, due to the current output restrictions and contact blocks, more orders are being placed online. Amazon is the main beneficiary of the crisis. The US company announced in March that it would be creating 100,000 full- and part-time jobs in logistics centres and the delivery network in the USA. According to the online retailer, 350 new jobs will be created in Germany. But the e-commerce industry is also experiencing difficulties and interruptions in the supply chain because transport and parcel delivery services are overloaded due to high demand or goods are stuck abroad. Although production in China is gradually picking up speed again, the supply of goods is still stagnating due to the rampant virus.

Even before the Covid 19 outbreak, it could be observed that production is gradually being shifted back from China to Europe. This relocation close to the sales market is also known as “nearshoring”. When the crisis is over, there will probably be a shift towards building up production capacities increasingly on a multi-logistics level.

Higher inventory levels for greater crisis resistance

The current situation could have a long-term impact on processes in the logistics industry and lead to a rethink: away from “just-in-time” and towards larger safety stocks in order to be better prepared for future crises. There will also be a stronger trend towards warehouses close to sales and a general shortening of delivery routes. In this way, the availability of the required goods can also be ensured in the event of a crisis. “If you have a sufficiently large stock, you can make use of it and do not immediately fall into the production hole because assured quantities do not come regularly and as agreed,” explained Carsten Knauer from the Federal Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics to Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Corona puts existing structures and processes in logistics to the test and leads to them being rethought.

The post Will logistics companies restructure? first appeared on Horton International.

For many organisations, there is nothing new about managing a remote workforce, and the necessary security and productivity tools are already in place to support remote teams. But the effect of COVID-19 has been to create broader groups that lack the experience of remote working and are ill-equipped with the necessary security tools needed to protect company data.

How IT teams are coping with the crisis

Fortunately, such technology is readily available. A decade ago, this wasn’t the case. We would have been looking at a potential disaster, but even today, there are challenges. To minimise the impact on business, we must get things right. Here are some of the ways internal IT departments are helping out.

Few people had adequate time and resource to set up and test their remote working system properly; we all had to do so in a hurry. To make sure that people can continue to do their jobs and to maintain a secure working environment the first step was to check that all who need them have all the essential elements including laptops, log in details, adequate broadband, and headsets.

It is also crucial to ensure that the home working environment is sufficient. For instance, is the home Wi-Fi system suitable and sufficiently secure? In many areas of the country, broadband services degrade during the day when most people are using them. Perhaps it is necessary to upgrade to a higher service level. Most businesses will require employees to connect to a company VPN, so employees need to know how to do so. While this is all fairly basic, any failures could jeopardise both productivity and security.

Ongoing support

Employees are likely to need ongoing support, especially for those inevitable times when things go wrong. Employees must be still able to contact IT when this happens.

Good and efficient communications are essential. Teams that usually interact face-to-face will need to use various communication tools to stay in touch. Online chats, video chats, and frequent phone calls are all ways to stay connected and to avoid feeling isolated at home. Not only do these boost productivity, but they are also great for morale too.

Although the IT team must keep things running smoothly, it is also essential to avoid burning out these support teams. Sharing solutions and quick fixes for everyday problems can do much to take some of the pressure of IT. Everybody should be aware of the need to back up data safely and securely and for IT to ensure they do so. Automatic backup systems can do much to avert potential problems of data loss.

Getting into a routine

Once all employees are up and running, and fundamental issues have been ironed out, it is essential to establish reliable methods for continuing business as usual. Again strong leadership is necessary. Currently, the situation is open-ended; nobody knows how long the lockdown will last and how it will be lifted in the future. While there is every likelihood that lockdown will be eased gradually through several phases, for some sectors and employees, the lockdown could be prolonged, possibly until a vaccine is developed. In reality, timelines are complete unknowns.

The longer it does go on, the more long term problems are likely to emerge. For instance, paying suppliers could become an issue as could dealing with specific financial milestones such as the end of fiscal quarters and years. For many organisations, there are unlikely to be existing mechanisms for doing this remotely, and new measures will be needed. IT and other departments need to be aware of such challenges well before they become a severe issue and ensure the necessary tools and protocols in place.

Until regular service is restored, businesses and employees will be under potential security threats. IT must stay on top of this, and all employees should be well versed in how to handle exploits such as phishing attacks. Advanced threat detection tools, spam filters and antivirus software should be used to identify and isolate malware, viruses and other attacks.

Remote network monitoring should be used by IT to gain full visibility of remote workers’ systems. Potential downtimes must be managed to minimise potential disruption should things go badly wrong. A thoroughly tested disaster recovery processes must be in place. There is always the danger of many employees becoming too ill to work; of running out of supplies; and the loss of critical suppliers and customers. Perhaps it is appropriate to minimise business dependencies and to develop contingency plans in advance.

The need for strong leadership

As we said before, strong leadership is essential. We will need to do more with a smaller resource than we had before. Globally our infrastructures are under more stress than ever, certainly since the last World War. Business leaders need to be resilient and adaptable. It is time for imagination and initiative. While some businesses will fail, others are likely to thrive. Those individuals and organisations who live up to challenge will have an exciting future.

The post Internal IT teams, Leadership & the Impact of COVID-19 first appeared on Horton International.

After the first wave of the crisis, when the rapid spread of the virus overtook many companies, a second wave will now follow in the coming weeks. Here it is up to the management and the executives to lead companies through the crisis with pragmatism, sensitivity and creativity before the new ‘normality’ is established. In the interaction with customers, creative approaches are required that make it possible to implement projects in a time of great uncertainty. When dealing with employees, managers must “keep their nerve” and not pass on the pressure they feel to the teams unfiltered and unconstructively.

“Most companies plan at short intervals – usually monthly – and have several plans: worst case, most probable, best case.” Explains Dr. Monika Becker, Business Unit Director for Software at Hager Unternehmensberatung and Sector Head IT & Digitalisation at Horton International.

“In the long term, most companies in the software industry expect the Corona crisis to have a strengthening effect on digitisation. Companies are now realising if they have not done their “homework” with regard to continuous digital processes and process automation and will push these issues with even higher priority”.

The Corona crisis has made the importance of digital technologies very clear to everyone. This phase should be seen as a wake-up call across the board to push the issue of digitisation more strongly.

Not only cutting costs – entrepreneurial courage is also required

Sales and margins are collapsing and cost pressure is increasing. This is precisely because emergency measures are often more cost-intensive than in normal cases. Nevertheless, if possible, companies should not sacrifice their future strategies for acute cost-saving measures and should act with foresight for the phase when the corona effect weakens. They should continue to push ahead with their business strategies. This applies in particular to recruiting in Germany.

The long notice periods make a hiring freeze in Germany particularly painful. Because it will take a long time after the end of the hiring freeze before a company has the employees it needs on board.

There are many indications that the DACH region could cope with the Corona crisis better than other regions, so that investments here appear to make particular sense.

Conclusion:

The Corona cut came very suddenly for many companies. The next phase, the management of the crisis, should be directed forward despite all the imponderables. Those who cut back their future-oriented corporate strategy for the post-Corona phase may give up a competitive advantage or lose out to companies that are able to move forward even during the crisis. This medium-term risk must not be lost sight of under current pressure to cut costs. This is particularly true in Germany, where many things – such as bringing new employees on board – can only be implemented with a certain latency.

The post Exit Strategy after the lockdown – What might be a possible strategy in the software industry? first appeared on Horton International.

Communication during this pandemic is vitally important. It doesn’t matter if your business has been able to keep working or not. You need to be communicating clearly and regularly with both your staff and your clients. Getting it right can empower your teams to keep striving forward and coming out of the crisis stronger. It can even be an opportunity to strengthen your client relationships. However, getting it wrong can alienate your clients and your workforce.

When it comes to crisis communication, you need to reach out to all of your key stakeholders. This means you need to have a focus on both internal and external messaging.

Internal Communication

The employees of your company are the single most significant factor in deciding how you bounce back from this crisis. By communicating with them effectively, you can build their loyalty. This is a chance to build trust in your leadership structures.

Give your managers the tools they need to inform and support their teams. How you handle this situation will colour your staff’s morale and opinions for a long time.

External Communication

You need to have a plan for external communications. Your messaging needs to reach all of your stakeholders. It needs to be consistent and in tune with the situation. Times will be worrying for you and your customers. Open and honest communication can build trust and loyalty. You will need that once we get to the other side of this.

Most companies have a crisis communication plan. However, it may not be fit for purpose, given the long term nature of this situation. It would be prudent to review your communication plan and ensure that everyone is aware of it.

Getting the tone right can increase business. So make sure you follow your brand style. Can you be fun or playful? Do you need to maintain a serious and professional tone?

Examples of this are how the American Red Cross responded to an accidental tweet by their social media manager. The account holder posted about picking up another four-pack of beer on the official account. The tweet was deleted and replaced with an assurance that the Red Cross was sober. Other brands then encouraged people to use the hashtag #gettngslizzerd to promote donations. This lighthearted reaction to a potential crisis resulted in a surge of funding and a greater awareness of the work the Red Cross does.

Good Crisis Communication

Excellent communication has a few key features to it. These are no different in times of crisis. Before you starting sending out emails, tweets or Slack messages, make sure your messaging ticks these boxes.

Precise

Precise language is essential. If your message is unclear or fuzzy in any way, it will lead to questions and concerns. You need to be specific when you can. Importantly don’t be afraid to identify things that are yet to be decided or are simply unknown. Using precise and clear language will provide certainty and reduce the incidence of misinformation and rumour.

Timely

It is essential to share information with teams promptly. If there is a time lag in sharing information, your employees will begin to worry. For example, if there are government announcements about the lockdown, plan a meeting/email to your team the next working day to clarify how the decision affects your company.

By sharing information quickly, you will make your team feel valued and prevent idle speculation. You will keep your teams focused and productive, and you will build trust and security for your staff.

Relevant

It can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to over-communicate. But you mustn’t communicate just to be saying something. You need to make sure that everything you say to your team or your clients is on message and relevant to them.

In an ideal world, your communication should be as concise as possible. No one wants to wade through an essay to find the point of your message. This is doubly true when people are worried and anxious.

Two-Way

Effective communication is a two-way exchange. Your employees need to feel heard. And, you need to listen to their worries and concerns to address them. This two-way process is even more critical in times of crisis. With such an unprecedented situation, there is no road map. You need all the information you can get.

Issues To Watch For

These are not normal times, so there are bound to be some issues. You will need to stay agile and responsive to the situation. However, there are two significant issues that you want to keep an eye on. Handling these things wrong can be enough to sink your ship even in untroubled times.

Rumours/Misinformation

When you are communicating electronically, there is a lot more scope for rumours to start. Whether it’s over Slack or in an email, a message can be misconstrued. Idle speculation can be taken as concrete fact. It’s a fertile breeding ground for rumour and misinformation.

To avoid this, you should make sure to have a forum to stamp out any brewing rumours before they become widespread.

Lack Of Empathy

Whenever you are communicating, inside or outside of your company, make sure that you start from a place of empathy. Try to put your feelings aside and consider what the person you are communicating with is feeling. There is no doubt that everyone is finding life hard at the moment. However, no matter how bad things are for you, be mindful that others may have it a lot worse.

There is a great cautionary tale of this exact thing. In 2010 in the wake of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, the then CEO of BP gave an interview. He was quoted as saying “We’re sorry for the massive disruption it’s caused to their lives. There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do. I’d like my life back.”. He was so caught up in how hard it had been for him; he somehow forgot that employees had died in the accident. Two weeks later, he was no longer CEO.

Getting It Right

For effective crisis communication, always think about how your message will be received and what the recipient needs to know. Be mindful of the situation to get the tone right and always be ready to act fast and be responsive.

The post Why Communication Is Critical In A Crisis first appeared on Horton International.

According to the British Retail Consortium, hundreds of thousands of jobs in the sector are at risk. In the first two weeks of the UK lockdown, retails sales plunged by 27 percent, even though sales surged by 12 percent as shoppers stocked up ahead of restrictions being imposed. Similar pictures are emerging across Europe and in the US.

That said, many retailers have used this situation to transform their business, diversify their offerings, differentiated their business model and are now thriving thanks to their quick-thinking and spotting gaps in the market and buying trends.

So, with this incredible polarisation, what’s happening across the different retail sectors?

Food sector

Early in the crisis, supermarket chains across the world experienced a mad rush of panic buying so severe that it created a black market in items such as toilet rolls and hand sanitisers. While shoppers were faced with empty shelves, some supermarkets saw up to a 50 percent uplift in sales. Over the first two weeks in March, however, there was a sudden reversal. While some shortages continue, sales fell over that period by as much as 10 percent compared to the similar pre-Easter period in 2019.

To a large extent, this has been exacerbated by social distancing and shoppers switching to local shops to avoid the queues outside supermarkets. Consequently, many independent retailers and local producers have reaped the rewards.

Online food sales have also skyrocketed to the extent that it is tough for UK shoppers to book a delivery slot. Many supermarkets prioritise slot availability for elderly and vulnerable customers, though even these prioritised customers find it difficult to secure a slot.

Before the pandemic, much of continental Europe was unused to online food shopping. Food markets and stores were preferred. But since coronavirus people have turned in their droves to food shopping online. In France, online orders rose by a third and click-and-collect sales by a quarter. In Italy and Spain, the number of online customers more than doubled.  Similar increases were seen in the US.

To cope with the demand, a huge number of employees have been taken on. The major UK supermarkets have between them hired 64,000 extra staff. As a result, this is great news for smaller, independent retailers and increasing employment levels – vital for stimulating the economy.

Fashion industry

Sadly, many of the headlines indicate that the fashion industry is faring badly; indeed, the coronavirus threatens its future should store closures extend for two months or more.

Globally, 2020 fashion sales are likely to fall by 30 to 40 percent with the luxury end being hit the hardest. Two months closure threatens listed fashion companies in the US and Europe with “financial distress”, and stock values are falling faster than the overall stock market. The sector, worth $2.5 trillion, has lost 40 percent of its share value since the start of the year.  Many global fashion businesses are expected to become bankrupt over the next twelve months.

The knock-on effect is massive. Globally, around 300 million people work in the sector. Many retail jobs have been lost, and many more are under threat. Orders for new season stock have been cancelled, and garment workers in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia are out of work threatening the livelihoods of millions of workers.

In some cases, fashion warehouses are also overflowing. In the UK alone high street fashion goods valued at £10 billion have piled up as shops are no longer able to accept deliveries through lack of space.

That said, some fashion retailers are thriving through their strategic approaches.

For example, many fashion houses and designers are better utilising technology to promote their clothing to audiences at home. For example, there has been a growth in clothing videos and 360-degree ‘look books’ so that fashion buyers can fully see and experience a product before buying. This has worked wonders for the designer, Steven Tai, who says that half of the orders placed are due to his new virtual look book.

Some fashion retailers have also seen a sales boom as they promote comfy loungewear and sports clothing over ‘going out’ garments. For example, online retailer Boohoo has reported a significant sales growth with buyers opting for ‘Zoom-ready’ smart tops and relaxed homewear.

Fashion supply chains are also diversifying and improving by digitising their software to create responsive production that is based on demand and supply. There is also a rise in made-to-order fashion which is enticing to fashion brands, especially as made-to-order items see a much lower return rate from consumers. Typically, the return rate can be between 5-7% – this is especially enticing to brands that struggle with the expenses of reverse logistics.

eCommerce

Unsurprisingly, global eCommerce sales are being driven by the closure of physical retail outlets for goods, services and entertainment. Many millions of people are now regularly shopping online. While online fashion sales have seen a small decline, during March transactions volumes grew on average by 74 percent with areas such as online gaming, home products and furnishing almost doubling and gardening essentials increasing by over 160 percent.

For retailers who are able to move and market their business online, now has been a time to maximise sales.

Retailers are innovating to help customers through the crisis

Many retailers worldwide are coming up with innovative solutions to help their customers survive and cope with the crisis. Just some examples include:

• Repurposing manufacturing facilities to produce health products – Perfume manufacturers, breweries, distilleries, and fashion houses are repurposing their production lines to manufacture desperately needed personal protective equipment products such as hand sanitisers and face masks. In many instances, these are being provided free of charge.
• Special help for vulnerable people – Supermarkets are providing priority store access and online shopping priority delivery slots for elderly and vulnerable shoppers.
• Several supermarkets are providing “essential” food boxes to people who are unable to reserve delivery slots. They are also donating unprecedented amounts of goods to food banks.
• Social distancing delivery methods – food and other deliveries are now left at people’s front doors rather than handed over in person.
• Community building – many retailers are encouraging their customers to engage with each other in quizzes, exercise routines, virtual meetings with celebrities, cooking classes, book groups and more.
• Some leading retailers have set up drive-through COVID-19 test centres for health workers, and others are donating significant sums to charities that are helping people affected by the crisis.

The future

Eventually, the world will return to normal, or something approximating to normal. Our behaviours will revert gradually to how they were before the virus struck. We will visit pubs, eat in restaurants, attend events, and go shopping on what remains of the high street.

