Insights From Rod Lacey, VP of People at Talkdesk North America
In our upcoming Spotlight event on Human Capital, we discuss one of our key themes: the employee experience. We sat down with Rod Lacey, VP of People at Talkdesk to hear his insights ahead of the event. Spotlight on Human Capital happens on August 5th. Reserve your seat here.
The Emergence of the Virtual Workplace
Most businesses resorted to telecommuting to manage the disruption caused by the pandemic – meetings happened over video conferencing apps, events went 100% virtual, and even facilitating training sessions for new hires had to be online.
These are just some of the day-to-day tasks that most teams are accustomed to fulfilling in the actual workplace. So when most operations came to a screeching halt last year, leaders had to quickly envision how every little aspect of their business would survive in a virtual setting. But what does this shift mean for employees? What will be the next move of companies as restrictions gradually ease? Rod Lacey, VP of People at Talkdesk North America, gives his thoughts on this timely topic.
Fourteen months ago, telecommuting roles were few and far between. Remote work was a differentiator for a business – until the pandemic forced us all to figure out how to do it (and how to do it well). We just started to master this remote environment, and now it is time to start thinking about going back into the office.
In retrospect, the old traditional employee experience is simple and a bit complex at the same time. It all revolved around an office, around the coffee pot, around the conference rooms, and connections you had at the office, even around the meals or the ping pong table. It was pretty. It was a controlled environment—and very consistent. The office was also an environment, that culturally speaking, that we were accustomed to, at least until recently.
Post-pandemic, more and more organizations are looking at a hybrid model. A critical part of this is figuring out their employee experience; and how to manage it digitally for the long term. The “new workplace” will be a mix of the more traditional office environment, but perhaps with different people in it every day, with some of the workforce working digitally part of the week – or 100% remote.
Businesses will need a solution to retain employee engagement, keeping everyone included whether working in the office or remotely. Having staff feel collectively a part of a team will be a challenge that most organizations haven’t yet faced.
It’s been a new adventure to navigate.
Rod will join Stacey McKibbin, CEO at Consilio, and Robert Hicks, HR Director at Reward Gateway, in our session “Virtual Culture: The New Employee Experience ” at our Spotlight on Human Capital on August 5th. Save your spot today.