If you are unfamiliar with The Bump, Kicker, Elbow, Checker or even the Namaste then you need to update your soft skills for the business sector in our new way of working. |
This new and safer way to meet and greet both client and colleagues is a very useful tool to deformalize interactions and serve as an easy icebreaker. |
Staying Positive in the Face of Chaos
While we are constantly inundated with the stark realities of facts and figures around the CO-VID19 virus and the implications they could have, we do need to take some time to re-evaluate what can we glean from this experience that will create better working practices going forward.
The world has been shifting to a digital age for a long time but overnight the need for a digital presence has become quintessential.
Most companies are leaning more heavily on applications like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp as tools of the trade and the recruitment sector is no different. Interviews have had to move to these platforms and as such the need for honing other senses of observation like listening skills will be moved to the forefront.
Working from home (WFH) is all the buzz currently and rightly so as it affords staff a means of control over their environments and as such creates a less stressed individual. While no work environments these days can escape the stress factors, it is worth looking into the future of making this a more permanent work option for those more prone to benefit from it. This means investing in Virtual Private Network Platforms and using applications like Microsoft Teams and Skype which have been in use for quite some time and are quite reliable.
The biggest source of concern for most small businesses is the added financial strain imposed by the restrictions.
This was addressed though in the article on The Small Business Site dated March 16, 2020, in which the practical steps are outlined clearly regarding the options available to small businesses in these trying times. While these steps speak to the practicality of the virtual arena and how the infrastructure already exists for many companies, the offer is also extended from the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) to assist companies who may still feel the financial strain of the diminished face to face contact.
These are several of the options that recruitment agencies and many other business environments are implementing. The world today is not the world it was yesterday – these interventions are proving to be quite successful. Creative solutions are often borne out of necessity.
Written by Janine Renze.