Business View Magazine | October 2020

16 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 POWER QUEST ION because their employees won’t be focused if they’re at home working. But we’re finding it’s very much the opposite. I have employees tell me that they’re working at home without a home office, they’re working at the kitchen table. But at night, they’re just working because it’s better than TV. “So just from the convenience factor from the amount of time saved in commuting, and expenses, and tolls, it’s a win-win. And that’s what we’re about. One of our core values is ‘together we win’ and that applies not only to customers and the company itself, but to all of our employees, as well.” David Marovich, President & CEO of 121 Financial Credit Union: “I don’t think we’ll revert 100 percent back to the way we once were. I believe that we will continue to have a larger segment of remote employees. I think, in some ways, it’s almost a benefit to the employee. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical, at first, when we were going to do it. I will say that I almost would tell you that productivity from a lot of those employees has increased by them being remote. I was shocked at how well we were able to transition and our membership didn’t miss a beat. “For those people that were working remote, they’re still taking care of members. Our members don’t see a difference in the level of service; if anything, it’s increased. We do net promoter scores, and all of our branches, and our contact center – those numbers went up during the pandemic. So, I would say, that we will see a switch, going forward.” Jay VanOrden, CEO of Worldwide Supply: “The industry is undergoing a crunch in terms of companies’ challenges in trying to build out their networks to support the remote workforce. It came in a couple of waves; right after the pandemic, there was a real push to get companies up immediately, and now that they’ve been able to take a breath, we’re starting to see the next wave of planning and strategic thought behind how they move forward in a different manner. “I think we’re going to see a new norm as we go forward. It’s opened companies’ eyes to the fact that they don’t have to have these large office spaces and buildouts, and that they can effectively communicate and manage workforces remotely. I think that will be the new norm past the COVID era. Once we’ve got this behind us, I don’t think you’ll see things go back exactly the way they were.”