But it won’t be precisely the same. Many people previously unaccustomed to digital sales will have discovered they prefer that way of shopping and will continue to shop online. Other shoppers, however, will fully embrace the chance to revisit the shops. For example, many shoppers will want to continue supporting the local, independent retailers who came through during lockdown when supermarkets struggled.

As always, competition amongst retailers will be fierce, as they vie to retain old and attract new customers. Even those that weather the COVID-19 storm might not survive its aftermath without adapting their strategy. Some will continue, and others will disappear. We will see the more creative retail businesses introduce innovations and digitisations that boost their brands and drive sales.

Consequently, there will be a significant demand for talented staff who can help lead the sector through its resurgence and carve out the new path for the future of the business.

The post How COVID-19 is Impacting the Retail Industry first appeared on Horton International.

The agricultural industry is currently facing massive challenges. Business models are under threat or have already collapsed in some cases. A lack of harvest workers, the closure of restaurants and catering businesses, resulting in a drop in customers, a considerable decline in the level of value added and the weakening of the international economy. More than half of all short-term losses are caused by declining international demand and supply bottlenecks.

The current problems of the agricultural and food industry were initially triggered by a massive supply shock to consumers due to the pandemic. Supply chains – in Europe and worldwide – have been disrupted and therefore fewer goods and agricultural commodities could be traded and sold, which has consequently reduced the supply of goods.

The shortage of available labour also reduces production and thus the potential supply. At the same time, however, there are consumer hoarding purchases, which in many countries and regions has led to export restrictions on food and other supply bottlenecks. Meanwhile, many agricultural companies are facing further, massive problems: many large importing countries and regions such as the USA, the EU and also Asia and North Africa have imposed far-reaching quarantine measures. As a result, the economies of these countries are also collapsing – sometimes the entire demand for goods even collapses.

What happens in the agricultural industry?

Many farms try to keep their cash flow above water by optimizing their cash flow and see this as the only viable way forward. But what comes next? The entrepreneurial view should also be adjusted to the future in order to be able to operate successfully in the post-corona phase. Leaner processes and increased transparency could be a successful measure in the agricultural sector.

In addition, the crop protection industry is strongly affected by political regulatory changes and limitations and is therefore rethinking its existing range of products. This leads to stagnating sales and the loss of approvals. As a consequence, there is a decline in the number of suppliers of machinery and thus declining sales figures. This vicious circle is further compounded by the threat of a drought in the third year of the following year, which completely jeopardizes the harvests.

This tricky situation calls for an optimisation of business processes. “Lean through digitalisation” can make a not inconsiderable contribution to improving the economic situation in this area.

As a result of the influences described above, the willingness of agricultural enterprises to invest in the renewal of machinery has currently fallen sharply, and as a result the entire supply industry is affected to the same extent.

“Based on my many years of experience in the agricultural industry, I can only encourage those responsible in this sector to push the issue of digitization further in order to streamline processes and increase transparency”. Explains Hans-Gerd Birlenberg, head of the Agribusiness & Distribution business unit at Hager Unternehmensberatung.

The agricultural industry should make even greater use of the opportunities offered by digitalisation for its sector than it has done to date. The agricultural sector, which was already one of the pioneers in the use of GPS data, should switch to digital, as should the digital ‘Büro Deutschland’. Intelligent new approaches are currently more necessary than ever. Digitisation can provide relaxation and survival in the future in many places. It does not always have to be the expensive agricultural machine that navigates the fields via satellite or applies fertilisers and fungicides. An intelligent farm management system can also do a lot, for example for personnel planning, documentation or even applying for agricultural subsidies.

By using such measures, processes can be streamlined, capacities better utilised, resources conserved and ultimately production costs reduced. Those responsible in the agricultural industry should consider this issue for their exit strategies in the corona phase and not be put off by high investment costs or the complexity of the issue.

Focus on change in personnel policy

An equally important aspect for a forward-looking strategy is the succession of personnel in the management area. When making new appointments at management level, it is advisable to focus on ‘change agents’ and not on ‘keepers’. The agricultural sector is also in a state of upheaval, so managers are needed who support, demand and, at best, even initiate change.

“Another focus in the agricultural industry should be to find ways and means to expand the B2C business more strongly. In general, there is a high degree of primary contact in this industry, and this should no longer be the sole focus of attention due to digitalisation”. So Birlenberg continues.

Especially in the current corona phase, many companies have converted their sales networks. Due to the sometimes limited supply chains, direct sales to the consumer can also be another way of opening up new avenues in the agricultural sector. In addition, the consumer market is often larger and also more varied, which ultimately increases the number of potential customers. In addition, consumers like to know where their food comes from. Therefore, consumer business could be a successful way to open up new sales channels.

Conclusion

It is not easy for any industry to define a complete exit strategy, as no one knows what the next step will be. However, one thing is certain, sticking to the tried and tested is not a suitable way to achieve long-term economic success. By driving the digital transformation, farms can operate more effectively, suffer fewer production losses and ultimately become more profitable. In addition, a combination of B2B and B2C can provide an additional mainstay so that agricultural products find their way to consumers even in times of crisis.

In the short and medium term, new fields of activity and more complex tasks will also be required in the agricultural industry. Here, in addition to sound specialist knowledge, special skills such as quality management, communication and risk and crisis management will be added to agricultural knowledge.

The post Exit strategy after the lockdown – What could this look like in the agricultural sector? first appeared on Horton International.

“Home office as a home environment in which one can work in a concentrated and productive manner” – until a few months ago, this description was quite accurate. Within one’s own four walls, it was possible to continue working on projects or to make business phone calls without distraction from colleagues. Of course, this is still the case oftentimes. However, until recently, the possibility of working in the home office was something special and not standardized everywhere. The decision to work at home was based on voluntariness. With the beginning of the Corona crisis, it often became a compulsory measure, and many working people perceive it exactly like that. In the meantime, home office is a great challenge, especially for those who have to combine job, family and household.

The line between private and professional life is becoming increasingly blurred

Many people work more in the home office than in the office because they do not have a real knocking-off time and change of location. Home is no longer just a place to switch off and relax, but now also a workplace. The lines between ‘work’ and ‘life’ are disappearing. In addition, the lack of alternative leisure activities and the (social) isolation increase the temptation to simply continue working. As a result, the balance is increasingly shifting towards the ‘work’ level.

Family and children are among the biggest obstacles in home office

After the morning rituals, which are to be maintained even in these times, we sit down at the desk, do our work, then have a lunch break and continue until the hour mark is met. For many, the separation of business and private life continues to work well. However, those who, due to closed day-care centres and schools, currently have an additional 24/7 job as a mother or father know that the reality looks quite different right now. Between answering emails, phone calls and video conferences, children often need support with their homework and seek the attention of their parents. Consistently working several hours at a time is no longer feasible.

In a recent survey conducted by the survey institute Civey, based in Berlin, among 2,500 professionals who currently have the option to work in a home office, around one-fifth of those surveyed said that disruptions caused by family and children were one of the biggest obstacles they faced. In addition, about one in three also stated that they were less concentrated in the current situation.

Blocks in new everyday life are more variable

This new and unusual mixture of both worlds requires creative solutions and flexible models. When and where can work be done? Who looks after the children during this time if necessary? Are there situations that can be used to work undisturbed? Is it possible to distribute the work to marginal times? Many people are currently dealing with these and similar questions. If both parents are working, it is important to coordinate and find a common solution. For only few people it is imaginable that one partner shuts himself off completely and concentrates on work while the other looks after the family and vice versa.

A strict separation of job, family and leisure time is almost impossible for most people in the current situation. Instead, the blocks are becoming more variable: instead of eight hours of work and the rest of the day family and leisure, the day could be structured more like this for example: three to four hours of work, other commitments such as shopping or home schooling, followed by work again and so on. The ‘new everyday life’ is organised around fixed appointments such as online meetings, telephone conferences, doctor’s appointments etc., gaps must be used more intensively. This requires very good planning. Nevertheless, something can always come up in between, which we must react to flexibly and adjust our schedule accordingly.

Work-Life-Balance in the truest sense of the word

If at some point, normality returns to our lives, this more flexible arrangement may be retained. Perhaps the crisis offers the chance to let go of our still rigid structures and to reschedule. The business buzzword ‘work-life balance’ takes on a whole new meaning. The risk is not being able to satisfy all interests at the same time. Neither too much work should be done nor should the private share become too large. Everyone must find the right way to balance work, family and leisure.

The post Will “Work” and “Life” intertwine more strongly in the future? first appeared on Horton International.

The life science sector has to be viewed in its various divisions:

The pharmaceutical sector is quite stable despite the crisis. Provided that the companies have replenished their raw material stocks before the restrictions of free trade. Nevertheless, a relatively high level of dependence on the Asian markets could lead to problems within the supply chain in the medium term. In principle, the pharmaceutical industry is more likely to be on the winning side of the crisis due to pharmacy distribution and the existing prescription requirement. However, as in many other industries, there is a general reluctance to hire new staff in order to control costs. Only important positions are being filled and those that are being filled must currently be approved by a higher authority than in the ‘normal case’ in management.

There is also a dichotomy within medical technology. Companies for ventilators such as Dräger in Northern Germany and specialized industrial companies for intensive care units can hardly escape from orders. By contrast, other areas of industry are not spared the economic consequences of the corona crisis. According to a recent survey by the industry association Spectaris and Medical Mountains GmbH, around two-thirds of the companies surveyed assess the current business situation as having deteriorated significantly and expect sales to fall if it is blocked for a longer period. In addition, almost half complained about supply bottlenecks and more than 60 percent even reported a significant drop in demand. Here, too, the dependence on Asia with existing restrictions on free trade and the interrupted supply chain is noticeable. Hiring freeze, short-time work, etc. are pending – government support measures such as tax deferrals provide relief in the current situation.

“At present, no specific exit strategy for the life science industry is discernible – and in some cases, it is not even necessary. In the medical field, it is advisable to resume all treatments in all medical practices and hospitals, such as postponed operations.

Likewise, a restoration of the partially interrupted supply chain is urgently required. If possible, alternatives should be provided. Free trade should also be resumed urgently in order to cushion the general downward trend,” explains Johannes Suciu, head of the Life Science business unit at Hager Unternehmensberatung.

“In the period after the lockdown, many companies in the life science sector are planning to rebuild certain production capacities within the EU – at least for the time being as “hidden reserves”. For critical products and ingredients, the ‘just in time delivery’ concept is critically reviewed. At present, there is also a tendency for production to return from China and India in the medium and long term due to rising wage and logistics costs,” Suciu continues.

A positive side effect of the crisis is that investments in industrial automation are being accelerated. The topics of digitalisation of production and robotics have achieved a much higher priority in a very short time. Many CFOs have also noticed that numerous topics can be dealt with in a technically sound manner without the travel effort required to date. This saves millions of euros for large pharmaceutical companies – a further step towards establishing digital meetings that previously seemed impossible. 

Conclusion:

There are winners and losers of the current crisis in the life science sector as well. In many cases, the products that are stable and established finance those that are stagnating or declining. An exit strategy is difficult to plan without a foreseeable end to the crisis and is not necessary for some companies in this sector. The quintessence, which is common to almost all industries, is that the topics of digitization and robotics are receiving higher priorities in the management agenda than was conceivable just a few weeks ago.

The post Exit strategy after the lockdown – What about the life science industry? first appeared on Horton International.

With each country across the globe practising slightly different lockdown and social distancing measures, the one common factor is that the internet is key to keeping businesses running. Most countries have been encouraged to adopt a remote workforce, but what happens when a new recruit is needed? 

Getting a new employee up and running with their role virtually might seem like a difficult task, but we’re sharing our top tips and advice for onboarding leaders during COVID19. 

The Fundamentals Stay The Same

Management and HR teams should bear in mind that the fundamentals of the onboarding process should stay the same. New employees must understand how their role fits into the company and the bigger picture. When they can’t physically meet and get to know their team members, communication with new recruits is more crucial than ever. Focus on how everyone is going to communicate effectively without being in the same office.

Remember that new staff members often have a lot of questions and need support and guidance, and this shouldn’t be forgotten because they are working remotely. Face to face onboarding processes generally includes training sessions, a mentor system and regular check-ins. Keep this structure and ideology for remote onboarding and communicate the full onboarding plan to everyone involved.

Be Flexible With Onboarding Time Frames

If one thing is sure at the moment, it’s that things can change quickly, and businesses need to adapt and remain flexible. The same goes for an onboarding process. Make a plan for how new hires will be onboarded and what will be happening and when. However, be prepared for it to change sometimes. 

Onboarding in a normal situation can be a lengthy process, and adding in the complications of remote working may make the process longer. It will take more time for a new leader to truly get to know the ins and outs of a business when they are working from home. 

Focus on making sure they know the company culture, procedures, products and resources. The first two or three weeks of the process are critical for setting a new hire up for success, so make sure there is a detailed plan in place. Without the luxury of face to face meetings, schedule in plenty of video conferences and catch-ups so they feel well connected.

Be Properly Prepared

The onboarding process begins before the new hire actually starts working, and it is vital that everything is in place and ready for them. Make sure HR and IT departments work together to have everything set up and ready to go on their first day. 

A new employee will get a bad impression if their first days are spent troubleshooting their new equipment with the IT team. Get all the technology they need in place and tested, and deliver any hardware they need in advance. Consider what systems they will need access to and set up accounts and logins for them in advance.

Legal and regulatory requirements also need to be considered carefully. Prepare employment contracts and legal documents with plenty of time, as it might be necessary for them to print, scan and post them. 

A nice touch and way to make the companies personality shine through is to send a little gift with their hardware delivery to welcome them to the business. Consider a branded mug, headphones or something relevant to the industry, alongside a friendly personal message from their new manager or CEO. It will help new hires to feel welcomed and valued right from the start.

Set Clear Objectives And Progress Reviews

Joining a new company can be overwhelming on its own, but remote working for those who aren’t used to it can be even more of a challenge. Working from home is a skill that takes time to adopt. Staying motivated and on track when working from home is often a struggle. 

To keep new hires focused, set them clear objectives from day one. Not only will this help them to know where to focus their time, but it will also give them purpose right from the start. Setting objectives will mean they feel like they a contributing and having an impact on the wider organisation. 

In addition to setting out both long and short term goals for new employees, it is essential to properly monitor and review their progress. Try to have weekly one to one video meetings with all new recruits. During this time, discuss their priorities, projects, expectations and give them the chance to give their feedback as well. 

It is likely they will be doing a lot of training with different people and systems. Make sure to touch base after each training session to find out how it went and if they are happy with everything.

Immerse Them In Company Culture

When new recruits aren’t spending time in the business with current employees, immersing them in the company culture can be challenging. However, it is one of the most important aspects of joining a business. Particularly if the new recruit is in a position of leadership or management, understanding the existing company culture is vital for success. 

Be very clear with the work processes and how culture influences the decision making and strategies of the business. Schedule in frequent video calls with different team members, especially in the early days of the onboarding process. Even if these calls aren’t always project or work-related, they are essential for socialising and immersing new hires with the team. 

Social interactions are the fastest and most effective way of embedding company culture, and just because everyone is working remotely doesn’t mean they have to stop. Don’t be afraid of giving your new recruits plenty of informal chat sessions with team members. This way, new employees will truly get to grips with their new team and new company. 

The post How To Onboard New Hires During COVID19 first appeared on Horton International.

How has the technology solutions industry prepared for the end of the corona phase?

The restrictions of the lockdown are often reversed and a new ‘normality’ continues. In the Technology Solutions industry, various preparations have been made, which are heavily dependent on the technological solution offered and the size of the company.

Due to the high level of innovation in this sector, there are numerous up-and-coming companies and start-ups. In contrast to many large corporations and DAX companies, these smaller, dynamic tech companies have reacted very agile to the crisis. Instead of counteracting the lockdown with a shutdown and stopping or postponing all investments, they have proceeded here with the motto ‘Now more than ever!‘

This has put these companies in a very good position to emerge from the crisis stronger than before. The current is a good time to address internal issues. Be it technical investments to create a better infrastructure or a well-founded analysis of the bugs in their own products. Also the recruiting of new employees can already be useful to prepare for the post-Corona times in the best possible way.

“Of course, Corona will also leave its mark on the tech industry. Most technology companies are globally positioned and not all the resources needed are available in the respective country or region. If this is the case, a rethink will have to take place here. Our globalized world cannot operate as cross-border as usual in these times, ergo resources in all regions have to be built up more intensively in order not to lose potential business. It is particularly important to have key technical and customer-oriented roles that can maintain sales in such times,” explains Kevin Eckstaedt, Manager of the Technology Solutions business unit at Hager Unternehmensberatung, which specialises in executive search.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, many companies were literally running behind the market. Many vacancies to be filled, important processes and investments in innovation fell by the wayside. The investment-happy companies were already actively preparing for the time after the pandemic during the entire lockdown phase in order to be able to get off to a more professional start with increased manpower.

