Business leaders reveal insights for 2022
Wed, Feb 02, 2022
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In 2022, business leaders are still realizing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their work and teams. As work has shifted to digital environments, app alumni have had to be creative and flexible to meet their customer expectations and collaborate with kindness. Here’s an inside look at how alumni are responding in their respective industries.
What are the most significant changes you've observed or experienced in the nature of work in your organization/industry?
I work at a digital marketing agency, and we have gotten more work since the pandemic started. The pandemic forced everyone to go digital and we’ve had a lot on our plate helping business owners build an online presence. Due to this, we’ve been growing and hiring more than ever, and I think we’ll just keep growing.
— Maydi Hernandez ’18, Content Coordinator, Hite Digital
Fundraising has become more difficult as many non-profits rely on major donor events (e.g. galas) to raise a large percentage of their annual revenue. As a sector, I believe we are still working through what this means. Funders were willing to be generous during Year 1 of the pandemic, and we are not sure to what extent that will continue. Overall, I would say that the non-profit sector adapted quite well to the challenges brought on by the pandemic and benefited from the changes in technology. Still, technology resources in non-profits are not on par with for-profit companies. We struggle to afford the technology that a remote work environment and/or changing customer expectations requires.
— Michelle Van Dyke ’85, President & CEO, Heart of West Michigan United Way
People have new expectations about their workplace since they have experienced working out of their homes. People realize how "space" can affect their productivity/comfort/health/motivation/etc. People seek physical health and safety, but they need emotional/mental security as well. They want to know that they are in a safe environment when working. Leaders are now thinking about the overall employee well-being to help their people stay safe and feel safe.
— Yeaji Choi ’14, Dealer Business Manager, Steelcase Korea
The significant majority of work is done in home offices. This change in location changes the way of interaction. Face-to-face has been replaced by technology-enabled meetings (Webex, MS Teams, Zoom, etc.). While overall productivity appears to be consistent to pre-pandemic levels, we can see challenges in making sure our teams have good communication and feel connected to our culture as they navigate work-life balance challenges given pandemic pressures in people’s lives beyond “the workplace.”
Of course, much is being observed around what is being called the “great resignation.” This is a rapidly evolving landscape as workers adjust to pressures just mentioned, inflation pressures, and the opportunities created by talent and labor shortages. 2022 could be a very disruptive year in that regard.
— Mike Cok ’83, President, Foremost, Farmers Insurance
— Jeremy Louters ’03, Partner, Plante Moran
What significant changes have you personally made in your work and in your leadership?
I have placed even more emphasis on communication. Formal communication is following similar media, method and cadence as before. What is different is the priority and effort given to informal communication using remote connectivity to replace the “hallway” or ad hoc “drop in” conversations of the past. Beyond the method, I have focused on making sure I am authentic and available. That takes time and commitment. It is easy to get disconnected in today’s way of work.
— Mike Cok ’83, President, Foremost, Farmers Insurance
For years, I had been staunchly opposed to remote work. When it became inevitable (and the only option), I realized that we could be just as productive/more productive in this new environment. The challenge is how to keep the momentum of an engaging organizational culture when we are not physically together anymore and most have “Zoom fatigue.”
— Michelle Van Dyke ’85, President & CEO, Heart of West Michigan United Way
Culture is really important to me and by working from home it was a challenge to make everyone on the team feel part of something bigger, especially new hires! I’ve focused on providing as much feedback as possible and ongoing training to ensure that everyone is doing their work to the best of their abilities. Working remotely pushed me to be a better leader - focusing more on team morale. I started having “team-time” where we take a few minutes in the day to just chat, share how we’re doing, send memes, etc. This has not negatively affected productivity but has actually encouraged team members to feel more comfortable and stay engaged and close.
— Maydi Hernandez ’18, Content Coordinator, Hite Digital
Throughout the virtual work environment, I was actually able to check in with my team more than ever before. Historically, it was a challenge to find times when we were all in the office and able to connect. Now that we were able to do video meetings, it actually became easier to schedule quick “virtual coffee chats.” I’ve also embraced the additional flexibility that we now have in a mix of remote and in-person work.
— Jeremy Louters ’03, Partner, Plante Moran
There has been minimal business entertainment and the government has been discouraging social meetings. I also had to get creative in thinking about how to motivate business partners/dealers with limited face-to-face time.
— Yeaji Choi ’14, Dealer Business Manager, Steelcase Korea
What do you think the office and work environment once we're able to safely return will look like?
I think we will see more companies/organizations offering a hybrid model of work. It’s important to most employees to have the flexibility to work from home, yet critical to keep some face-to-face interactions, as needed to keep the culture “alive.” So as leaders, we will need to think through how to add value to these days in the office.
— Michelle Van Dyke ’85, President & CEO Heart of West Michigan United Way
We have a new policy “work for your day,” meaning that although we still envision a primarily in-person work environment, we recognize the need and ability for more flexibility and remote work. I feel like we’ll be better off with this increased flexibility, while still having the comradery and benefits of a more traditional office environment.
— Jeremy Louters ’03, Partner, Plante Moran
What will the workplace look like in the months and years to come? Learn more at app’s upcoming Executive Breakfast Series: The Future of the Office with Rob Poel, general manager of Retail-Americas with Steelcase.