Remote working

The panel discusses the changes needed to support a workforce that has adapted to working from home during the lockdown, and how that might evolve in a new world of work. Anuradha makes the point that creating a culture of accountability, transparency and empowerment is key to this, and that people must be measured for outcomes of impact rather than how much time they spend online.

Sharif shares his experiences from Microsoft, revealing that management has been the key to empowering the workforce as a whole: “What’s been the bedrock of allowing us to move forward has been our leadership values and our management behaviour. This whole concept of there being ‘power in empowerment’ allows our management to step up and create that inclusive culture and inclusive work styles that suit everyone in one way or another.”

Diversity and inclusion

Equal hiring across genders and ethnicities has vastly improved in recent years, but there’s still plenty of work to do, especially as the business landscape shifts. Aarti cites research that shows senior management treating diversity and inclusion in one of two ways: those who see it as a key lever for weathering the COVID-19 crisis, and those who are temporarily setting it aside to focus on day-to-day operations.

Sharif points out that the growth in flexible working can be a huge enabler for diversity and inclusion. He suggests that as more jobs are able to be done remotely, and with more variety in approaches around working hours and arrangements, many more people will be able to take advantage of opportunities that were previously out of reach.

He continues by saying that the ways in which employee performances are assessed may need to change. Different individuals will face different circumstances because of how their lives have been affected by the virus, which calls for a more holistic and inclusive approach when evaluating a person’s work.

Employee support

One of the biggest threats to workforce productivity and engagement is burnout. Pei Ying shares that comments of burnout within the global workforce doubled from March to April as lockdowns took hold. In the future, there may be opportunities for businesses that focus on employees’ mental health to show real leadership, especially in Asia where mental health awareness has often lagged behind other regions.

Anuradha concedes that talking about mental health has carried a stigma but emphasizes that the causes of burnout can be specific to an individual employee. That’s why she advocates a highly individualized approach to employee support, so that any member of the staff that needs support can get help that is relevant and valuable to them. Relatively simple measures like helplines and well-defined lines of communication with managers are suggested as essential tools to deploy.