Companies that have shut everything down at the beginning of the exit from the lockdown will not be able to react quickly enough in the start-up phase to withstand the competition. It is precisely this motto that drives start-ups to actively prepare themselves and continue to fill key positions and invest in technology.

“My recommendation is quite clear: pull your head out of the sand and look ahead! Currently, everyone, whether customer, supplier, partner or employee, wants to get back to the same level after the crisis! This dynamic will help us to quickly regain momentum together as an economy, both nationally and internationally, and work hard for the status quo. So now set yourself up as if you had to give 150 percent after Corona, because this will probably be the minimum! Every crisis also brings an upswing, as it was after the Second World War and as it will be after COVID-19”, Eckstaedt affirms.

The post Exit strategy after the lockdown – What options are available in the Technology Solutions sector first appeared on Horton International.

The time has been used and many great social projects have been started or supported. Players like Leon Goretzka or Josua Kimmich have collected donations of over four million euros for charitable institutions with the “We kick Corona” initiative.

During the Corona crisis, almost every club has comprehensively expanded or relaunched its e-sports activities, which has given the entire scene a significant boost.

Digitalisation was the buzzword at every event in recent years and hardly anyone was able to really grasp what was actually meant. Keyword home office. In many conversations, I have learned how well it worked when most employees worked flexibly from home. The consequence of this? The offices of the future will become increasingly empty. Not because the number of employees is being reduced, but because it is possible to work more effectively. “Working hours for everyone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will no longer exist in this form at our company,” the marketing director of a German Football League club told me.

But a rethink also seems to be taking place in the normative area. Those responsible had sufficient time to reflect on the system and its functionality from all sides. Marco Bode, chairman of the supervisory board of Werder Bremen puts it this way: “It is the attitude that counts, not the money.”

“Keywords like salary cap or personnel cost ratio are now frequently used. This should be discussed by those responsible at European level and implemented accordingly in accordance with EU law. I would like to see the balance of power between the clubs, players and consultants in player transfers become more evenly balanced again”, says Richard Golz, former professional footballer and head of the sports industry division at Hager Unternehmensberatung, which specialises in executive search.

“After the Corona pandemic, things in the sports industry will not be better or worse, but simply different”, Golz confirms.

The post How is the Sports Industry Preparing for Life After Corona? first appeared on Horton International.

Around 70 percent of industrial companies continue to manufacture at a high production level. Urgent restrictions require measures to protect against infection and often involve a redistribution of production shifts to prevent employees from meeting each other or to ensure a safe distance. Teamwork has to be modified in some cases, as the distance now required – also in production – demands a different form of work. A further challenge is that of component replenishment. Due to the interruption of global supply chains, many processes are delayed or interrupted.

The remaining 30 percent of industrial companies are directly or indirectly attributable to the automotive industry. Here, it is also important to differentiate between production and engineering / R&D. In many cases, short-time work or production shutdowns have been initiated in the past, particularly in the production area. Engineering is often working on the projects of tomorrow: More than usual, the focus is on the future and the relevant technical preparations. The development department therefore continues to work “normally” with special emphasis with slight restrictions. Due to the expected expansion of government subsidies in the field of eMobility, OEM and TIER1 are working on these projects with particular pressure. Due to the high diversity of industries, the picture is not uniform – it is influenced by company-specific factors.

The announcements of the resumption of assembly at OEMs are encouraging, but cannot yet be concretely confirmed by TIER1. They are often still waiting for the components to be called off.

As a conclusion, a two-part picture remains: business as usual – with adjustments for the situation – but also restrictions or standstill with a high degree of uncertainty. Many companies are currently still expecting downstream slumps in demand, which must be evaluated regularly, preferably on a weekly basis, with regard to current production and also with regard to short-time work.

“Humanity masters such situations! There are an incredible number of success stories around Corona, especially in business. Already today, the IT departments of companies that make the incredible possible are being carried on hands. If we counter the success stories with the negative endurance loop in the news, it will encourage others,” explains Hagen Schönfeld, Business Unit Manager Industry and Sector Head Industry of Horton Group International.

What entrepreneurial exit strategies are being pursued in the industry sector?

The industry as a whole is very diverse, so there is no single, manageable strategy. Customers from the automation and robotics industries are currently feeling the reluctance of OEMs and TIER1 in the automotive sector and are hoping for their courage to invest.

Mechanical engineering, on the other hand, is struggling with a wide variety of challenges, such as the spontaneous collapse of the European and American markets, but on the other hand the rapid resurgence of the Chinese market.

All companies want to return to “normality” as quickly as possible, i.e. to previously smooth processes in supply chains, sales, etc.

Have measures or plans been prepared to relocate, change or even realign business areas, if necessary?

The media often presents a distorted picture. There is no attempt whatsoever to call into question the previous model of market economy or post-Corona capitalism. Production will remain globally networked. There will only be occasional government regulations for safety-relevant or pharmaceutical products. Trade restrictions designed to keep the risk of infection low are not known, but they are conceivable. But what advantage would it have to have currently only suppliers in Europe as OEMs? In the end, these are affected in the same way, and it would also be very costly to establish them on the European market.

“I could imagine that in the future, even greater emphasis will be placed on lean manufacturing, automation and the digitalization of processes in all functional areas. The two must be seen in conjunction. Automated processes cannot fall ill with corona, whether in finance or on the production line. Ultimately, efficiency, stability and speed will increase again, and this with a decreasing error rate and lower personnel requirements”. Hagen Schönfeld sums up.

The post To What Extent is an Exit Strategy Necessary in the Industrial Sector? first appeared on Horton International.

Stage One: Withstanding The Initial Impact

This is the first stage for many businesses, and the recent pandemic has perhaps shown some organisations that having a structure in place is vital at this time. When the virus spread and lockdown became commonplace across the world, many businesses had to think fast and act quickly to ensure the business had what it needed.

The first step for any business facing a crisis is to look for methods that support business continuation.

Digitisation is key in this stage. This was shown through many retailers selling out of laptops as organisations looked to continue their business through home-working. Similarly, video conferencing functions such as Zoom also increased heavily during the lockdown. With daily users jumping from 10 million to over 200 million, it became the way to connect with the office and colleagues and create a makeshift work environment.

As well as utilising technology where possible to improve business continuity, this stage required a considerable communication effort. From emails to clients, calls to suppliers, communication on social media and everything in between. The initial phase focuses on making sure the business is braced for impact and being able to deliver an emergency response.

Planning for your business: What can your organisation put in place to help make sure you can have business continuity for all emergencies? Are all your communication lines running smoothly? Is your customer and supplier data all up to date?

Stage Two: Explore Short-Term Opportunities

If, with business continuity in place, your team still has free time, or could still work harder to improve operations then now is the time to explore any new opportunities or sales channels that may present themselves during a crisis. For example, looking to increase your e-commerce if your foot traffic is down or offering one-off solutions rather than a commitment to an annual package.

It can also be a time to consider any marketing or brand-building opportunities. Your customers may not be in the position to buy during a crisis. However, by maintaining that marketing effort and keeping up your customer communication is the best way to stay in the mindset of your customer. This is so that you’re the first brand they think of when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Planning for your business: Right now, you need to be thinking of how a crisis is affecting your customers. What pain points are they experiencing? What’s worrying them, what would benefit them and what do they need? Then work out how you can provide this.

Stage Three: Re-Evaluation

While some businesses are thriving at the moment due to the fact that they have an in-demand offering, many firms are suffering in the short-term. However, with business continuity in place in stage one, businesses should have more peace of mind for their long-term viability.

Once continuity is in place, this is the chance re-evaluate your business and business offering. What’s working well in your operations, processes and platforms? What’s outdated and serving little purpose?

A crisis needs both short and long-term thinking. For the long-term, it is well worth utilising your resources for lead management and nurturing, contingency planning and strategising for the future.

Remember, a slowdown can be very short-term. We’ve already learnt from China that it doesn’t take long for the economy to rebound. Utilising this time wisely to prepare for unprecedented demand may be well worth the investment.

Planning for your business: It is time to take a detailed look at all of your processes – what adds value and what detracts? How can you increase value and remove expense?

Stage Four: The New Normal

For every international crisis, it becomes quickly apparent that we have to prepare for a ‘new’ normal. In terms of the Coronavirus outbreak, this means a significant focus on cleanliness, hygiene, safety and social distancing.

However, other aspects could include operating rules and work prioritisation too.

Each industry will begin to see a new normal that it will have to adapt to. For example, supermarkets at the moment have to prepare for larger weekly grocery shops coming back in fashion. Similarly, the aerospace industry is now having to adapt, and changes may include increased fever checks, mandatory PPE and caps on plane capacity.

For each business, there will be a fundamental shift that will make up their new normal. This could be as simple as increased working from home or increased e-commerce and online operations. For example, an increase in digital financial transactions.

Planning for your business: What do your customers want from your company in this ‘new normal? How can you ingrain this into your long-term business offering?

Stage Five: Realisation

While we are a long way off post-pandemic realisation from the Coronavirus, this is the stage where ‘new normal’ becomes normal. All of the changes and risk management strategies put in place throughout other stages will redefine and create an updated business model.

This realisation could be focusing on increasing your digital integration, reworking your staffing models and redesigning your workforce. Whatever your business has now become, this is the stage where you embrace this change and fully adopt it into practice.

Planning for your business: How can you increase your risk and emergency management strategies to better prepare for any future crises?

The post What Does The Coronavirus Pandemic Teach Us About The Business Approach To Crises? first appeared on Horton International.

In this podcast, Andreas discusses post-pandemic exit strategies for business success

You can listen to the full podcast here: https://huntscanlon.com/talent-talk/prioritizing-your-post-pandemic-attack-plan/

Thanks to the Hunt Scanlon team for including us in this podcast series.

The post Prioritizing Your Post-Pandemic Attack Plan. first appeared on Horton International.

India’s Response
India wasn’t exempt from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, thanks to the government’s rapid response (informed by previous Ebola[2] and Nipah[3] outbreaks), the impact was much less than in other countries. The country immediately quarantined all incoming travellers, for example, and cancelled mass gatherings. As a result, Indian infection and death rates remain low[4]; an illustration of this is India has six deaths per million vs 611 in the UK.

Business Opportunities In India Post-Lockdown
India’s low infection and death rates mean they are already reducing their restrictive lockdown measures and planning to get back to work in a post-Coronavirus world. And, while this world may initially seem like one with few opportunities, the reality is now is a great time for companies looking to invest in business opportunities in India. Here’s why:

Government Policies
India’s government is focused on its economy. In fact, it’s one of the ‘five pillars of self-reliance’ recently announced by Prime Minister Modi, along with a $280 billion stimulus package in response to the pandemic. Equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP, it’s designed to reduce economic reliance on other countries. In his announcement, the Prime Minister asked citizens to buy domestic products to drive the country forward. For companies looking to set-up in India, therefore, now’s a good time to do so.

Investment Opportunities
Investing in an Indian company is exactly what Facebook did recently when they bought a 9.99% share in Jio[5]. While India is already Facebook’s biggest market, its partnership with Jio will allow it to expand its footprint further, reaching a wider audience, and move into other e-commerce sectors.

As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, there are lots of Indian businesses that are thriving and would offer great investment opportunities for companies wanting to get their ‘foot in the door’ of the Indian market.

Workforce
One of the reasons India’s economy is growing so rapidly is its workforce. India is a young country. By 2022, it will have the youngest population in the world; 65% will be of working age[6]. This offers great opportunities for companies looking to set up offices or manufacturing facilities because there are plenty of potential employees. Furthermore, a growing number of these employees have disposable income. This seems to be part of Apple’s reasoning as they look to move manufacturing from China to India[7]. They sell $1.5bn of phones in India but produce less than $0.5bn locally.

India also benefits for having many highly-qualified and trained individuals that are seen as a top talent for many businesses locally and globally.

State Reforms
Finally, there are structural reforms across the Indian states. Very much like the Prime Minister’s recent announcement, states have begun announcing reforms designed to restart their local economies after the lockdown and attract business previously destined for China.

In Maharashtra, for example, they are introducing ‘mega permissions’ for companies looking to invest, making it easier for them to set up and start operating quickly[8]. They are also relaxing labour laws, as is Gujarat[9].

All this means there really isn’t a better time to invest in India, especially for companies looking to increase their global footprint and customer base as well as take advantage of a wide range of financial incentives and the high levels of talent that India can provide.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51706225

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/world/asia/india-ebola-survivor-quarantine-delhi-airport.html

[3] https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/05/health/india-nipah-virus-intl/index.html

[4] https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/india/

[5] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/facebook-buys-9-99-stake-in-reliance-jio-for-5-7-billion/articleshow/75283735.cms?from=mdr

[6] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/india-workforce-skills-training/

[7] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/india-workforce-skills-training/

[8] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/maharashtra-woos-industry-with-maha-permits-names-sherpa-to-facilitate-fdi/articleshow/75729145.cms

[9] https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/gujarat-eases-labour-laws-offers-land-to-firms-shifting-base-from-china-120050801467_1.html

The post India: Creating Business Opportunities Out Of A Crisis first appeared on Horton International.

Of course, the assumption is that currently, only those who are willing to change jobs anyway or who are afraid because of the situation of their employer are willing to change.

But this is also not true.

We often read in the media: employees are holding on to their jobs, many companies have decreed a hiring freeze, short-time work is being introduced and job cuts are imminent.

This may be true for some professionals and companies, but not for the entire economy. There are industries where production is still running at full speed and even extra shifts have to be worked. This applies not only to hygiene articles and the pharmaceutical industry, but also to the food industry and selected technology companies that are not experiencing standstills due to supply bottlenecks. Many branches of industry are producing at their usual high capacity utilization rates or sometimes even at more than 100 percent. Moreover, the current production level is in many cases the calm before the post-Corona storm.

On the candidate side, the situation is very similar: there are candidates who are frightened by the current situation and who are currently unwilling to move to a new, as yet unknown company to complete a probationary period and do not know what the entrepreneurial future will bring.

The flip side, however, is that it is precisely the highly qualified top candidates who have been dissatisfied with their current employer or their area of responsibility for some time that are open to new job offers in the current phase.

Often they have been so intensively involved in their normal professional life that they have neither the time nor the freedom to even think about the direction in which a change could be considered for them. In the current travel and commuting-free time, in which many people work in the home office, it is precisely these candidates who have the freedom to deal with changed and new professional perspectives.

Before the Corona phase, it was often difficult to find suitable candidates because there was a massive shortage of specialists and managers on the German job market. Currently, there are many potential top candidates available.

Quote from Henry Ford: “Whoever does what he can already do will always remain what he already is.”

Professional recruiting in times of Corona offers multiple opportunities

Hager Unternehmensberatun, partner of Horton Group International is very broadly networked due to the wide variety of industries it serves. This means not only that the right contact person is known. A good network also means that information is available from trustworthy sources about what is planned in the background at companies. What is the strategic direction for the post-corona phase? Are there short-time work plans? Are there any plans for redundancies? Are plant closures being considered?

This level of so-called ‘insider knowledge’ ensures a placement with solid employers. Vice versa, there is the concrete possibility to identify suitable candidates for companies that want to take advantage of the situation now.

What distinguishes a good personnel consultant is that, in addition to general market knowledge and an understanding of the industry, he also knows what is happening behind the scenes. This also includes knowing which candidate is already willing to change anyway and is just waiting for the right offer. We advise these candidates in particular not to passively shape the current – possibly uncertain – phase and shy away from change, but to think about the time after the crisis.

Conclusion:

A lot has shifted, changed and relocated because of Corona. But the economy is still running. Maybe not everywhere at full speed, but in many places with new creativity and willingness to change. To sit out topics in a crisis situation and wait until the phase is over can paralyze a successful future. Activity in such times is a credo for ambitious employees and company leaders.

Finally, there is a positive reverse conclusion: Candidates who are currently prepared to take this ‘personal risk’ and do not just want to wait until things are more relaxed again are also willing to take entrepreneurial risks. Such employees are often those who can positively shape the future of a company.

The post Strategic recruiting first appeared on Horton International.

There are  so many headlines about ‘the new normal’. Perhaps you, like me, are thinking to yourself.. ‘there wasn’t an old one’. There were just a few routines, regular events that marked our daily lives that you never even considered as routines.

Recent months and ‘lockdown’  have meant we have created innovative schedules to meet our different working space and context taking into account the requirements and demands of those people (and pets) who share our living and working spaces.

What you may have thought was just a temporary short term measure, is turning out to be ongoing.

Your working day no longer has the same structure or form. No more grabbing a coffee and having a brief chat with the barista before work. You probably make your own coffee and lunch. Do you even take time for lunch?

The subtle lifestyle changes mean you may also have recognised that not walking around the office or the daily commute have changed the amount of ‘unconscious activity’ you used to do and the calories don’t seem to burn so quickly.

