The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on all branches of business and has significantly affected the Global Business Services environment and the way processes are executed. Is it possible that we will return to business models that worked well before? This was the question a group of experts tried to answer during a webinar organised by the international consulting firm Deloitte.
The need for employees to work remotely, the optimisation of processes and the growing importance of customer experience is imposing new, higher standards that companies need to meet in order to deliver services at the right level of quality while remaining cost-effective. Such findings were presented during the webinar.
72% of C-level executives operating in the shared services sector attending the webinar responded that they will need less office space than they planned before Covid, and 23% will stay with their pre-Covid plans. This is also supported by research from Deloitte, which shows that the future is a hybrid: interpersonal work in the office and deep work at home. However, most companies are planning to get rid of office space because the cost of real estate has become an issue for them.
When asked what HR challenge do you expect to face in the next 12-18 months? Webinar participants responded:
- Recruitment and acquisition of new colleagues – 10%
- Maintaining motivation levels – 33%
- Retaining top talent – 19%
- Maintaining well-being of colleagues – 9%
- Upskilling employees for future critical skills – 28%
Also, the results of the latest Business Environment Assessment Study (BEAS) show that the pandemic has not only failed to reduce the readiness for new investment compared to the previous 2019 survey, but has actually strengthened it, with 91% of respondents saying they will make new investments in the coming years and 67% creating new jobs because of it.
During the customer experience (CX) part, the results of the Global Shared Services Survey Report were presented, showing that customer experience is not just a trendy word, but directly affects cost efficiency, fast customer service or high quality of services provided by Global Business Services.
A video recording of the webinar is available.