​Getting back to normal! We’ve heard and talked a lot about that over the last few weeks; especially since the announcements of the government’s staged plans. But what does that mean for business and how we operate? What is the new normal?

Over recent weeks we have had an ongoing dialogue with a number of our clients, primarily to support them as they look to get back to productivity. However, what has become clear is that businesses, their target operating models and even their product and service offerings have changed significantly.

A major national retailer has seen their car battery replacements, which historically have been one of their sub-services, become one of their most in-demand product lines and have had to pivot their operating model to accommodate the demand. A food retailer has seen a 1000% increase in online orders and has had to rapidly review and adapt their current tech stack to meet the phenomenal increase in consumer demand. We have had countless conversations with clients who realise they now require different skills than before and results in the same question being asked by our clients. How do we get new talent onboarded into our business?

Different challenges have asked new questions of us. The new normal will mean changes to the way we operate and the skills needed to execute our business plans. As a service organisation I strongly believe that it is our responsibility to support our clients. We need to be there to help shape their new business models and support them in hiring and onboarding the best talent to overcome challenges and achieve success.

Personally, I think how the country as a whole, and certainly business, has responded to this crisis has been amazing. There is no manual for this (well I’ve never seen one). Being pragmatic, agile and most importantly positive has meant that businesses have navigated through this as effectively as possible and we are, hopefully, coming out of this with a functioning UK Plc.

I appreciate there is a long way to go, especially for some industries, but our ability to adapt and pivot to deal with the challenges has left me very proud of UK business.

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