The ‘fun’ videos and gifs have all but disappeared. The WhatsApp support groups are calmer. Planning to shop and estimating supermarket queue times seem an ongoing pre-occupation

Your view from the laptop remains the same.. only the weather changes..

Working from home does not have to have an ‘always on’ approach.

Are the boundaries between work, family, fresh air and relaxation clear or increasingly blurred? Do you feel tied to your laptop more than ever before?

Make an opportunity to take some time and review your work style. You can make improvements that take into account what you have learnt so far about working from home and what you could adjust or enhance.

Being proactive gives everyone a sense of control that many of us are missing.

Formulate this as a team initiative: Set up a ‘what’s going to make this work for us?’  meeting with your team.

Questions that may help facilitate the meeting:

• What’s working well for all of us?
• What do we want to stay the same?
• What has been enjoyable about working together that we’d like to keep?
• What could be better or different?
• What would we like to stop doing?

Be constructive and look for opportunities to set clear boundaries creating a more supportive and less stressful environment.

Many of us are struggling with sharing the workload, caring responsibilities and home ‘stuff’ (shopping, cleaning etc) and not yet having a social life away from our own space.

Use this meeting to find out the challenges your colleagues are facing.

Work on different approaches that may suit individuals yet as a team you can all collaborate constructively.

Ensure everyone has the opportunity to share their experiences, rebalance, reset boundaries and expectations about how you are going to work.

If working from home is now going to be more permanent, what are you going to do to ensure a balance of activity, your social time? Will you have lunch at your desk or take time out – going for a walk, doing an exercise class, ironing?

Discuss ways to support individual demands on time that arise when working from home.

Define your core working hours when you are definitely at your desk and make sure that colleagues know when these are, and that these are in line with company guidelines.

Create a ‘footer’ for your emails that manage expectations:

For example: We support flexible working so you may receive emails at times that fall outside of your own working hours. Please reply when it is convenient for you.

Whatever you agree together, this is a good time to review how you spend your professional time, to improve it and give it more balance;  reset your ‘new normal’.

Be proactive, share and agree your choices. Test them for a few weeks, then reflect, review and amend. As a team you can become stronger, more resilient when you create your own ‘new normal

The post Don‘t wait for the ‘new normal’ first appeared on Horton International.

Martin is a core team member of the Digitisation & IT Practice at Horton International and has extensive knowledge of AI.

How will we work in the future? What lasting influences will the pandemic have on the way we work and what will come with the help of artificial intelligence? An interview with Martin Krill.

A look into the crystal ball, what will our working world look like in the next few years?

Krill: The changes are clearly driven by the effects and experiences of the corona pandemic. Added to this is the still rapidly growing digital transformation. Certainly more people will return to the office after the corona crisis. As the ‘home office’ work model has proven itself on all sides in recent months, a mix of presence and remote working environments is well conceivable. It is important for work mixtures not to ignore the interpersonal components. Here, managers and key players need not only a pronounced technical understanding but also a large portion of empathy to sense when one employee needs more or another less leadership. This is easier to perceive in a 5-day presence operation than in a remote variant. 

Does work also have to be meaningful?

Krill:  Many employees during the Corona crisis will have asked themselves about the motive for work and why they do what they do. Here again, managers are called upon to convey the meaning and background of their actions to their employees. Not everyone can turn their vocation into a profession, but with an understanding of their own actions and the success of their work, employers can provide helpful support for the topic of purpose.

What influence does AI have at this point?

Krill: The search for meaning does not become easier when algorithms prevail. Depending on the job, the question of one’s own raison d’être quickly arises here. In start-up companies, AI is a real booster of meaningfulness. They help to successfully implement innovative ideas.

One could say that digitization acts like a pendulum or a swing. On the one hand, it is a true enrichment, on the other hand, it acts as a threat.

Is there a healthy middle way?

Krill: I think that AI should not be seen as a threat, but can lead to a rethinking within the workforce. Managers should not limit themselves to hiring only employees who have certain skills. Rather, human and artificial intelligence should be combined to ultimately strengthen or even maximize productivity. AI also provides, to a certain extent, a formal basis for more fairness in the world of work. This can also lead to a stimulation around the topic of diversity.

What advice do you give to managers?

Krill: One thing is clear, the manager of the future not only has to rethink, but also relearn, because the leadership role is no longer just a disciplining figure. In the home office, everyone is out of control, the promise of meaning becomes a management task, bosses become role models and idea generators in terms of purpose and mission.

It is important to actively convey a sense of “we” to employees and not to neglect them or leave them completely to their own devices. This motivates each individual and ultimately helps the company to move forward – we all have a life after the coronavirus and also with everyday AI.

The post What influence did AI and Corona have on the working world? first appeared on Horton International.

However, people here in Russia have become highly resilient since today’s crisis is not the first one we’ve lived through and is likely not the last one in Russia. Very few of the engaged candidates actually declined considering new career opportunities, despite uncertainty caused by the pandemic. And I am proud of the candidates’ courage and happy for them that despite the many efforts to keep them by their employers, they were firm in their final decision (having our support) to accept a new career challenge during such an ambiguous time.

Still, there is a strong need to adapt to a new modus operandi for all of us involved in the Executive Search business including Consultants, Candidates and Clients. Hard to imagine for us before, but in fact, none of the 6 placed talents has met their future Employer in person – due to ‘New Normal’ circumstances. With the fully virtual communications stream, the significance of thorough reference checks and proper assessment tools has become more crucial than ever before.

Moreover, 2 out of the 6 talents hired in the COVID period were on international assignments – so, their first working day in Moscow started from abroad due to lockdown restrictions, awaiting the first plane to catch. Small technicalities like signing the hard copy of your labour contract or getting your corporate laptop suddenly became a very special case during lockdown.

In order to minimize the risks of failure due to non-standard onboarding, we are prompted to take a higher level of responsibility for our placed talents’ integration into the new company.  Regular intensive post-placement communication plays a much bigger role nowadays when the candidate needs to adapt not only to a new business & environment but basically to a new everything!

Building TRUST with your Client and Candidates today is more essential than ever. Executive Search Consultants today take personal responsibility to both Clients and Candidates especially for the Offer negotiations influenced by the rapidly changing environment which may negatively affect “rules of the game” and basic ethics principles.

So, one thing is for sure. We all have to be close to each other. Is it business or just life

The post How is COVID-19 Shaping the Executive Search Industry? first appeared on Horton International.

Themes for discussion included:

1. Sales and Customer facing teams become the frontline warriors
2. Taking care of employees, vendors and customers
3. Re-orienting sales teams to resilient mindset

For any enquiries, please contact me  Dr. Deependra (Dipy) Nigam

The post Driving Revenue Recovery – Webinar first appeared on Horton International.

Whether you are anticipating a return to the office or not, working life is different.

Priorities have shifted. Collaboration, teamwork, negotiation now have different parameters.

Promotion may be on the ‘back burner’, ‘not in this quarter or maybe next financial year’.

That shouldn’t mean you pause your career aspirations or delay professional development.

If you are interested in taking on leadership roles then this is a good time to develop your skills and look out for opportunities.

First, reflect on the range of styles and approaches that are current in your organisation, what needs to be different to meet changes at work, and, most importantly, what you can offer to achieve this.

If you want to take on more leadership responsibilities,  start by answering the following questions:

• What makes a good leader in your company?
• How do you know?
• What are considered to be the most relevant skills?
• Do you think they are the same skills for all leaders across the organisation?

Your answers to these questions will enable you to define leadership where you work.

Consider what is now different about the demands and expectations of leaders since March.

As a  guide, how do you answer the following questions:

• What has changed in the ways you work?
• Have expectations of leaders and potential leaders changed?
• Have expectations of staff changed?
• What does this mean now in this context/department/set of circumstances?

You could share these questions and your answers as a basis for discussions with colleagues.

What about the leaders of the future? 

If the context has changed then the current styles of leadership may not be as relevant or appropriate.

Certain characteristics and skills may now be more important than before.

These include:

• Being able to take a holistic view and know when to focus in on specific issues
• Knowing the difference between being strategic, proactive and responsive
• Having communication skills that are effective face to face and on-line
• Building on individual and team strengths

Recognising those people who have such attributes and the value they offer is essential to shifting perceptions of leadership roles.

These skills may not all be found in one individual – and it is here that companies can strengthen their governance, management and leadership by broadening the leadership approach and diversifying teams.

Back to you…  What do you think is and will be relevant to your career, your current and future working context?

• What are you good at?
• What do you do well?
• What do you feel you need to work on?
• Take some time to identify those skills you need to develop and the ways you can gain experience to increase your competence and who can support you.
• Identify projects that would support your development needs.
• Create an achievable action plan with timescales
• Break down the big ideas into achievable activities
• Share your plan with those who need to know so they can give you support and feedback
• Now  …….  START…

The post Don’t Put Your Career into Lockdown first appeared on Horton International.

Webinar -Sales 2.0-Emerging New Paradigm -BFSI Sector

Themes for discussion included:

– Reshaping Sales Strategies

– Digitally Savy Sales Organisations

– Resilient, Self-driven and Adaptable Sales Teams

For any enquiries, please contact me  Dr. Deependra (Dipy) Nigam

The post Webinar -Sales 2.0-Emerging New Paradigm -BFSI Sector first appeared on Horton International.

Nowadays, data is collected in very different ways. Not only computers, smartphones and portable sensors, but also cars, household appliances and buildings routinely record where we are, what we do and with whom we communicate, thanks to embedded information and communication technologies (ICT). This is not necessarily done with the intention of specifically monitoring people. Rather, it is an inherent property of digital technology to generate data: for example, if a mobile phone network cannot locate a smartphone, it would not be accessible.

For many companies – and this across all industries – it seems unthinkable today to implement development, production and sales without significant support from ICT-based processes. Among other things, this automatically generates data about processes that used to take place virtually in secret, such as a customer browsing through a speciality store. The data generated in online retailing can be stored and evaluated in a much simpler and more cost-effective way than would have been possible in a stationary environment.

Big Data – the oil of the 21st century

Personalized advertising, customized offers or individualized pricing are examples of applications in the use of data by companies at the interface with their customers. But where are the ethics? Do we already live in Orwell’s world where ‘Big Brother’ is omnipresent?

On the other hand, with the increasing importance of large amounts of data, many new systems – such as the current Corona app – have been developed to solve and process the associated data challenge.

In German companies, further development in the area of data analytics is often blocked by the organisational importance of the IT. It is not the IT specialists in their function who are responsible for this; what is meant is the hierarchical positioning of the IT in companies. Especially when it comes to pushing technical issues forward, the role of the IT should have a higher position and also more responsibility. As long as the IT manager, or even the CIO, reports to the CFO, who has to approve investments based on data and hypotheses, this is a difficult undertaking. Digitization, and Big Data in particular, is an important part of operational strategies of companies and their future survival.

Just think differently

Control slows down the creativity – being creative and thinking outside the box are the drivers for innovation. Readiness to take risks and a culture of innovation are important prerequisites for allowing creativity to develop and for making meaningful use of data – the oil of the 21st century. Clear structures and straightforward thinking are then needed for implementation.

Particularly in the current corona situation, where many investments are being held back, companies with a little courage and an aptitude for risk should give employees with an affinity for data the opportunity to prepare the hidden treasures in such a way that they can also develop into refined oil without financial restrictions. Often it is also the somewhat exotic individual players who are particularly innovative for this refining process and who can take the best routes.

Only those who take different paths today and are prepared to take risks can become successful ‘gold diggers‘ in the post-Corona phase.

The post Big Data in Times of Crisis first appeared on Horton International.

Why Employee Wellbeing Is More Important Than Ever

Employee wellbeing is something that all organisations should have been addressing for a long time. It is estimated that poor mental health costs employers as much as $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. So, there is a clear financial incentive to care for your workers. However,  1 in 5 employees reports that their organisation does nothing to improve their wellbeing or health.

It can be hard to directly measure the impact of ignoring the wellness of your employees. However, one survey showed that on average workers are losing 38 days of productive work a year. This is up from 23 days in 2014. This figure represents not only days of missed work, but also days of low productivity.

The Relationship Between Wellbeing And Productivity

Unhealthy lifestyles can be a factor in this volume of lost time, but so is poor mental health and stress. Work is one of the largest contributors to stress in any employees life. Major risk factors for work-related stress stem from poor communication, lack of support, and inflexibility in working hours and practices. So any policy to address wellness needs to takes these factors into account.

When beginning working for home in lockdown, there appeared to be a bump in productivity. Many workers reported that they were happy with the new arrangement and it seemed to be working well for everyone. However, as lockdown continued, enthusiasm for working from home waned. The reality of how much socialisation you have in a workplace it is becoming clear, and over 30% of employees are reporting that working remotely is causing them to struggle with loneliness.

It’s clear that at the moment the world is a more stressful place than usual, so it’s essential to put time, energy, and money into maintaining your employees, and supporting them through all the transitions that are still on the horizon.

Top Tips To Boost Employee Wellness

To maintain social distancing, many organisations are opting to continue with WFH, to some level. This means that location-based wellness initiatives are no longer a viable option. So here are some top tips to help you deliver your wellness programmes remotely.

1.     Train Your Managers

Good communication is vital to ensure that your employees feel supported. An excellent way to improve communication within a remote workforce is to have regular 1-1 check-ins, specifically focused on wellbeing. Your middle managers are going to be vital in making this happen.

To do that though you need to give them the tools and confidence to deal with any issues they come across. They don’t need to become psychiatrists, but they do need to know how to have difficult conversations, how to talk about mental health, and where to refer employees who need more than a shoulder to lean on.

2.     Schedule Socialisation

Loneliness is a significant factor in wellbeing. With employees working from home, or even in a socially distanced office, all the small interactions throughout the day are gone. This is a huge loss. So it would help if you could find ways to build interactions into the working day.

Some organisations are scheduling in time for socialisation. One easy way is to have a virtual breakroom and specific break times. So, employees can make a cuppa, have a snack, an open up the Zoom break room for a natter. Another option is to have a weekly meeting dedicated to team-building with activities like trivia or games.

3.     Be Flexible Where You Can

Employees value flexibility, especially now. So make sure that you bend where you can. Organisations can easily turn into machines. It can seem fairer to have strict and transparent policies that you bend for no-one. However, by empowering your teams to make decisions about what works for them, you will open up the opportunities for innovation.

4.     Online Wellness And Exercise Classes

Some tried and tested ways to improve wellness include activities like journaling, meditation and yoga. There is no reason you can’t offer these sorts of classes remotely. By unbinding these perks from locations, you may find that you get a larger uptake than usual as well.

5.     Teach Your Employees New Skills

Offering your employees the chance to learn new skills has a few benefits. You can help them to get better at their jobs, which will increase their productivity and provide them with job security.

You can also offer them classes in things that will help them in their daily lives. For example, offering courses on retirement planning and money management can help reduce financial stresses. While classes on painting or mindfulness can help prevent anxiety and burnout.

6.     Tell Your Employees What You Are Doing

This is simple but important. Make sure your employees know what’s going on. There is no point in creating innovative programmes if no one knows about them.

7.     Have A Wellness Co-ordinator

Even implementing a few of these suggestions is going to require time. If you attempt to distribute the work to your existing team, you are likely only going to exacerbate the problem. For this reason, it is worth considering creating a new position explicitly for coordinating and managing these programmes and initiatives. This is the best way to maximise the results of these new policies.

If you find the right person, then the improvement to your overall productivity can easily pay for the new position you need to create.

How Does This Impact On Recruitment?

95% of workers say that work-life balance is an essential factor when they are looking for a new job. So when it comes to recruiting new talent, the culture you have built around wellness is going to affect the size of the talent pool you have available. Building your employee wellness programs will not only benefit you and your current employees, but it will help you develop your company, and attract new talent, in the future as well.

The post 7 Top Tips To Promote Employee Wellbeing For The New Normal first appeared on Horton International.

Enterprises extend remote working

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, for many companies worldwide, the trend to remote working had been gathering pace. However, for many, there had been little time to prepare for home working before lockdown. For such businesses, the learning curve has been steep. While the initial focus was on crisis management and business continuity, new challenges such as employee wellbeing have emerged, and these must be addressed appropriately. On the other hand, employers and employees have discovered numerous advantages of remote working, including reduced costs and improved work-life balance. Many enterprises are extending remote working beyond the lockdown period, and some are doing so into the foreseeable future. Of the latter, the Japanese technology multinational Fujitsu is one of the leaders.

Fujitsu is launching a remote working programme it calls “Work-Life Shift” which, it says, will be a new way of working where employees will enjoy a “more empowering, productive, and creative experience”. Commuting to and from the office will become a thing of the past. The company plans to halve its office space by 2022 and will instead use a hot desk system. The  new work paradigm encompasses three core principles:

• Smart working – 80,000 Fujitsu employees will work remotely adopting a working style that allows them to use their time flexibly depending on their work content, business role and lifestyle.
• Borderless office – employees can choose to work from home or a hub or satellite office.
• Culture change – the company will develop a new management style based on trust and employee autonomy that maximises productivity, team performance, and employee wellbeing.

