Looking beyond how we communicate in a remote work environment

Remember the time when we yearned for working from home? Even spending one weekday at home felt like a bliss. Now, rushing to work, struggling with bustling traffic and the tiresome commute seems like a distant memory, doesn’t it?

COVID-19 has changed our means of communication. In a matter of months, the internet has transformed from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have,’ meetings have moved from boardrooms to Zoom and other digital platforms, in-person communications moved from coffee-runs to Slack and text messaging. Communications and Human Resources teams worldwide struggle with the question: “How to drive engagement in companies during such extraordinary times?”

There are a few common challenges organizations faced throughout the pandemic:

• Operations have been severely affected,

• Cash flow has stopped or lowered considerably,

• Employee culture and engagement declined, and

• Communication constraints came to the forefront.

Robust employee culture and engaged workforce drive productivity. This is why organizations are working around the clock on building their resilience by investing in their employees and boosting employee engagement through consistent communications, internal programs and initiatives. In fact, 81% of Canadian employees and 83% of employers believe that investing in upskilling employees besides daily work routines helps improve job performance.

But what about recruiting? How does an organization go about hiring new employees in the new normal? And how can a prospective employee engage with an organization?

Click here to read more and to take a sneak-peek at my own challenges as an aspiring communications professional.