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The days of business as usual are long gone. Welcome to “business unusual” as the new normal.

In a world characterised by uncertainties, the world business environment is changing even faster. Take the past two years for instance. Businesses have had to rethink the requirements for success and competitiveness.

Pandemic shocks forced the tech industry to initiate a raft of measures, some that could have been regarded as a blessing in disguise, while others slowed down the gradual economic growth and business goals.

Companies have faced countless risks – from those associated with work from home models including cyber security, retention and fears other rival organisations just discovering the digital space approaching your best talents. Demand for tech staff was and still is at an all-time high.

Disruptions in global supply chains, cash-flow challenges, inaccurate reporting and an unclear measure of productivity and assessment also made up the list of high risks for businesses during and after the pandemic.

This eventful journey has shaken companies to the core. Like every other firm, we adopted the work from home model during the pandemic, but resolved to front our staff to drive innovation that was to turn things around. Because they are our biggest assets, we invested in them massively.

Having begun practicing flexi work pre-Covid, we had already gained some valuable lessons and experience in this. The often-overlooked aspect is the gap on physical connection between employees and how this can impact on not only the overall company performance but also on the individual’s well-being.

Even post-Covid, most firms that entrenched the flexi work model have not yet gotten right the aspect of keeping the human touch alive.

Whilst working from home, we have seen growing concerns and fears of job security and mental stability among our staff members due to uncertainties of stable cash flows and diminishing clientele. This in turn dims the morale and motivation to work which negatively impacts on productivity and work efficiency.

A study by Buffer in 2021 also shares this sentiment. It revealed that while up to 70 per cent of employees are happy with working from home, 20 per cent cite inability to successfully collaborate with team members for proper tasks management.

As a practitioner championing work-life balance, this is to say that things must be done differently to ensure business resilience and continuity, and encouraged staff members to reinvent ways of going about the murky changes in the sector and workplace.

On the part of management, periodic physical staff get-togethers and online sessions, for instance work well, financial health, health awareness and motivational talks sessions aimed at guiding teams on ways to achieve this much-needed balance.

To further help them go through this challenge and others like possible anxiety and depression when stationed at home, social breaks that take them off their normal routine should be considered.

Line managers must have one-on-one sessions with their staff members as we limit discussions just around work and focus on the individual staff well-being.

Coaching and mentorship sessions for the staff who are interested in the same also proved helpful, with an activated counsellor hotline, where a staff member in distress can call, and be linked to an online counsellor immediately.

— The writer is the Regional Head for Human Capital and Administration at Interswitch East Africa