Many other companies are adopting similar models. Google and Facebook announced that most employees can work from home until 2021, and there is a consensus that remote working could become a permanent feature of corporate life. In the UK, 82 per cent of businesses are considering extending their work-from-home schemes after lockdown has ended, with 65 per cent planning to reduce their office space. Some SMEs have abandoned their office space permanently, and all their staff will work from home.

Impact on recruitment

Remote working has a significant impact on recruitment. It means that enterprises are no longer limited to recruiting talent from any specific geographical region. They can recruit from almost anywhere in the world. It also makes it easier to upscale and downscale a business by hiring freelancers and on-demand specialists.

The ability to work from home allows enterprises to attract top-quality candidates whose family and other commitments would have previously precluded them from working at your location.  By choosing candidates from different time zones, companies can make better use of valuable assets, improve response times, and maintain round-the-clock working on essential projects.

The risks of remote working

A significant challenge for remote teams is maintaining team cohesion. While most of us now have extensive experience with video conferencing programs such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, remote meetings do not compensate fully for human-to-human contact. Some people are much better than others at speaking up at virtual meetings; the more reticent people can find it challenging to get a word in. Differences that tend to be smoothed out in real meetings are amplified in a virtual setting. In such circumstances, collaboration is difficult, conflicts arise, and teams begin to fall apart.

Remote working, mental health, and wellbeing

Working from home can have a detrimental impact on mental health, even in less stressful times.   The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions reported that 41 per cent of employees who work from home experience stress, almost twice as many as those who work in the office.  COVID-19 adds an extra dimension to this. We are all are affected by the pandemic; we think and feel differently about both the world and us. It is a lot to take in, and not everybody can cope readily with such changes.

Effective leadership has never been as important. Leaders have a special responsibility for the wellbeing of their workforce. They must recognise that some people are more vulnerable than others. These include people with protected characteristics and others facing possible discrimination. Anyone with pre-existing or historical problems with mental health faces additional challenges; staying at home may exacerbate conditions such as depression.

Senior managers are also vulnerable. Expected to demonstrate extraordinary leadership in such difficult circumstances, many are feeling the strain to such an extent that it is affecting their mental health. Overwork and burnout are significant problems. Everyone needs support. Simple steps include maintaining daily contact with line managers, supervisors, and the general workforce. People need to know who to contact should they have wellbeing or mental health problems. Businesses should provide access to appropriate mental health resources. If you do not have a wellbeing champion, there is a strong case for appointing one.

Finally

It seems unlikely that the world will return to traditional working patterns where employees commute each day to and from their workplace. For much of the population, the workplace will be their home. The advantages are enormous. Costs are lower, employees have more time to call their own, and flexible working potentially offers a better work-life balance along with higher productivity and greater satisfaction. There are also advantages to recruitment, with businesses having access to an almost global talent pool.

But there are challenges. Not everyone can adapt readily to the lack of face-to-face contact; some employees require extensive support through these difficult times. Mental health and wellbeing are significant issues we must address. Effective leadership is essential if we are to survive unscathed as we reach the promised land of permanently working from home.

The post Leadership and the Impact of Long-Term Remote Working first appeared on Horton International.

Lightico conducted a survey in March 2020 that found that 82% of customers were concerned about visiting their bank branch in person. As a result, 63% were now more willing to try digital applications. Consequently, experts predict that these shifts in customer behaviour will be extremely long-lasting.

In response, the banking sector is having to undergo a paradigm shift to keep up. It is an opportunity to bring forward and implement plans to reshape its structure and operational practices.

The problem is the sudden impact of the COVID-19 virus gave little notice for banks to respond and develop plans to enable them to adapt and change quickly in the face of the pandemic.

Banks are now having to innovate to succeed and introduce intelligent technology that can be integrated with human ingenuity to create something new.

However, it is not a case of simply implementing AI technology and keeping human practices as two separate entities, but instead blending the two elements together to help improve productivity, efficiency, and to reassure anxious banking customers that all is well by delivering them with excellent customer service, on-demand.

Adapting The Banking Workforce

While the banking sector has been using intelligent technologies such as AI for a few years now, businesses typically utilise AI in parallel with workers as an artificial intelligence toolset, mostly used in automated isolation – very separate from their human workforce.

The main drivers for using AI is the cost savings and improved efficiencies it provides. However, now is the time for using AI in a more nuanced way to help banks move forward and integrate it with human capabilities to bring them more value.

A major cultural shift is needed right now in the banking sector to help build better workforce resilience, and this is in the form of the further integration of human and machine capabilities. This means using AI to boost productivity, but combining it with the creativity, empathy and innovation that only humans can bring to their role.

Dispelling Preconceived Ideas

One barrier towards more

is the fear that it will only act to replace workers rather than aid them in their role. These preconceived ideas can be intimidating and can be met with resistance by both bank staff and management alike.

However, the banking sector needs to look at utilising AI from a different viewpoint. Instead of seeing it as a threat to the establishment, they should see it as an opportunity to improve their services by being combined with human skills to yield more significant levels of efficiency.

The positive news is that these old fashioned beliefs are being dispelled with 68% of workers surveyed by Deloitte already believing that AI’s widespread adoption will yield positive results.

Optimising More Than The Mundane Tasks

Many banks are already establishing what mundane tasks that AI can adopt. This enables them to upskill or re-skill their staff and move them into more qualitative banking roles.

By harnessing the benefits of AI technology combined with reframing live human banking roles, banks can now start to draw optimal results from their investments in both AI and the costs of retraining staff.

Actively adopting AI capabilities and coupling them with their human resources can help to deliver prompt customer services. This support works to retain customer confidence in their financial services.

Keeping Customers At The Heart Of The Business

With their customers being at the heart of their business, banks need to do everything they can to keep hold of their customers and keep them happy and engaged.  This has never been so critical as the chaos of the lockdown in response to the pandemic led to banking customers becoming tired of hearing that their bank is closed. Customers became increasingly frustrated. Trying to get any help or reassurance was either impossible, very confusing or took too long to access.

It is evident that banking customers demand immediate responses and answers to their questions. Consequently, utilising AI capabilities such as virtual agents and chatbots can help to deliver a timely and reassuring response to a customer’s initial enquiry. Furthermore, it can help the bank to correctly and quickly direct customers to the help they need.

AI technologies can be easily integrated as a first response service. Banks can effectively teach their AI agents to respond to common questions asked and deliver the information the customer wants, but will also efficiently redirect more complex queries to a live agent for help.

Upskilling Staff To Develop New Capabilities

To continue to build resilience in the banking sector, banking services need to have staff with a good balance of functional capability and technical skills. This involves recruiting, training and up-skilling talented staff to empower them to help the bank progress and remain competitive, moving forward into a more digital-driven future.

Innovative banks and financial institutions are investing in new methods of staff training, delivery and improving the ways to maintain employee well-being to help increase staff retention levels. This includes:

• Expert shadowing and mentorship programmes
• Progressive learning opportunities
• Providing staff with multi-lingual support networks
• Real-time and interactive centres of excellence
• Staff rewards and incentive schemes.

Agile And AI

With more banks introducing agile practices such as these to help deliver improved performance, there is a fair degree of flexibility available to them to adapt and mould opportunities to suit their needs.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for banks to take to help integrate AI and adapt existing staff skills. This is a good thing because it gives individual banking and financial institutions a chance to adopt the agile principles they need to deliver results, but in a way which better reflects their own internal workplace culture and existing processes.

This is an opportunity to reimagine their digital AI and human skills to build stronger workforce resilience. Furthermore, they can ensure they offer services to meet the financial needs of their customers while also increasing value for their business and achieving job satisfaction for all banking employees.

So, by investing in AI in fintech, banks can ensure they have the time and talent they require to reach their goals and continue to stay one step ahead of their industry for greater success.

The post Building Workforce Resilience In The Banking Sector first appeared on Horton International.

Simply reacting is no longer enough. Companies need to start planning for how they will manage their workforce for the foreseeable future. Already, conservative estimates suggest that we could be dealing with the current state of affairs for at least another year. For companies looking to thrive, rather than survive, a plan for a dispersed global workforce is vital.

Whether the aim is to maintain your current workforce or you need to attract new talent, several issues need to be considered. Having plans and policies surrounding the following areas will help to smooth problems and keep your teams and your company working.

Working Across Time Zones

There is a surprisingly large number of companies that have suddenly found their local teams split across time zones. When offices closed, people dispersed. Many people decided to travel back home, to visit family, or to work from somewhere safe, comfortable and productive.

In some cases, working across time zones wasn’t a choice people made, but a necessity. Our clients have told us stories about recruiting individuals across the world and come to their starting date; they were unable to travel. Instead, they have had to begin a new job remotely.

Before the pandemic, a talented individual received a promotion to become Regional Manager. The move would see the individual move from Australia to Russia. However, when the pandemic began, they were unable to travel.

The post How To Thrive With A Dispersed Global Workforce: Key Challenges To Consider first appeared on Horton International.

The workplace is more fluid than it has ever been. On the one hand, the global pandemic is changing the way we work. On the other, the successful implementation of rapidly advancing technologies demands advanced knowledge and skills that are in scarce supply. Yet those same technologies are taking over many routine tasks previously carried out by people, making their jobs obsolete and threatening their futures.

The urgent need for upskilling is clear and is widely recognised by most, if not all, high tech companies. Those companies are investing heavily in the futures of their employees and society as a whole.

Amazon Upskilling 2025

Amazon is a prime example. The company has pledged $700 million to its Upskilling 2025 program which aims to upskill and train Amazon’s colossal workforce, helping individuals move into more highly skilled roles both within and outside of the organisation.

Upskilling 2025 also includes:

• The Machine Learning University for employees with technology and coding background who wish to gain skills in machine learning.
• The Amazon Technical Academy for non-technical employees who wish to gain software engineering skills
• Associate2Tech for fulfilment centre employees who want to transition to more technical roles
• The Amazon Career Choice programme for fulfilment centre employees seeking to move into more demanding roles. Successful candidates receive a certificate or diploma in their chosen field while Amazon foots 95% of the tuition costs.
• Amazon Apprenticeship which provides training and on-the-job apprenticeships
• AWS Training and Certification, which aims to help professionals from both inside and outside the organisation, develop their knowledge of cloud computing.

Microsoft will upskill 25 million workers

Microsoft has launched an initiative to upskill 25 million workers across the globe in preparation for what it describes as a “post-pandemic future.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, believes that the impact of COVID-19 has served to make the skills gap “even more acute”, especially for people with disabilities and lacking a formal education. Up to 800 million people, he believes, will need to learn new job skills by 2030.

Microsoft’s approach is to create a digital model of the global economy and identify the tech jobs that are most in demand. The company will develop a service matching people’s skills with the right jobs while offering affordable certification and free job-seeking tools. Additionally, a new Microsoft Teams app will help organisations deliver learning and upskilling to their employees, leveraging content from Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning and other training providers.

IBM Talent and Transformation

A recent IBM study has discovered that most C-suite executives are accelerating digital transformation in response to the pandemic; however, it is people and talent that are crucial to future progress. Currently, the skills gap, along with employee burnout, are inhibiting progress; 120 million people need upskilling over the next three years.

In partnership with various organisations including the Open University, Social Enterprise UK,  Jones Day and others, IBM has launched the SkillsBuild Reignite platform. The aim is to provide job seekers and business owners with access to online learning and mentoring resources to help them develop technical and professional skills. Topics include cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, financial management and more. There are around 370 different activities, and the consortium is continually developing more.

Final thoughts

Never before, at least not since the industrial revolution, has upskilling been as crucial to individuals and the economy as a whole as it is now. While high tech businesses such as those we have mentioned are blazing trails, there is also a considerable pressure from employees, a third of whom are concerned their skills may become irrelevant in the next few years. There is now a real risk that post-pandemic a large proportion of the population will be out of work, and lacking the necessary skills to find a new job.

The big question is how to reconstruct the post-pandemic workforce. Fortunately, most of the necessary learning resources are available online, and, as we have described above, several large tech companies are ensuring that many of these are available at no or minimal cost. The UK Government’s Skills Toolkit platform provides free access to a range of digital courses providing people with the opportunity to equip themselves with the skills they will need in the future.

These are all moves in the right direction; however, it is essential not to underestimate the challenge we face in closing the skills gap in the post-pandemic economy. The opportunity for adults to upskill and reskill is critical to our future prosperity. Businesses, governments, and individuals all have a vital role to play.

The post Closing The Skills Gap In The Post-Pandemic Economy first appeared on Horton International.

As Charles Darwin says, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

In the theory of evolution, it is those that can adapt that will survive. When building an organisation that thrives, it is essential to have a team that is willing and ready to adapt. So, if adaptability is critical for the strongest organisations to succeed, then it may suggest that this is a skill to seek out during the recruitment stage.

What Is Adaptability?

Adaptability is considered an emotional intelligence soft skill. It means that individuals are able to change their behaviours, actions and the way they work to suit new situations. Furthermore, adaptable people will not just change to suit their new environments, but they are willing to approach the unknown with positivity, confidence and determinedness.

Talent may define their adaptability as being a forward-thinker or a lifelong learner. Candidates will usually be able to demonstrate a balance of curiosity and control when it comes to goals. For example, they may be committed to their training but also be looking at other avenues that they need to explore. Their mindset may be beyond their current position and be thinking about new situations that they can thrive in.

Why Is Adaptability So Important?

A PWC study found that 63% of CEOs are unable to find and recruit talent that can adapt to the requirements of the business. Furthermore, research by Barclays Lifeskills shows that 60% of employers believe that adaptability has become more important this decade than in the past.

Interestingly, research suggests that around 44% of employees do not recognise adaptability as a skill they possess. Furthermore, only 15% list adaptability on their CV; this is despite many employers seeing adaptability as a critical work skill.

While employers see this as a vital skill, research suggests that just 8% of employers actually offer training in this skill, suggesting there may be a discord between what employers look for and what they are willing to develop in-house.

Responsiveness To Change In A Post-COVID World

2020 has been a year where it has been essential to respond to change and adapt to suit almost every environment. Whether in or out of the workplace, people have faced cancelled plans, disrupted routines, closures, stress and upheaval.

However, despite the overwhelming negatives, some organisations have used their innovation and flexibility to create a more adaptable future. Many businesses have had to lose sight of their one-, two- and five-year plans. It has never seemed so important for individuals and businesses to ride this challenge like a wave, rather than desperately try to swim against the tide.

While many people have understandably struggled with the unprecedented events of the year, the ability to transition has been admirable. From small businesses to huge-scale operations, many have been able to pivot quickly to offer remote working and diversify their portfolio to meet the changing demands of their customers.

In some cases, this year has served as a wake-up call that unexpected shifts are inevitable and that being able to recover and capitalise on change will help employees and businesses to be in the best possible shape to thrive.

Cultivating Adaptability

There are ways that organisations and individuals can cultivate this skill and become more adaptable by nature.

Understand A Rapidly Changing Landscape

Technology and digitisation have shown the difference that mere months can make to the way we work. Traditional forecasting can be impossible when the landscape is so unpredictable. With this in mind, it is essential to keep an ear to the ground and watch carefully what competitors, the industry or overall market is doing.

When you can begin the see the landscape unfolding and become aware of the demands ahead, you can become better prepared to make the rapid changes that are needed.

Experiment Quickly

Organisations now have to adopt new strategies and take on fresh ideas at a rapid rate. For a long time, the focus for businesses was to perfect their offering. Now, it’s a focus of trialling, experimenting and learning processes and strategies that can be successful in an interconnected world.

Unlocking Your Greatest Resources

With a business centred on adaptability, it is vital to have a team ready to respond to change. With this in mind, the focus on ‘job role’ may no longer apply. Instead, organisations may be looking for talent that can step outside of their comfort zone when it comes to skills and be willing to learn new skills, try new processes and interact with the organisation differently.

Businesses and employees will need to be able to read the signals of change and adapt accordingly, even if that means going beyond the boundaries of the job description.

However, in order to do this, it is vital to look for the talent that has great potential in solving problems and is will the grasp new opportunities while reacting positively to the changing landscape, context and competition.

How To Hire Adaptability

So often, screening candidates means concentrating on the candidate’s ability to conform to the job description. However, with this, you are assessing their ability to work in a role that is in the past rather than the role of the future.

It may, instead, be a better idea, to focus on what a candidate can do in the future and look into the skills of creativity, digital awareness, problem-solving and strategic analysis to create a responsive ecosystem in your workplace and an adaptable organisation that is optimistic about change.

The post Is Adaptability The Most In-Demand But Overlooked Skill? first appeared on Horton International.

I recently recorded this conversation with Ghilaine Chan. We were thinking about how we can make 2021 work for us.

