2020 brought about a lot of 'firsts' for the workforce.
As we lean into 2021, we wanted to do a quick re-cap on how some leading organizations managed the transition to remote working in 2020.
We're confident 2021 will bring about even more new and exciting approaches to remote and hybrid working so here's some #inspo to get us started.
1. DBS
At DBS Group Holdings Ltd, employees were given the flexibility to work remotely up to 40% of the time with more than four in five of its 29,000 staff being able to work seamlessly remotely (Cheok, 2020).
They offered a hybrid work arrangement with the aim of allowing employees to continue to stay connected and engaged with their colleagues, building team spirit and camaraderie.
DBS also introduced a formal job-sharing scheme where two employees were able to share the responsibilities of a full-time position, operating through split teams so as to give more support for those who need a flexible work arrangement during these trying times. While there are not many companies who offer job-sharing schemes, Singapore Human Resources Institute President Low Peck Kem says that the scheme implemented can “help companies to retain talent and enhance productivity” (Low in Ang, 2020). Such flexible arrangements provided by DBS is one way to improve the employee experience in 2021 and beyond!
2. Grab
An interesting initiative led by Grab as part of their remote working experience included GrabRadio, which is a collaborative playlist for Grabbers, and GrabCoffee, which is a chatbot that connects Grabbers around the world for remote interactions. This has allowed the People Operations team at Grab to encourage deeper social connectivity and interaction while working remotely.
Grab has also looked towards the digitization of its feedback processes among employees and within the business. Leaders use real-time data to respond to any crises that emerge.
3. ServiceNow
We've seen great initiatives at scale from enterprise-tech giant ServiceNow. They gave employees the choice to work remotely through June 2021 regardless of the office’s opening hours and location. Monthly wellness surveys are also carried out to understand employees’ needs and challenges. Improvements are then made according to real-time employee feedback.
A Perk Allowance programme was also implemented to grant employees an allowance for expenses related to physical and mental health as well as childcare and technology. They also released an awesome ServiceNow playlist with great music and a storytime session with the CEO.
4. Twitter
Twitter, being one of the first companies to adopt the work from home arrangement was quick to respond to the challenges that the pandemic presented. They opened their doors to provide the support that employees needed if they wanted to return to the office or work from home. The decision was also made to suspend all in-person company events for the rest of 2020 so that no one would feel obligated to attend such gatherings.
The most interesting aspect of Twitter’s remote-working initiatives could perhaps be the introduction of #FlockTalk, which is a program for Tweeps (aka Twitter friends) to share their happenings during these difficult times. This was introduced to encourage conversation surrounding issues like workplace racism and mental health. Resource guides were also made available to support employees with the work from home transition. Specifically, a manager resource guide was introduced for those in People Management roles which looks toward improving the employee experience within the company.
These are just some out of many remote working initiatives led by companies in 2020 this year.
As we lean into 2021, how will your organisation look to improve the remote or hybrid working experience? Have you seen other great examples? Let us know in the comments below!
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