Rebuilding for a New Better
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Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Rebuilding for a New Better The Dublin Work Travel Convene Coalition March 2021 1 Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Contents Coalition Overview 3 Navigating Volatility on the Road to Recovery 10 Members 5 Business Leadership 11 Peter Brady, Introduction 5 Change Management 11 Managing & Mitigating Risk 12 Executive Summary 6 Accelerating Digital Transformation 12 Three core themes emerged 8 Cyber Security 13 Insights and Learnings 9 Building a Resilient Workforce 14 Communication & Leadership 15 Environmental, Health and Safety 15 HR Protocols 16 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 17 Preparing for the Future of Work Now 18 Future of Health & Wellbeing 20 Building a more Resilient Workforce for the Future 21 New Ways of Working 22 Role of the Office 22 Fostering Collaboration and Innovation 23 Conclusion 24 2 Coalition Overview The past year has undoubtedly been extremely challenging for society, governments and businesses. Leaders have had to address unprecedented challenges with no roadmap or historical data to assist them. Overnight, innovative strategies were devised to deal with imposed lockdowns which forced non-essential workers to work from home. This new operational environment and associated risks are raising numerous issues for organisations. The pandemic has triggered a real-time, real-life, critical experiment for all parts of society. Organisations in the public and private sector have had to create functioning, virtual offices overnight, while continuing to remain operational and effective, manage talent virtually, devise new wellbeing offerings to meet the changed remote working needs, while at the same time innovate, collaborate, recruit, manage redundancies and make decisions at an unparalleled pace. 3 Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Coalition Overview In Aon’s May 2020 paper Decision With that purpose in mind, in August Making In Complex & Volatile Aon brought together over 100 leading companies, across four continents from 10 Times: Keys to Managing COVID-19 major cities and a broad range of sectors, to FRAM TIME E 1 we referenced ‘The Black Swan share knowledge and explore some of the Decision Framework’ and outlined issues we were facing. three distinct timeframes for R In Ireland, Aon set up a Coalition made up ES Aon’s COVID-19 Crisis Management P of leading Irish based employers and Ibec, T O Ireland’s largest business representative C N Model — React and Respond, D group, to explore their perspectives on the A Recover, and Reshape. 4 E dynamic shift that was taking place across R their operations. By Q2 2020 most organisations had Workforce navigated the React and Respond phase. The Coalition’s aim was to investigate and It was at this point they found themselves understand the challenges the pandemic and Business at a crossroads – looking to the future and had required organisations to face, and to Resilience wondering what next. At a global level Aon share current and developing arrangements as they planned for the safe return to decided to examine the issues that were R R T E being faced by all worldwide, explore how workplaces – with dynamic and evolving I E M V we could learn from each other and share timelines. The Coalition also aimed to S 2 E H O solutions to navigate three fundamental explore the sustainable approach required F A EC E R P R M areas of the economy: Working, Traveling to managing and rewarding a remote A E A and Convening. workforce and preparing for the future of M R E EF work in a post pandemic environment. 3 TI M 4 Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Coalition Overview We were delighted to be joined by Coalition members from Accenture, AIB, Aon, A&L Goodbody, Bord Bia, Citi, KPMG, ICON plc, Irish Life and Ibec as we carried out this important work over the The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that past number of months. We would like to thank them all for their organisations around the world have had to tackle involvement and valuable contributions. a set of once-in-a-lifetime challenges. Building resilience against other massive unexpected risks is a complex process – but one that can be achieved by convening people, ideas and outlooks. What follows is a collection of insights and learnings that can help define and navigate the path forward to a new better. Peter Brady, Chief Executive Officer Commercial Risk Solutions, Health Solutions & Affinity, Aon 5 Executive Summary The global COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how we are living and working in extraordinary and unprecedented times. The decisions made during this crisis by organisations in both the public and private sectors – no matter their size, location or industry – carry immense weight. Every organisation in the world is reacting to this unparalleled challenge. The Coalition’s aim was to investigate and understand the challenges the pandemic had led organisations to face and to share current and developing arrangements as they planned for the safe return to workplaces – with dynamic and evolving timelines. The Coalition also aimed to explore the sustainable approach required for managing and rewarding a remote workforce and preparing for the future of work in a post pandemic environment. 6 Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Executive Summary At the time of launching the While the Coalition work started out as a Coalition in August 2020, Aon’s discussion about the return of workforces Fourth Global COVID-19 Pulse to offices safely, in response to the evolving At the time of launching the Coalition, Leo Varadkar, TD, Tánaiste and situation with the pandemic, it evolved Survey showed that 6 out of 10 and quickly became a discussion around Minister for Business, Enterprise and Jobs welcomed its formation organisations thought that less designing and managing an agile and and acknowledged that companies working together and sharing than half their workforce would resilient workforce – regardless of where information was a necessary strategy for the unchartered territory return to the office in the next they are located. that organisations were facing. At the time of launch the Tánaiste said: 3-6 months and just 30% thought Resulting from this collaboration, this report the majority of the workforce has been compiled by Aon to bring together would return to physical locations the insights and learnings which have come “COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the way within 12 months. As cases of from the experience of the past year. we work and will continue to present really difficult COVID-19 across Ireland started to challenges for businesses as they navigate the next rise again additional restrictions were re-introduced which forced few months. It’s great to see companies working organisations to delay plans for the together on how they are managing these challenges return to office with the timeline and sharing information on what has worked best”. becoming increasingly less clear. 7 Dublin Work, Travel, Convene Coalition • Rebuilding for a New Better Executive Summary To help frame discussions Aon Three core themes emerged through these sessions: carried out bespoke Return to Work Assessment Surveys with Coalition members. This 1. Navigating volatility colleagues not just through this challenging This changed environment will have quantitative assessment focused on the road to recovery phase but on into a post pandemic future. significant implications on the future role of on numerous operational areas Communication is also vital and senior the physical office which will no longer be that needed to be considered leaders will be required to communicate a single place of work, but rather a space to There is a need to place added emphasis before bringing employees back the values that shape a company’s culture facilitate collaboration and spark innovation. on identifying new areas of risk within while line managers will play an ever to the physical workspaces in businesses and put in place strategies which more important role in understanding The findings and insights gathered through a safe way. The assessment mitigate future challenges. Companies and addressing the individual needs of will need to continue embracing digital the work of the Coalition can help to inform included themes ranging from employees. transformation at speed, so they have the decision making by organisations of all sizes, crisis and recovery management ability to maintain a remote workforce into across all industries - using them to inform and communications; the future. In support of this, enhanced 3. Preparing for the how they map out their risk management strategies, the future of work for their environmental, health and safety cyber security training and modern privacy Future of Work Now guidelines will need to be put in place. workforce whether they are navigating the issues to human resources return to office space, a hybrid approach or considerations, to security and The Future of Work is quickly becoming a the continuation of a remote working model. risk management. reality. This has been confirmed recently 2. Building a Resilient with the publication of the National Remote Working Strategy which could see remote In parallel, Coalition members Workforce working becoming a preference for many in took part in three virtual the years to come. This emerged as a core business priority roundtable discussions under the and will become ever more prevalent From individualised approaches to umbrella theme of Work, Travel as organisations restructure how and management and nurturing evolved models and Convene. where their employees work. Initially this of leadership through to the integration will require additional training for team of remote hiring and onboarding within leaders on effectively managing employees a company’s HR practices, organisations remotely, monitoring productivity, are already involved in a process of maintaining employee engagement and transformation.