Reflecting on how we have coped in recent months, our chat focuses on what we have learnt, finding our balance in a context of uncertainty and realising that we support others better when we have a stronger sense of our own resilience.

You can listen to our conversation here: Making 2021 work for you

Our key points:

Talk about what works for you and supports your resilience.

Share your personal successful coping strategies and those you should now leave behind.

Recognise the balance of work and life is still shifting and consider Dynamic Poise.

#Dynamic Poise is making constant minor adjustments to keep our balance, rolling with the latest changes.

We have come to recognise nothing has to be set in stone and more people are talking more about how they want to work and that is making a difference.

Many leaders are checking in with their staff – finding out what works for different people and importantly giving people the confidence and the space to say what they need.

If you need to make changes, share what works for you as your starting point in negotiation.

Our levels of confidence have shifted. Some people may want reassurance it’s OK to ask for support, say what help they need, and be listened to.

Celebrate the good stuff and be proud of our achievements.

The post Podcast – Making 2021 work for you.. Putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others! first appeared on Horton International.

With each country across the globe practising slightly different lockdown and social distancing measures, the one common factor is that the internet is key to keeping businesses running. Most countries have been encouraged to adopt a remote workforce, but what happens when a new recruit is needed? 

Getting a new employee up and running with their role virtually might seem like a difficult task, but we’re sharing our top tips and advice for onboarding leaders during COVID-19. 

With thanks to Joshua Hollander, President and CEO of Horton International USA, Dr. Monika Becker, Business Unit Director of Horton International Germany and  Artem Antipov, Partner of Horton International Russia for their input.

The post Tips for Virtual Onboarding During COVID-19 first appeared on Horton International.

• A round-up of some of the most positive success stories to come out of the pandemic
• A supportive culture is vital for motivation and engagement
• Combining personal and professional lives can be morale-boosting and foster a team spirit.

From businesses to individuals, we have all been affected one way or another by the Coronavirus pandemic. While we know that many businesses have had an extremely difficult time, some businesses have managed to turn their fortunes around. In fact, many businesses are enjoying some very positive changes that have come out of the situation.

There is no denying the way we work has changed, but in many ways, it has changed for the better.

During this unprecedented time, we have seen companies and employees embrace new skills and develop new behaviours which have improved the way we operate. Many businesses have managed to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity for change, but just how has this year helped change the way we work for the better?

Office Culture To Supportive Culture

For decades, we have been engrained to believe that 9 to 5, office-centric work was the best thing for business. As employees have been forced to work from home, and companies have had to embrace this change, we’re experiencing a change in productivity and employee freedom.

This shift in working life has encouraged businesses to take only the best parts of office culture, and free employees from inefficient processes and bad habits. Leaders are switching their focus from office culture to a more supportive culture, with a new focus on how to improve the lives of employees while still getting the best from them.

One excellent example of this is how Hisense Mexico embraced home working and supporting their team through this difficult time. Their top priority has been to keep team members at home and safe, while also keeping them motivated, engaged and informed.

Hisense encouraged open communication by holding regular virtual meetings, sending newsletters, and even throwing virtual birthday parties. Even post-pandemic, Hisense aim to continue with this supportive new culture they have created.

Virtual-First Companies

Many companies are taking steps towards hybrid working environments, where teams can work both remotely and in the office.

This shift in the way we work has seen a rise in companies becoming ‘virtual first’. This means that workplaces are being distributed across offices and homes, and employees have the freedom to choose how they work.

For companies to successfully work in this innovative way, they must be virtual-ready. Leaders must know how to effectively manage, train and evaluate virtually, and technology must be in place to enable virtual working.

Remote communications are an area of technology that businesses are being forced to embrace. This means cloud storage is used for data and security measures in place for different modes of working. The Coronavirus pandemic is driving these transformations and innovations in many different ways.

A Crash Course On Modern Technology

The entire workforce had no choice but to develop new skills and experiences during the pandemic. Our population has been forced into a crash course on modern technology, and the result is that more people than ever have the skills and knowledge to work effectively from anywhere.

Businesses have been forced to embrace technologies in ways never done before. For example, Estee Lauder worked quickly to incorporate technology into their point-of-sale. They’ve used innovative ‘virtual try-on’ features to allow customers to try out their products in a safe and secure manner.

Nike is another excellent example of a company that has embraced technologies to help alter the way they work during these stranger times. Their teams worked together quickly in order to allow more stock to be sold online than ever before.

There is no denying that these new skills and technologies that we have had to embrace will continue to help businesses flourish in a post-pandemic business world. Many employees and companies would never have had the opportunity or reason to become so clued up on modern technologies if it hadn’t been for Coronavirus.

Overlapping Personal And Professional Lives

For years we have been keeping our professional lives and personal lives at a distance, with little overlap between the two. With the rise of Zoom meetings and remote working, it has given us an insight into team member’s private spaces.

Every video call and virtual meeting makes the personal lives of colleagues, managers and clients visible. We are now used to seeing employees’ children and pets on-screen, interrupting meetings and phone calls on a regular basis.

While this might seem like a distraction to the working day, in actual fact, these little glimpses into our personal lives can improve workplace relationships. When working from home, it is almost impossible to keep up an entirely professional persona, giving colleagues an insight into the real, personal life of team members.

These personal interactions are not unprofessional. Instead, they allow teams to connect and get to know each other in a new way. Overlapping personal and professional lives can help teams to work better together and understand one another’s everyday challenges.

Increased Focus On Mental Wellbeing

The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a sharp rise in mental health issues. While this is in no way a positive outcome, it has resulted in businesses focusing more closely on employee’s mental wellbeing. Companies are doing more than ever to protect and promote positive mental wellbeing among teams; a trend that will continue even as the world returns to normal.

Many employers, such as Ipsen, have been prioritising mental health even before the pandemic. But these difficult times have made many businesses realise mental wellbeing is more important than ever. Ipsen trained teams on mental health and appointed health and wellbeing advocates to help support employees.

This focus on mental wellbeing in the workplace is set to keep momentum, even in a post-pandemic world. With many businesses having been forced to understand and acknowledge the importance of mental wellbeing at work.

So, as we move forward, we hope that many of these positive work outcomes such as a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing, more freedom and flexibility for employees and outstanding innovations will keep workforces happy and healthy while businesses will remain as creative, responsive and successful.

The post How COVID-19 Has Changed The Way We Work For The Better first appeared on Horton International.

IMI plc (formerly Imperial Metal Industries), is a world-leading engineering company headquartered in Birmingham, England, specialising in motion and fluid control technologies. IMI is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Norgren is one of three divisions alongside IMI Critical and IMI Hydronic, who produce and sell pneumatic and fluid control technologies.

The coronavirus has been a crisis like unlike any other that we have experienced. How have you responded to the situation?

A global pandemic is something we have never experienced before. The safety of our employees is always our top priority, so even before the government-led lockdowns were announced, we implemented home office arrangements for all our office-based colleagues. Through several challenges, cooperation between the local and international management was key to achieving our priorities. IMI has high standards as an employer, and we wanted to make 100% sure that our colleagues weren’t put at risk in any way. Securing people in a safe environment, whether that was working in the office or from home, was our priority. We also ensured that we maintained consistent and simple communication and conversation (both daily and weekly).

What would you consider the top three leadership challenges have been during the coronavirus?

Health and safety have been our top priority, that’s number one for us all. We have to make sure that our team is safe, not only physically, but mentally too. We take a great interest in motivating and engaging our people. That has been key for us at this time. What we then wanted to do was maintain strong working contact but with as much of the team as possible working from home. As a result, despite us being an international company of 11,000 people, we have had very low rates of Covid-19. Under the circumstances, we feel like we have done an excellent job.

Secondly, we have wanted to maintain business continuity. To do this, we have needed to support our ability to provide our customers with the products that they require and to keep up the best possible standard of customer relations. Maintaining customer satisfaction is key. We continually measure customer satisfaction via the Net Promoter Score, and we know that even when you have problems in your supply chain, customers appreciate it if you communicate this to them. Even though we all struggle without our usual human contact at times, keeping those lines open is key!

Thirdly, cost control is essential. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange and will have to present our facts and figures and will need to secure our margins and profits. We try to monitor our financials as well as possible, which is difficult currently, as nobody has any experience with this type of global crisis. It is tricky to predict the long term, so we are focusing on the short and medium-term at this stage.

How are you keeping your employees motivated?

Separately from Covid19 we already have a great engagement program in Europe, of which I am a leader for the FraBenelux division. We always want to make sure that our people are motivated and engaged. Of course, now there is an extra element to this as we don’t see our colleagues face to face. We are trying to find a balance and maintain good relationships with our team, mostly through video meetings, which we do two or three times a week. It’s crucial to have personal (one to one) contact as well as team meetings to keep everyone motivated and work through the new sets of challenges we are facing due to Covid19.  We also support this with internal online training that aims to inspire people and improve specific sales skills and competences. 

We have also tried to promote strong interaction between different teams. A specific example is between our field and internal sales. Usually, the field sales team is out meeting new customers, and internal sales are focused on taking care of our existing customer base. Now, these two teams are coming together to share their skills due to the new business landscape we find ourselves in. Finally, we still need to ensure that we reward our teams and celebrate top performance; France had a fantastic Net Promoter Score last quarter, so we made sure that despite everything, we celebrated their achievement.

How are you managing your management team?

Usually, I would travel weekly to one of the countries within the FraBeNeLux region to meet with the management teams face to face. Now we have bi-weekly meetings via video instead, and individual calls with members of our management team. I want us all to stay as focused, as always, on our targets, despite the difficult circumstances. Again, while remaining mindful of the challenges people might facing personally.

How are you preparing for the future?

In the short-term, it’s things like how we get people back into the offices now some countries are relaxing their lockdown. How do we figure out health and safety plans for that? Who is key to get back first? We are also now offering part-time work.

Honesty is also is a massive one. We have been very honest with our customers, and they have in turn been very honest with us. We have understood and made arrangements for those who needed to figure out different payments, and they have understood if sometimes we have had delivery delays. Ultimately we just all need to be transparent.

In the medium-term, we are monitoring how the market is developing, we are trying to project the ways in which this may go and to stay on top of our game by continuing to provide quality products and services. Medium-term, we also are thinking about structure. Now more than ever we must have the right people in place. As we are more independent, since we are physically not next to one another, it’s crucial that we can trust each other’s abilities to do our jobs.

What advice would you give other business leaders at this time?

My one big take away from working through the 2008 financial crisis was that many businesses perhaps focused internally too much, this time I want to make sure that we keep our customers close to us on this journey, as well as my team. We have a much better chance of coming out of this together if we stay close, stay honest and support each other.

The post Leadership through COVID-19 – With Ger Groot Wesseldijk. first appeared on Horton International.

For an insight into how the healthcare industry has had to adapt, we spoke to Asad Ali, Managing Director at Ipsen UK and Ireland. Ipsen is a leading global biopharmaceutical company focused on innovation and specialty care, working hard to bring solutions for patients and healthcare providers. We caught up with Asad to discover what impact COVID-19 has had on Ipsen UK and Ireland, and the healthcare industry as a whole.

How has Ipsen UKI been affected by COVID-19, particularly as a leader in the biopharma space?

The healthcare industry makes a tremendous difference not only to the lives of patients with debilitating diseases but also to the healthcare professionals that are there to take care of those patients, and the treatment and management of their conditions.  So, with the advent of COVID-19, as an industry we knew we had a significant role to play as the pandemic evolved.

At Ipsen, our portfolio focuses on three main therapeutic areas – oncology, neuroscience, and rare diseases – the largest of these being oncology. With regard to cancer treatment, the healthcare systems in the UK and Ireland have had to evolve, adopting new measures such as the establishment of covid-free zones across the cancer networks, enabling patients to still receive care. Despite the disruption there has been a strong focus on cancer patients continuing to get their treatment, whether face-to-face or via virtual interaction with their healthcare professional.

Neuroscience is an area where we have seen a more adverse influence of COVID-19. Some of the services and clinics have been categorised as non-essential, bringing some negative impact on patient care. However, both Ipsen and the healthcare providers have adapted to continue to support our patients and healthcare workers, and thankfully we are starting to see a return towards more normal services.

How did you respond to the current situation both personally and professionally?

On a personal level, I have a job that requires a lot of travel, as does my wife, so that has been a big change for the family. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been supporting our kids through this new reality. We have a teenager, an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old, so trying to get them all set up for home-schooling was something of a struggle initially.

By comparison, professionally the transition was quite smooth! At Ipsen, we already had a strong focus on online working, and our usual face-to-face meetings switched to virtual. We also quickly switched to virtual engagement with our customers, to better support the vital interaction with healthcare professionals through this period of uncertainty.

Obviously, the NHS and HSE have been under extreme pressure; the whole point of lockdown was to avoid the spread of the virus and overburdening of healthcare systems. So, Ipsen had to play a role from day one, streamlining processes and going virtual. We are lucky that we operate in countries where our infrastructure has been reliable; unfortunately it has not been as easy in some other parts of the world.

What would you consider as your top three leadership challenges during this pandemic?

For me, the top three challenges Ipsen has faced can also be perceived as opportunities.

Firstly, it has been critical to us that we are adding maximum value during the crisis. We want to provide meaningful value to our stakeholders, patients, customers, colleagues, and our business. Value is going to be different in all of these instances and, as always for Ipsen, has to be tangible and measurable.

For our customers, this has meant reducing the number of patients that need to come into hospital for their treatment. For patients, this is around being more empowered to manage their treatment independently. We want all of our partners and colleagues to see that we have pivoted the business to ensure we have solutions that work for everyone, wherever possible.

The second challenge is around really being present, which was front of mind for me, even before the lockdown. Whether it is for our customers, patients or colleagues, or other stakeholders, it is vital that we remain available for them all.

Throughout lockdown, we have continued with the aspects we feel would make a real difference for our people. One example is that we continued to hold “mentoring retreats”: protected time to focus on our people’s growth, development, aspirations, and plans. We did these through virtual sessions, and it worked exceptionally well.

The third topic is how we react to change. Consciously we championed the change, and emphasised that it was in fact more of an opportunity than a challenge. In many ways the pandemic has accelerated changes that were coming anyway, for example in digital adoption and remote working. When change is being thrown at us relentlessly, human nature can be to fight, freeze, or flee. But, if we actually embrace it and become more ‘change agile’, we can engage with our stakeholders in ways that embrace the new reality that we’re all facing.

How have you been keeping your employees safe, informed, and motivated?

For the last year, Ipsen has been prioritising the focus on mental health. As part of this, an Ipsen team, including myself, started training to be mental health and well-being advocates. When the pandemic hit us, and we locked down, it became even more important than ever to focus on this area.

I am very proud that we continued with that training virtually, and we now have a team of accredited mental health and well-being ambassadors within the company. We have also created a well-being hub on our intranet where colleagues can find yoga, exercise, and meditation videos among other things, as part of this initiative.

It has also been essential to keep engaged with our employees; they need to feel heard and know that we understand their challenges. We are mindful that it is a very profound challenge that we are facing right now, but it is also essential to keep some light-heartedness too. So we have openly welcomed families and pets to our video interactions, held online quizzes and virtual drinks parties.

Instead of our usual KPI reporting during this period, we did a “KPI – Keeping Our Purpose Ignited” video series, which were employee videos recorded from their homes and in their gardens talking about our progress with a different KPI each day. It was a fun and engaging way of recognising colleagues whilst keeping peoples’ engagement and optimism up.

Did you draw inspiration from other leaders during COVID-19?

It is so important to be aware of what is going on in your own ecosystem – in your sector, in your industry, and in the wider world. Clearly, healthcare has been a huge consideration throughout the pandemic.

Entire countries have been working towards ensuring that our healthcare systems are not overburdened. I have drawn inspiration from how the Irish and UK healthcare systems have responded to the crisis; both NHS and HSE leadership decisions have been exemplary.

In the UK, NHS Nightingale temporary hospitals were set up in record time and to an excellent standard. In Ireland, they put in immediate protocols to minimise face-to-face contact in medical situations, which will have saved many lives.

The other place from which I have drawn inspiration is my colleagues; both my leadership team and my other direct reports. Ipsen has a full bench-to-bedside footprint in the UK and Ireland. We have activities all the way from basic research and discovery through to full commercialisation, lifecycle management and everything in between. We employ almost 900 people in UK and Ireland, and every single one of them has played a key role in this pandemic.

We continued making and distributing essential medicine during this period and we continued with research and development throughout the lockdown, even though it has been challenging. And we all did this while managing our personal situations – with the challenges of having children and pets jump onto our conference calls! I have been so impressed with how everyone has dealt with their new working normality.

Another incredible feat is that we have brought in a new CEO, David Loew, who joined Ipsen from Sanofi Pasteur on July 1^st. I am not sure how many companies can say that they have virtually recruited a new executive leader during a pandemic!

It was a pleasure to catch up with Asad Ali and to find out just how Ipsen has not only weathered the storm of COVID-19 but embraced the challenge and made positive changes, to benefit not only the organisation but its patients, clients and stakeholders too.

