Improving employee experience and productivity during the pandemic

In only a few months this global pandemic has changed our lives in ways we could not have seen or imagined before. The financial services industry is playing a pivotal role in supporting businesses and citizens to weather the storm through the crisis. It is critical that banks maintain service continuity, while accommodating stay-at-home orders and physical distancing for their workers. It is challenging. Prior to March 2020, financial organisations knew that digital transformation was critical to delivering a better customer experience and operational efficiencies, with many initiatives already underway. However, there was not the urgency that there is now. Post-March 2020, customers will be looking to run their financial life through apps and online banking. These applications will be developed and supported by employees and contractors working from home. In fact, most financial service sector employees at the present time are now working from home. These seismic shifts precipitated by the current situation are unlikely to reverse any time soon. Given that employees working from home is the new normal, how does the financial service industry ensure its workers are productive and engaged? In February 2020, pre-pandemic, Citrix surveyed managers and employees across all sectors in the UK to understand the relationship between the employee experience and productivity. The research revealed 47 per cent of managers in financial services believe their organisation is working at maximum productivity compared to only 27 per cent of employees.