1Huddle’s 3-Step Plan for Reopening Businesses

With vaccine rollout well underway and a federal plan in place to vaccinate all Americans by the end of May, companies across the country are getting ready to reopen after a year of restrictions and business closures.

So what should businesses be doing now to make sure they are ready to safely reopen in the coming months? After talking with clients from every vertical across the globe, we have put together a three-step reopening plan to help businesses in every industry prepare to reopen and succeed in the future of work. 

Here are 1Huddle’s three recommendations for getting back to work and preparing for any future disruptions so that your company is ready to handle whatever the future of work has in store:

1. Restart work plan

One of the most important things companies can do to succeed long-term is to invest in human infrastructure technology to onboard, upskill and reskill workers quickly. 

Over the past year, millions of workers have been laid off, and nearly half of all workers who lost their job during the pandemic still haven’t secured a new one, according to Pew Research. This means that once the economy starts to recover and hard-hit industries are able to reopen, there will be an unprecedented, massive need to hire, onboard, and reskill workers who have lost their jobs. Even companies who haven’t had to layoff workers will find themselves needing to reskill their current employees, as the World Economic Forum’s latest Future of Jobs Report found that half of all employees around the world will need reskilling by 2025.

Plus, the downsizing of HR teams due to the pandemic has resulted in weak infrastructure that would put companies at a disadvantage to re-onboard workers quickly and effectively. That means investing in a people-focused technology tool that allows businesses to continuously and effectively train, onboard, and level up their employees is a necessity for every organization that wants to get back into the game and effectively prepare for any future disruptions.

2. Work together plan

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not new topics. However, as Black Lives Matter became a mainstream social movement over the past year, many organizations throughout America pledged to invest their resources, time, and energy into making meaningful strides on DEI. 

Moving forward, companies need to prioritize making cultural initiatives—like ongoing DEI training and implicit bias curriculum—an ongoing staple that all workers continuously engage in rather than a one-time event. Companies who succeed in the future of work will be the ones that take continuous action to make their workplaces and communities more equitable, because they understand that workers care about social impact and DEI.

Right now, Gen Z makes up more than 40% of the working and consumer population. And recent studies find that 86% of young workers would consider taking a pay cut to work at a company whose mission and values they believe in. This is a stark contrast from previous generations of workers, and it’s important for workforce leaders to understand that the workers of tomorrow value a company’s mission and social responsibility above all else. While only 9% of baby boomers say they would take a pay cut to work at a mission-driven organization, young workers are changing the game. 

In fact, 76% of millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments before deciding where to work, and 64% of millennials won’t even take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate responsibility practices. Before you dismiss millennials’ opinions and concerns about these issues, it’s important to remember that by 2025, 75% of the workforce will be millennials.

So if you want to recruit and retain top talent in the years ahead, prioritizing DEI and social impact is integral for your organization’s success. Workers are not going to stop caring about these issues, and it’s companies’ responsibility to show workers that they care too, and that they are actively working to create equitability and progress every day. 

3. Work from anywhere plan 

Working from home is a new skill set that people didn’t have before the pandemic. 

Companies need to leverage this new skill by being more flexible between on and off time and extending the workplace flexibility from the past year into a permanent fixture that defines the future of work. 

Working from home has its challenges, but there is one aspect of teleworking that has proven to be incredibly beneficial for all employees: increased workplace flexibility. A recent Deloitte survey of 1,000 workers found that 94% of workers say they would benefit from more workplace flexibility. Workers say this increased flexibility would reduce stress, improve their mental health, and provide for a better integration of work and personal life. 

And if your company plans to make your workforce more flexible in the coming years, then it’s essential to invest in a mobile-first technology that gives workers the freedom to take ownership over their own development. As remote and hybrid teams become more commonplace, ensuring that your workers have the resources to win at work anytime, anywhere will become a necessity. 

By investing in workplace technology that lets workers engage from anywhere, you also give your employees more autonomy and encourage workers to spend their time in the way that’s most effective for their unique needs and circumstances. 

1Huddle’s work from anywhere plan is part of a greater need; The pandemic has proven that we need to future-proof our companies rather than just trying to stay afloat if we are going to succeed the next time a major disruption hits—which it will.

Where do I start?

If you’re serious about safely reopening your business, preparing for long-term success, and  fighting to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future of work, then it’s time to implement 1Huddle’s three-step reopening plan. 

But before you do, we challenge you to take part in 1Huddle’s RAISE Every Worker scorecard, which will let you know if your organization is on the right track to creating a more prepared, more connected, and more equitable workforce. Knowing where you stand now will help you identify which areas to focus on going forward. So if you’re ready for the challenge, then take part in our RAISE Every Worker scorecard now.