RESILIENCE.
I’ve heard that word many times pre-Pandemic, but during the challenges of COVID19, I’ve seen it come up and again, and I think it should be used even more. My children have been resilient and have adapted to their new lifestyles. I am proud of my team at LLoyd who have shown me that they can take a few punches and still get back up in the fight. In fact, I have seen a spirit in people I that have not seen since the days of 9-11. Resiliency.
In business I am witnessing our clients, employees, contractors and candidates display consistent tenacity and resilience as they go about doing their jobs and trying to maintain a sense of purpose and normalcy. Some of our Medical Assistant Associates have decided to go back to work and take on assignments in antibody testing and in doing so, have forfeited their unemployment, but they have a desire to work and put their energy into a solution and for the greater good. Our LLLoyd IT Consultants have worked many long hours making sure both large and small companies had their systems and platforms up and running for remote accessibility allowing virtual processes to happen smoothly – often these IT associates spent full days and nights in offices to ease the functionality for our client companies.
I recently watched an interview with the CEO of Lowe’s, Marvin Ellison who put it all in perspective for me. He shared his company’s playbook for the return to work to all of his competitors and he said, “The only competition we have is the virus.” Lowe’s has remained open as an essential retailer during the pandemic; however, the store decided to close on Easter, one of the store’s major retail days, in order to give their staff a mental health day. Lowe’s still created almost 12% same store sales vs. estimates. Ellison’s words are inspiring and the interview is worth viewing; I encourage you to do so.
Every day my LLoyd team does an “Around the Horn” video meeting in Microsoft Teams and we share what we learned that day and the best thing that has happened to us. What I am hearing and have been most impressed with are that many of our client companies are not just pivoting (another hot word of the times), but are actually showing a resiliency for their businesses and their people. Companies have hired new employees on a virtual basis, and have created remote onboarding processes by bringing their new hires into Zoom calls and making them feel welcomed. A few companies have offered their workforces virtual mental health help, breaks and other types of support to individuals and their families. Even those industries where we see the most activity such as Technology, Life Sciences, Supply Chain and Healthcare have focused on creating a balance of resilience and accountability. They have leaning on their people to take on new roles and projects that are well outside of their comfort zones.
One CEO client told us, “This has become an opportunity to see my business, the industry and my team through a lens I have never used before.”
Stay tough my friends. Enjoy this holiday weekend with your families and let’s all be grateful we’ve made it to this stage of the journey. Here are some wise words to guide you, “When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” You may be surprised to know the person who said them is an old friend to all of us, Ted Geisel – best known as Dr. Seuss.
#resilience
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Banks, CSP, is the Executive Vice President of LLoyd Staffing. He leads the direct hire, executive search and contract talent communities of LLoyd. As one of the principals of the company, he continues to handle critical high level searches in verticals such as IT, Healthcare, Finance and more. He welcomes discussing how you can pivot your hiring processes to leverage exceptional talent and maintain a consistent and high performing workforce.