Asad Mohsin Ali, currently Managing Director for UK & Ireland at Ipsen, an emerging global leader in innovation and specialty care, including Rare Diseases, Oncology and Neuroscience. Asad also heads 1 of 3 Ipsen Global Hubs (the 2 others are France and the US), and is Chair of Ipsen’s UK & Ireland Site Steering Committee which is responsible for a 900 strong workforce across four global sites (Slough, Abingdon, Wrexham, Dublin) that span the full “bench to bedside” chain including R&D, TechOps, Supply, Commercial Operations and Corporate Functions. 22 years of industry experience across a variety of roles with Novartis, MSD and TESARO.

The post Health Leadership In A Time Of COVID: An Interview With Ipsen UK and Ireland first appeared on Horton International.

How has the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacted Hisense Mexico? 

It is a unique moment in time for sure. Even though we faced a swine flu epidemic in 2009, this crisis has been of very different proportions. We are following many recommendations that we received back in 2009. We will perhaps keep in mind these practices forever now, not just for a short period, or epidemic situation. We have all had to redesign our daily working lives all around the world, and because of what we went through with the Swine flu, we had already learned how to do this to an extent.

We were also fortunate to have seen how our Headquarters in China handled the situation; they faced a huge challenge there; everything stopped there very quickly – so in a sense, we knew what might be coming and that it might change every part of how we work.

How did you respond to this situation both personally and corporately?

Our first priority, both inside and outside of the company, was health – keeping our people safe was paramount. So immediately we began to adapt our office. As soon as our Chinese colleagues started facing severe problems, we began to make some changes in our offices and to communicate with people and take specific measures to keep people safe. As a company, we also decided to be cautious, making sure that we had a stock of all the supplies we need for our health prevention.

We also started our “home working” policy earlier than many Mexican companies, which helped us a lot. We had enough time to prepare everything and start creating a certain culture in our company to combat COVID-19.

The economic situation and our performance were also critical; we very quickly worked to reduce costs and renegotiate with certain landlords, suppliers and customer service providers. On the other hand, we also received the same sort of requests from our customers; they asked for extended periods of credit and cut certain purchase orders. Everyone was scared; they wanted to avoid having a huge amount of stock in their warehouses, as did we. So for that reason, we were very conservative in terms of economy.

Communication was hugely important too. We trained our staff on how to behave in a pandemic. We let everyone know that homeworking was the best solution for many people. Again we were lucky that due to our HQ being ahead of us in terms of the pandemic, we had made sure that our infrastructure and IT systems could support employees working from home and that our security was up to the job.

Another huge part of our response was updating our e-commerce. In Mexico, we are still beginners in terms of e-commerce, so it was a steep learning curve for us – but we managed! We feel very privileged that we have not stopped our operation and managed to adapt to the new way of life.

What do you consider were your top three leadership challenges during this pandemic? 

First of all – Connectivity. Getting everyone working on a remote basis was a challenge. We didn’t know how the infrastructure in Mexico. Fortunately, our IT people deployed an essential implementation to give us adequate tools for working from home.

Secondly – Connecting with leaders on a remote basis. Managing from afar is a new skill for many of us. When we moved our people back home, we had to change how we work, report, and engage with our customers and service providers. It was undoubtedly a challenge! We set very clear objectives and set up different assessments for performance, but also we had to all learn to adjust our expectations – everyone was learning. It was also vital for us to share our experience with our fellow managers and directors in managing this way.

Thirdly – Business continuity. Mexico is a country that suffers a lot of earthquakes and hurricanes, so civil protection activity is something significant in our country. We have built our company in a way that is adaptable to these kinds of events. We have to be prepared for if we all have to hide out for some time.

Honestly, no business continuity plan could match the current circumstances and experiences we are facing. We had to build new strategies to deal with this. Sometimes we were assisted by specialists. Sometimes we were following instructions from the government. Sometimes we exchanged information with other companies and tried to create a model that could fit with Hisense. We had to be fast and creative and keep in mind that we were all human beings at the end of the day.

Did you draw inspiration from other leaders, corporations, or partners in their responses to COVID-19?

I would say that we did draw from many sources, all across the world. After all, this is not a local issue. This is a worldwide issue. We took recommendations in terms of infrastructure, in terms of supplies, and in terms of how to protect people.

When our Chinese HQ went through the pandemic before the rest of the world, we sent them funds and resources to help. Ironically two and a half months later, they ended up doing the same for us. In the beginning, they sent us thermometers and almost 250,000 masks. These masks were for internal purposes and to donate for hospitals and charity organizations in Mexico and our customers.

I also used my network across the world to draw from other’s experiences. I have spent 30 years in global human resources, so I am lucky to have a large network. I ensured that I was checking in with people in Asia and Europe – getting the bigger picture. They were saying: keep focused on your objectives, on how to measure those objectives, reward your people, recognize their adaptability, and keep watching your economy.

How have you been keeping your employees safe, informed and motivated?

Keeping people at home has been first and foremost. As a company, we are fortunate that much of our workforce can work remotely. But some of our team also had to be on the ground. What we have done for these people is that we have alternated the activity at our office so that everyone is not there at one time.

We have also been providing all types of supplies to our employees. And also, we have been adapting the office in accordance with the COVID19. Our total office capacity was reduced by probably 30% and the health and hygiene was a huge priority – sanitizing carpets, distance markers, division, the list was long!

The second measure that we took to keep our employees safe, informed and motivated was through open communication. We made sure that we provided informative bulletins, newsletters, messages, meetings, spots. We sent cards to employees’ homes, threw virtual birthday parties, and celebrated people’s achievements. Our people must know that we value them as human beings.

We even had an initiative where we sent out coin boxes for folks to save money, board games and some chocolates for their kids who have also been stuck at home. And also we put some tickets to watch films to watch movies online. We wanted to make sure that they knew that Hisense valued them and their families.

How are you managing your leadership team? 

As I mentioned before, taking the pulse of the employees very important. Sometimes I just called, to say like the song, “to say we love you” rather than only to discuss our work challenges. These calls allowed people a forum to talk about their challenges and to keep boosting their morale. We have made sure to create a supportive new culture.

The optimal infrastructure is also critical. If people start to face problems with a mobile phone system or with applications, they start to feel that’s not what we want. So we tried to ensure that we had not only robust technology but also good support on hand.

We have also been conscious to be more tolerant, many have not only a home office, but we have a home school going on – so we have been more flexible with when people work and with interruptions.

We are all having to be very conscious in general. Keeping focused on economics, in terms of political issues, digital issues, health issues, and social issues. It’s a lot to deal with, but we must keep our eyes open and keep adapting.

How do you see the next 12 months for Hisense, and how different might it be? 

We will need to balance the collaborator experience and maintain an efficient company in terms of process and cost. We have to look forward. We have to keep on balance. We will look continue to work to keep our talent motivated.

We are looking toward the future. For instance, it’s very possible that moving forward credit cards may be replaced to an extent with QR codes, so we are looking to digitalize in ways like utilizing QR codes.

We will continue to implement flex time and part-time work. It’s essential to recreate our employee experience in a way that works for the times. Part of this will be continuous training and contact. And, of course, our leaders will need to continue to be resilient.

Finally, we need to be very mindful of discrimination, if one of our people (or a member of their family) suffers directly from COVID-19 there must be no discrimination. We must support them and continue to create a culture where our employees can thrive.

What is your advice to leaders of other businesses at this time? 

I think sharing is hugely important; let’s support our economies by talking with our fellow business leaders about what is working for us to keep our companies going through this period. Keep thinking about assessments, about your roles and responsibilities. Take the pulse of your employees and organization – ask them what is working and what is not.

Keep flexible, keep adapting, and keep caring.

Mauricio Silis  is the HR & GMO Director of Hisense Mexico. He previously worked for the     Samsung Group for 27 years, eight years at Samsung Corporation and 19 years at       Samsung Electronics Mexico. Mauricio joined Hisense Mexico in 2018. 

  About Hisense:

  Hisense, a high-tech company and sponsor of UEFA EURO 2020, was founded in China in     1969. It is one of the leading international manufacturers of flat- screen TVs, household   appliances (refrigerators / freezers, washing machines, stoves, ovens and dishwashers) as   well such as air conditioning and climate control equipment, mobile devices and entertainment electronics. 

Hisense has 54 subsidiaries worldwide, strategically distributed around the world, with the ability to distribute its products to more than 160 countries. Hisense’s production is carried out in 14 plants, the largest outside of China is in Mexico, which allows it to meet needs and be within immediate reach. 

Hisense continually invests in research and technological development. Thanks to an international team of around 75,000 employees, the company carries out its goal: to make Hisense a leading brand worldwide. To do this, Hisense has more than 14 production centers and 12 R&D centers worldwide, as well as subsidiaries in Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia. 

The post Leadership In A Time Of COVID: An Interview With Hisense Mexico first appeared on Horton International.

We spoke to Peter Pesthy, Managing Director at Linde Material Handling, Hungary, about his professional journey through COVID-19.

Linde Material Handling is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forklift trucks and warehouse equipment and is part of The KION Group, which are the world’s second-largest manufacturer of industrial trucks and one of the leading suppliers of automation solutions for intralogistics  

Peter, can you tell us a little bit about Linde and how COVID has impacted your business?    

At Linde, we provide forklift trucks, automation, racking systems and related services to any industry that needs to move or store anything. COVID heavily impacted the production and manufacturing industries, and yet we needed to keep going. So, we have made a substantial number of changes here.   

Linde was among the first companies in Hungary to go into lockdown. It’s been 12 months, and we have had no single infected personnel at Linde Hungary. We have had some quarantined employees, but other than that, we managed to put strategies in place to keep everyone safe and keep the business moving.  

Like most companies, we had to adapt how we work and how we communicated with our employees and our customers.  

Also, our leadership team soon realised that we needed to re-plan our entire budget for 2020. It was a challenge, but we adjusted our costs and made it work!    

How did you pivot the company during the COVID crisis to ensure profitability?    

We formed the “Linde Crisis Team.” This team decided the critical actions needed for our field workers, office workers, and internal systems. Over two weeks, we transformed the whole company into a remote and digitised working environment.  

During the first few weeks, employees were bringing their desktops and monitors home with them, trying to do their jobs, as usual, thankfully we utilised mobile solutions quickly! The whole thing was a tremendous change, a new way of working, mainly because anyway we were already undergoing a substantial organisational restructuring around the time COVID came.  

One of our main revenue streams is the maintenance and servicing of material handling equipment. Our customers cannot run their businesses effectively if these machines aren’t working. So, we needed to rethink how to ensure that we took care of our customers in these new circumstances. On the back of this, we strengthened our field technicians’ training sessions, making sure they are even better prepared getting things done for those who rely on us. At the same time, we also generated additional revenue sources. For example, we introduced a new service to our customers: we would sanitise forklift trucks between shifts so that the truck driver who steps into the vehicle is in a disinfected environment.  

We also knew that we needed to change how we communicated with both our customers and employees immediately. For our employees, we introduced a weekly Sunday message that I created, where I covered how we ere doing as a company, our cash situation, what our order situation was, and how we were doing for instance with recruitment of new colleagues. 

For our customers, we kept in regular contact on social media channels and via direct mail and picked up the phone to see how they were. We quickly made sure to let our customers know that we were still there for them and that Linde was still running.  

How did you respond personally and professionally to the crisis when it started?   

After the initial shock, I looked at how we could manage our response. Together with the leadership team, we needed to think, “What is it that really makes this company sustainable?” and the end of the day, as cliched as it may sound, a company is about the sum of its people, both it’s customers and employees. So we made the people our focus.  

In the beginning, it was challenging to find solutions to basic things such as acquiring masks from our suppliers. Our response was survival mode initially, but after three or four months, we realised that this is business-as-usual.   

With our employees, we strengthened our development programmes to provide them with comfort and confidence. For example, the commercial career path programme initially planned for late 2021; we brought it forward to keep Linde’s commercial team engaged. It was essential also to keep all motivated. We tried to keep things going digital, while elevating interaction: we introduced new e-learning courses, virtual sport challenges and team competition, named “FittLinde” programme that was highly appreciated among all employees. 

We have also managed to continue our Vision 2025 programme, which we are very proud of. It is a co-creation programme where we created our long-term vision and detailed plans together with employees. So our response has been to, again, focus on our two most essential asset groups: our customers and our employees, and trying to adapt to the digital way of working.   

How did you approach marketing during this time?     

We re-planned our marketing activities, both event and digital marketing. We introduced a new marketing approach, which, of course, is now only digital. We changed our customer contact; we introduced live chats and live meetings – which they seem got used to and like a lot.  

Thanks to this, we have increased our order intake and increased our revenues while keeping our costs low. We didn’t achieve our original budget for 2020, but the whole business has ended up growing, so it was a real success story in the end.  

What was your Human Resource strategy during COVID?   

We have fortunately been able to increase our headcount rather than reduce the headcount. I’m proud to say that no single person left the company between February and December, in fact we ended up expanding our workforce!  

We worked with few consulting partners on our HR strategy during this time, including very closely with Horton International on two particular projects.   

Firstly, our management teams received competency-based recruitment training to have the capability and the knowledge to recruit online applying competency-based selection process. We also introduced online assessment centres, led and organised by Horton International, to find specialists in certain areas or mid-managers. Horton was extremely quick at implementing this compared to other companies we have worked with within the past. I was pleased with the speed and the quality of delivery.   

The other area is the commercial career path and succession planning, which is an opportunity for the team to develop their skills and make sure that we select the right people, based on competency requirements, to rise through the ranks in the company.  

It’s a brand-new programme, so we are yet to see the results completely, but we have the systems in place, and Horton has helped us to build this competency-based development program for our employees, which has been very well received    

What would you consider your top three leadership challenges to have been during the pandemic?   

I would say adaptability, how to continue the business and concentrate on the company’s newly set main focus points, and how you adapt to the whole situation.   

Secondly, agility. How to keep serving our customers, who may have different requests, and how you respond to these customer demands. We also have to consider the long-term liabilities to our financing partners while accommodating our client’s payment needs.   

Number three, which is something key for a leadership team, is confidence, the confidence that we still can make a success of the year, no matter how unusual the circumstances are.       

Did you draw inspiration from other leaders during COVID-19?    

It was great to read outlooks from some of the big analyst companies like BCG or McKinsey. That helped us when we were re-planning our financial figures for the year. We had an original budget when we started the year, and two months later, we needed to rethink everything. Those insights helped us in the way of thinking, “What could happen? Which industry segments could grow? Which industry segments might get into trouble?”   

But honestly, the biggest inspiration I received was from our customers. I encouraged the leadership team and sales team to be in touch with our customers. We wanted to keep up the connection. We ended up sharing with other companies more than ever before, asking each other things like “How do you organise your shifts?” or “What do you use for sanitising in the office?” We started sharing basic stuff initially, and then as we have been progressing with the pandemic, other different questions. It’s become much more usual to collaborate in this way. This information from our customers was the best thing we could utilise.    

What do you see happening in the future as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?    

Well, at the start of this pandemic last March, I would not have believed that we could make our way through in a way that allowed us to increase our revenues beyond those of 2019, but we did it, so I think that for the future anything is possible.  

Our way of working is not going to be the same as it was pre-covid—for example, the utilisation of digital tools and the home office. I will support the hybrid home office and office combination moving forward. I think this is where the whole world is going, towards digitisation and finding good flexibility between working from home and on-site.   

We are not an industry-dependent service provider, so we can go wherever there is a physical material movement. This year has taught how me that business can pivot according to what is going on across various industries, which we may not have thought of before. I think it taught us a lot about how to respond to an unplanned   

I would be interested to see in a year’s time what the broader impact is, because it will be felt long-term. But I am an optimist, but if this year has taught us anything at Linde, it’s that we can think our way through any crisis and find a path to success. I am so grateful to everyone who pitched in to make it happen – We will be throwing a big party for our employees when it is safe!  

The post Leadership In A Time Of COVID: An Interview With Linde Material Handling first appeared on Horton International.

In a poll by Gartner Inc, 86% of HR leaders used virtual technology to recruit people during the pandemic. While video interviewing has been available for a long time, it has rapidly increased in the last few years as more and more people have shifted to home working.

What’s more, virtual technologies are showing incredible benefits for recruiting. For employees, there is now a chance to give their CVs more personality with a 150% increase in the number of candidates digitising their CVs with a video.

The benefit for recruiters is that they’re able to widen their talent pool. By 2025, it’s estimated that 70% of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month, and 74% of businesses plan to permanently shift to remote working soon. With this in mind, it is now possible to find the right candidates for your team, wherever they are in the world.

However, in order to ensure you can reach the best talent, it is essential to ensure your remote recruiting process is succinct. The best place to start is by developing your video interview process.

So, if you are new to the world of video interviews and not sure where to start, read on for our ultimate guide.

