Our Chief Operating Officer, Ore Boboye, during a recent interview with TVC Lagos, shared insightful tips on how employers can manage their brands during the COVID19 crisis. Find below the excerpts from the interview.
TVC: In your view, how can organizations begin to reassess during and after COVID 19?
Ore: There is a new normal, the world has changed and we should not live with the mentality that probably things will change; we need to begin to channel and focus our businesses towards this direction. Despite all that is going on, business leaders also need to be optimistic because employees need to see that optimism from their leaders. In addition, business owners need to pivot their business to ensure business continuity and service customers during this time.
TVC: What advice would you give companies looking to protect their brands and lay off staff due to the effect of the pandemic to ensure business continuity
Ore: The most important thing for businesses to do right now is transparency. Employees and business owners understand the current realities of the market. Business leaders should be transparent about the situation of things including financials and let employees know what is going on.
Organizations should maximize their staff and cut spending rather than lay off, business leaders should opt for salary cut and lay off should be a last resort.
TVC: Companies are beginning to reevaluate job needs and staff strength. Do you foresee a time where we would be working based on the hours we put in and not daily structure? What are some of the changes you foresee?
Ore: Employees will be paid on agreed deliverables and timeline rather than activities. This will become the new normal as employees will be rewarded based on results. Performance management might also begin to change more around specific and clearly communicated KPIs. We might also begin to see a better work-life balance on the part of the employees as they would have time for other things once they are done with their deliverables.
TVC: Do you think in Nigeria we have the infrastructure to ask people to work from home for a long period of time?
Ore: Nigeria does not have the infrastructure in place. However, we have seen situations where some organizations are managing to do this effectively and have found ways to make it work. For instance, at Jobberman, we adopted 100% remote work early enough. This might work in certain states such as Lagos. Abuja and some other states because we have the internet infrastructure to allow us to do this but it might be a challenge in other states. We, however, can make it work by making use of fewer data consuming collaboration tools to ensure we still deliver.
TVC: How do industries that need one on one contact interaction to run a business such as the makeup or fashion industry reposition themselves or pivot to ensure cash flow?
Ore: One way will be to explore Youtube for online training and tutorials for their target audience. That way you will keep your customers engaged till we can safely have physical contact. The new normal will then be to have fewer contact situations in your businesses.
To watch the full interview below:
