Imagine the scenario, you are running one of the biggest business brands in the world, you are one of the top four companies in your field with a history that dates back centuries.

Then, due to a series of bad judgements that are highly publicised in the media, your reputation takes a battering, so much so that in some markets legislation is considered to prevent you having such a dominant role in the future. On top of these events, Covid-19 hits and you begin to see a potentially significant drop in your revenue, one that could lead to re-structuring and redundancies if it is not handled well.

Because of the Covid-19 crisis, most of your staff globally, now have to work remotely and this, in turn, has caused a massive shift in the way you operate.

As a result of all of these factors there have been a number of effects on the business:

• Your brand reputation and possibly its value has decreased
• You are losing clients
• It is now harder for you to attract the more profitable clients and projects
• You are less attractive to recruits who want a stable, trustworthy firm, who cares for its staff, clients and the community.

Then, on top of all of this you announce that you have developed a piece of facial recognition software that can track when employees are working if they are working remotely.

In my thirty years of working, part of that time was with some of the largest corporate businesses globally, the most productive teams I have been involved in have been those who have been trusted by their managers. In recent months, through the crisis, I have been fortunate to work with a number of businesses who, like many others, have adapted to remote working and have become “truly” flexible working” organisations. They have not had facial recognition software or login systems for their staff, instead they have communicated regularly with them, set  clear objectives for each week/period and asked given them the support they need to achieve these. This support has been technical and emotional, ensuring their staff are in the best frame of mind to deliver the best work.

Yes, there has been a period of adjustment and some people have struggled in the new circumstances. But by showing loyalty and trust in their staff, this has been repaid and in the majority of cases productivity has increased. Staff have found ways to adapt, some working early to avoid interruption by children and then working late to complete tasks. Others able to work a near normal day, using technology to continue their role seamlessly and often realising that working from an home avoids unnecessary wasted time.

So my question is this, would you give your best for someone who spies on you or would you work better for someone who trusts and supports you, I think I know the answer and I don’t have to spend a fortune on research to prove it.

It is worth having at look at the CSRA website. This accreditation scheme recognises organisations who continuously support the community through being socially responsible. A key element of the community being your staff.

If you want to know how to use a CSR strategy to engage your staff and improve your productivity without spying on them see what we can do to help or get in touch with me owen@s903234867.websitehome.co.uk