What Is A Video Interview?

A video interview is very similar to a face to face interview; however, it is conducted online instead of in person. Utilising video chat technologies, you can ask candidates your questions and get to know them and their skillset. There are a couple of different formats of video interviewing that you can choose from, these are;

• Pre-Recorded: A pre-recorded video interview is great for use in the early stages of the hiring process. Many companies use pre-recorded video interviews as a way of replacing phone interviews, as they can give initial indications about a candidate. They work by setting a list of questions you want candidates to answer, and they can then pre-record their video answers for you. Some video interview platforms allow you to set time limits for each question and set how many times a response can be re-recorded.
• Live: A live video interview is essentially the same as a face to face interview but online. You can connect with your candidates in real-time over a video chat and have a conversation with them about the role and their experience. They work by agreeing on a time, date and video platform, and both logging into the video chat at the same time.

What Tools Are Available For Video Interviews?

There are many different tools out there for conducting video interviews. Most video chat software can be used for a video interview, just like a video conference. The main thing to consider is that both you and your candidate will need access to a device with a camera, and the video software.

There are options for dedicated video interview software available, which require subscriptions and have many other features. These might be worthwhile if you are conducting a lot of video interviews and want the premium features available.

For most video interview needs, free video chat software is enough. Some free tools for video interviews include;

• Zoom: Zoom is very simple and easy to use, making an excellent option for video interviews. You can quickly and easily send a private meeting link to a candidate to join you virtually. It is also possible to have multiple people join the call if you need colleagues to also join the interview. Zoom also allows for screen sharing and online chat if required.
• Skype: There are both paid and free versions of Skype, and the free version works well for video interviews. All you need to do is add your candidates as a Skype contact, and you can video call or chat to them at your set time.
• Google Hangouts: This video tool is excellent for connecting with Google contacts and allows video, audio and messenger conversation options. It also syncs seamlessly with a Google calendar for easy organisation.
• Microsoft Teams: There are paid and free versions of Teams, with the free service, you are able to meet for up to 60 minutes, have unlimited chats, share screens and also share files. The paid version gives access to additional features, recording meetings being one of those.

How To Conduct A Video Interview

Conducting a video interview might be daunting if you are new to the world of online recruiting. Arranging the interview is very similar to arranging a face to face interview, as you need to choose a time and date that works for you both.

Once you have decided on a time, you need to decide on the tools you are going to use. If you are using Zoom, create a private meeting link and send it to your candidate beforehand. If you are using Skype or Google Hangouts, then add your candidate as a contact, so you are ready to video call.

It is important to test out your tech beforehand to makes sure there are no bugs or issues. Try video calling a colleague before the interview to ensure everything works fine, and you can both see and hear each other properly.

Video Interview Best Practices And Top Tips For Recruiters

There are many rules that apply to face to face interviews and also video interviews, such as preparing questions in advance and dressing appropriately. As well as these, video interviews come with a few other technical elements that you might not usually consider. There are our top tips and best practices for conducting a video interview;

• • Think About Your Location: If you are working from home, then you will need to hold your video interviews from home. Choosing a quiet, well-lit location is essential to ensure there are no distractions. Also bear in mind that your background needs to look professional and appealing, in order to give off the right impression to candidates.

• Have A Back Up Plan: Even with all the testing and preparing in the world, technology can still go wrong. Always make sure you have a backup plan just in case the unexpected happens during the video interview. Keep the candidate’s phone number to hand in case you have any issues and need to contact them.

• Use Your Tone And Pace To Calm Candidates: Just like with a face to face interview, video interviews can be very nerve-wracking for candidates. You won’t have the opportunity to help relax candidates with body language, but you can rely on your facial expressions and voice. Speak slower than you would in an interview, smile, and be understanding of their nerves.

• Sit Still: If you are shifting your weight from side to side or regularly moving back and forwards, then it can be very distracting. Keep still during the interview and whilst the candidate is talking to minimise distraction. Make sure you have everything you need to hand before you start, such as a job description, their CV and questions you want to ask.

• Send Advice: For many candidates, this may be their first video interview. So, it can be good practice to send out some candidate tips and advice so that they can feel fully prepared and confident going into the interview.

• Record, If Necessary: Many video interviewing tools have the capability to record the interview. This means you can wait until after the interview to make notes so you can be fully present in the interview. However, if you plan to do this, make sure the candidate is fully aware and gives consent. You then need to make sure that you store or delete this data safely and in accordance with the data protection policy.

Video Interview Best Practices And Top Tips For Candidates

We all remember the funny memes where a child creeps into the room! While things happen when you’re working from home and with toddlers, try to pick your time and place. While the incident might be just funny for your interviewer it may get you off the track. Here are some useful tips for everybody.

• Make sure you have video capability and that it is working properly; a candidate who will at the beginning of the meeting say that sorry my video is not working, just will not go further. Most of the first-round interviews are to make contact, get to know each other and see how the chemistries “click”.

• Remember where your camera is and at least every now and then look at it. Keep your own picture in the frame so that you are reminded of that.

• Think about the background. If it’s natural, make sure, there is not a window right behind (then your face will be dark) or that there are no distracting images/items behind you. If you use background effects, be aware that if your surroundings are dark, there will be an unnatural “aura” around you head especially when you move and it may look awkward. Especially wearing big headphones may cause that effect. The best background is natural neutral colour wall and light coming from the front. You can also use a table lamp or ring light to light your face.

• Position yourself further away, so that part of your upper body is showing at least shoulders. If your face is too close to the camera, it will not show your body language which is equally important as your facial expressions. Remember, this is for you as well as for the other person a situation to figure out each other, not a one-way discussion.

• If you take notes by hand, make sure your notepad is close so that you don’t have to constantly look at it. Somebody leaning constantly their head forward close to the camera when taking notes loses the eye contact. If you take notes by the PC you are using, it might be a good idea to mention that beforehand, so that the other person doesn’t think you‘re checking your emails.

The post How To Conduct Video Interviews first appeared on Horton International.

But even in the food sector it is important to take a closer look. Many of the producers have a second central distribution channel in addition to trade: The food service. This has come to an almost complete standstill due to the closure of restaurants and pubs. Many have therefore already announced short-time work. A similar picture emerges when one looks at other industries. For example, mechanical engineering: Many manufacturers recently presented their latest products at the Hanover Fair. But Corona has put a spoke in their wheel. The industry is suffering from a sharp drop in demand or a collapse in supply chains.

What is the future for the industry? What insight is the crisis bringing?

Two issues have moved to the top of the agenda in recent weeks:

1)   Digitisation & New Work: Those who are not well positioned in the field of digitisation have felt this painfully with the outbreak of the Corona crisis. This begins with the appropriate technological equipment for employees. New Work and agile working are becoming more and more important. Especially in the field of digitalisation, the virus acts as an evolutionary accelerator. Video conferences will become the norm in the future and make some business trips superfluous. But certainly not all of them: Because personal contact will continue to be important and even increase in esteem!

2)   Risk management: Many companies are currently feeling the effects of this: if the flow of goods is throttled or even individual components are not delivered at all, production will come to a standstill or even come to a complete standstill. Unilateral dependencies, for example on producers in Asia, are being discussed. Against this background, companies are once again becoming increasingly aware of the issue of risk management. To position oneself professionally for the future or to optimize already implemented structures has been identified as a core task, as we are repeatedly confirmed in discussions.

What does this mean for personnel planning in the companies? What is your recommendation?

Very important is: Both of the above-mentioned topics – above all digitalisation – must be located at the top level of the company. Only if there is an awareness of this successful implementation will be possible. In some fields, such as the FMCG industry, digitisation will help to exploit new sales opportunities. For example, D2C (direct to consumer) activities will gain in importance as online demand increases. And when it comes to risk management, the current crisis has shown how important it is to have the right set-up and strategy in this field.

We are currently in close contact with companies in both fields and help customers to find the right candidates for the management of the future.

The post Exit strategy after the lockdown – Consumer Goods Industry first appeared on Horton International.

How did you respond to the pandemic situation both personally and professionally?

Here in Russia, the virus arrived a bit later than most countries, so we saw not only when something started in China, but how it evolved around the world. Many of us here had the same feeling that somehow pandemic might be resolved, but as it escalated, it became clear that we were entering something serious that might go on for months. Personally, I was not very comfortable with this realisation, especially when I understood the impact that this might have on business.

By the end of March, all of our physical retail at Nike was closed in Russia. We had never experienced anything like this. Psychologically this was not easy for our team. Even though I’m quite a flexible person fast to adapt to change, it was a challenge. I had a responsibility to my team and to the business we built together with our partners, and sometimes this was uncomfortable because this whole situation was new. Luckily, we pivoted quite quickly, our team changed quite fast, and I think we’ve done it with success. We focused on opportunities to grow further and in different ways.

I became a father in December, and this was a real gift. Working from home meant that I could see my daughter grow. I began to go outside with her every day in the yard, and it helped me a lot with working through the business issues. This time outside got me thinking of how important it was to keep our team moving, and getting them outdoors. I then started working with a personal trainer too, we put together a daily sports challenge for our staff at Nike and created an Instagram group for people to show their experiences and results taking part. This initiative helped a lot psychologically. We found our rhythm and a way to focus on the positives, which helped us with creating new routes to market.

How do has the pandemic impacted Nike, Russia?

We were lucky at Nike Russia because we (Russian leadership team) pledged to “drive innovation” in 2017, and part of this meant that we spent the last three years making sure that we are a truly digital business. We also put a lot of effort into developing a culture of innovation and experimentation in our Russian team. We created an environment where members of our team can speak up. I think that both of these things have helped us very much during this period. Another factor of success was our relentless focus over past years to build Nike ecosystem in Russia. We adjusted fast, with minimal disruption and were able to focus on our online marketing and online retail.

We were one of the first global brands to seize the opportunity to set a positive tone about COVID by launching our “Stay Inside” campaign. We used all of our partner relationships in Russia with local athletes, local sports clubs and our customers to begin the opportunity to show people how they could still play at home via their social media. Sports stars and ordinary people alike posted videos of them working out from their homes, all using #playinside and slogan “Play inside, play for the World.” We used  Nike’s platform Nikemoscow.com, locally created, to encourage people to stay healthy and spread positive energy, and we are very proud of that, as it was unique execution for Nike in Europe. More than 1M consumers trained online with us in April. Besides it helped us to increase number of active members in our apps times vs LY.

Our retail and our wholesale teams also came together quickly with supply chain, and focused only on how can we eliminate overstock in our retail outlets and create more stock to be sold online. We expected online will grow a lot, but it happened even faster than we had anticipated: our online business was growing every week as of the beginning of April. I am proud of my team, as we managed to come back to growth of our business as of July and continue it every week!

What do you consider the top three leadership challenges to be during the coronavirus pandemic?

First is how you deal with change and uncertainty. You have to set an example, and that takes strength. We needed to guide our company through changes without panicking and without being nervous, which is not easy!

Secondly was creating a safe environment for our team to work. This situation is unusual because of the unprecedented cause. There is an invisible threat everywhere, and we needed to make that our priority was keeping our staff safe. People are our priority, and we have created an environment where they can work without being afraid for business to continue.

Number three is remaining positive. Keeping up everyone’s spirits in a difficult situation is very important. In any difficult situation, there are always opportunities, and if you are positive, you are much more likely to see them. Your energy and communication as a leader should inspire people as much as possible.

Did you draw inspiration from any other corporations? Responses to COVID-19?

I remember reading a communication from the CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky that I thought was a great way of handling the situation back in May. Brian sent out a great email to the entire global team; he shared openly about the unprecedented difficulties they faced and how it might change the face of the business. He was so human and open and honest, and I think this is absolutely the way forward. People hate to be in the dark. Our global CEO, John Donahoe, has also operated as a source of inspiration to me; he also has been very transparent. Since April, John has personally communicated with our staff regularly and I have taken his lead and done the same with my team.

And another example I can give is from a local company in Russia called Sportmaster. It’s our biggest sports retailer. They have 500 stores, so you can imagine how the retail closures impacted them. But they did something remarkable. They increased their e-commerce sales more than five times just in two weeks. They mobilised and became completely digital company only in one month. It was a fantastic response to the challenges created by COVID. It gives us great hope to hear of regional businesses who managed to pivot at the last minute. They inspire us at Nike.

How are you keeping your employees motivated during this period?

The key focus is always on Team Engagement. So, we asked our team to engage as much as possible, we made sure that we kept exchanging ideas and keeping the momentum going. We also ensured that we shared a lot. We went back over previous challenges that we had in business, and how we overcame them. Things were improving each week, and this was motivating for the team.

Secondly, team exercise or some simple fitness activity and usually some fun creative way kept us all connected and cheerful as a team. Social media was also a huge part of keeping us going; we all felt through posting our experiences that we were in something big together.

It was also crucial for our team to focus on a few initiatives. As a leadership team, we looked at our quarterly focus areas, keeping everyone on task was key.

Again, we tried to keep it as positive as possible. I tried to use humour much more than before and trying to find in any opportunity in any occasion and revisit our successes, or simply to make colleagues smile.

How are you preparing for the future at the moment?

We are preparing for the future by keeping part of our attention on the present business, and part of our time on the future. We need to live in the moment, but also to strategise for what’s coming. My colleagues and I have spent the last couple of months working to predict possible scenarios for the next couple of years so that we can deduce where we should focus.

For now, we see things moving more towards e-commerce & providing a seamless experience to consumers within Nike ecosystem, so we need to develop new ways market digitally. We hope for the best, but we have prepared for future lockdowns because it’s better to prepare for the worst-case scenario. We are keeping positive and keeping agile.

What is your advice to other business leaders?

For businesses like ours, it’s important to remember that we are working in consumer or service focused markets. We are essentially working for consumers, and they are not working for our shareholders or us. We need to remain focused on our consumer – What about their needs is changing? What is still common? What do they want? How can we keep relating to them and keep them loyal? A business must adapt to their consumer, and that is what we are continually striving to do. Then our consumers will be more often interacting with our apps and buying our product more frequently.

It’s also crucial to keep playing our scenarios for the future to stay afloat in these changing times. To do this will help businesses understand how to deal with uncharted waters, the new technologies, to come up with new ways of doing business that might make you more successful than your competition. If you’re continually looking ahead, then you have higher chances of success, when things fluctuate. Focusing on the future is vital.

Finally, and maybe most importantly is supporting your team and ensuring that your culture is right. If your team is strong together, they will be capable of adapting and growing together. This means being creative, being open and trusting each other enough to share new ideas, if you have a strong team that is a huge advantage.

It was a real pleasure to catch up with Andrey Krishnev, and to find out just how Nike Russia has been able to support their team, keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the crisis. And how they were able to spot opportunities,  managing to grow their online business during the pandemic.

Andrey became GM of Nike in Russia in 2017. From the very beginning,  he was focused on: digitalization strategy development &  implementation, e-commerce projects & online marketing design and execution and the creation of Nike ecosystem.

Andrey has extensive experience in sales: he started his career in Procter & Gamble, where he has grown from account manager to Key Account Director. Then he joined Nike, as Strategic Account Director and later became responsible for the development and implementation of new commercial strategy in retail and wholesale, as Sales Director. After Andrey was leading a cross-functional team in Nike Western Europe HQ in the Netherlands, as Sr Strategic Account Director, responsible for Nike business with Deichmann Group (one of Nike EMEA Global Accounts).  

The post Leadership In A Time Of COVID: An Interview With Nike Russia first appeared on Horton International.

We all remember the funny memes where a child creeps into the room! While things happen when you’re working from home and with toddlers, try to pick your time and place. While the incident might be just funny for your interviewer it may get you off the track. Here are some useful tips for everybody.

• Make sure you have video capability and that it is working properly; a candidate who will at the beginning of the meeting say that sorry my video is not working, just will not go further. Most of the first-round interviews are to make contact, get to know each other and see how the chemistries “click”.

• Remember where your camera is and at least every now and then look at it. Keep your own picture in the frame so that you are reminded of that.

• Think about the background. If it’s natural, make sure, there is not a window right behind (then your face will be dark) or that there are no distracting images/items behind you. If you use background effects, be aware that if your surroundings are dark, there will be an unnatural “aura” around you head especially when you move and it may look awkward. Especially wearing big headphones may cause that effect. The best background is natural neutral colour wall and light coming from the front. You can also use a table lamp or ring light to light your face.

• Position yourself further away, so that part of your upper body is showing at least shoulders. If your face is too close to the camera, it will not show your body language which is equally important as your facial expressions. Remember, this is for you as well as for the other person a situation to figure out each other, not a one-way discussion.

• If you take notes by hand, make sure your notepad is close so that you don’t have to constantly look at it. Somebody leaning constantly their head forward close to the camera when taking notes loses the eye contact. If you take notes by the PC you are using, it might be a good idea to mention that beforehand, so that the other person doesn’t think you‘re checking your emails.

The post Video Interviews are Part of the New Normal first appeared on Horton International.