Dealing with Change
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. – Andy Warhol
At ADP, we know everyone is navigating new challenges as our work and lives change in response to COVID-19. We checked in with some of our clients to find out how they are doing, what they are dealing with, and how they are helping their organization's clients and associates.
We wanted to highlight some of the insightful and caring approaches our clients are taking and thank them for connecting with us and being an important part of our partnership to always be designing for people.
What has been most effective in helping your employees cope with changes in their work environment?
How do we help people deal with change when we are all trying to keep flying the plane as we build the new one? Finding more effective ways to communicate, helping associates feel safe with PPE and extra cleaning, and encouraging messages from senior leadership are helping us all keep going.
- We are trying to make sure they know we are there for them. – Keli Parish, HRIS Analyst, Daniel Defense LLC
- Our senior leadership does weekly "virtual wellness" chats with each department. This is our opportunity to ask questions and get information on the company. Shelly Jackson, Sr. Payroll Tax Accountant, ASRC Federal LLC
- Our Corporate Education Department has been doing "pop ups" over Zoom to get employees together. They also have put up chat boards for people to share recipes and binge lists for TV. – Danielle Ramos, Payroll & HRIS Manager, Multiplan
- Sending materials that ADP sends and keeping them updated on the laws and trying to keep them confident that we will do all we can to keep them working. – Tracey Thomas, Controller/CPA, Vehicle Logistics Solutions, LLC
- Flexible working hours, equipment support and communicating frequently about the company plans and successes. – Sarah Garcia, Director HR, DoubleDown Interactive
- Talking to people and letting them know they are appreciated and valued. – Joseph Barzizza, Global Payroll Manager, Cherwell Software
How has your use of technology changed as a result of the pandemic?
A few people said not much changed at all, because they were already working remotely. While we are very happy for them, most of us have had to learn at least one new app or program. Some of us were even pretty surprised and delighted.
- I was not a fan of video conference calls before the pandemic, but I have grown to see value in using them to connect with remote employees. – Scott Smith, Director of Human Resources, Tax Management Associates
- We have the ability to show executives we can complete most of our work remotely. – Christina Pasquarelli, Paralegal, Direct Holdings Global
- More employees using Zoom, saving all documents as PDFs and doing little printing. – Elisabeth Tran, HR and Payroll Specialist, Whitepages
- Instead of dual screen, I now just have a laptop. It sounds small, but it's big different. Amanda Spillman, HR Coordinator & Admin Assistant to COO, American Motorcyclist Association
- Everyone is now mobile clocking in and out even when they are working at the warehouse. – Crystal Leaver, HR Manager, M. Price Distributing Co.
- It has increased drastically. We are even looking at other ways we can implement technology into the office space and our break rooms. – Alyssa Kauffman, HR Manager, Monarch Steel
- I'm pretty sure I will have memorized everyone's Skype code before this is over. – Jodi Lloyd, Manager HRIS, TriMas Corporation
- Simply put, we use tech more, whether working virtually or staying connected. – Matt Jameson, Controller, Transport Clearings East
What is something you have learned to do or think about differently as a result of the pandemic?
Some people thought about this question practically. Others were more philosophical. From learning a new skill, hobby, or recipe to improving work processes, to renewing our appreciation for life itself, we loved these responses.
- Feeling thankful for what we have. – Gehlen Exum, Office Manager, Tempest Technologies
- How to work remotely – Randall Shoemaker, HRIS Analyst, RadNet, Inc.
- Make banana bread. I'm making it almost every week and sharing it with friends. – Cortney Hollinger, Special Projects & HR Manager, CLEAN Cause
- I'm happy that our leadership is re-thinking the idea of in-office visibility = productivity. Our HR team is hoping that once we are able to return to work leaders will continue to let people work from home when their job allows. It could be a huge cost savings for the company to need less in office space and resources. – Jessi Keller, Sr. Payroll Specialist, ACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
- We are rethinking some of the processes that involve a lot of paper and signatures. Going digital is a big cultural change, as well as undertaking to have the proper equipment and filing standards. This type of emergency is a bit of a wake-up call regarding those shifts. – Melissa Rauch, Payroll/Senior Accountant, Reformed Church in America
- Much more task-switching, much more quickly. – Jennifer Blaise, HRIS, Sheehy Auto Group
- I never worked from home before, and see that I can. – Anthony Nitte, Head of Human Resources, Vernon Area Public Library District
- Things can change in the blink of an eye. – Erika Migues, Training and Safety Coordinator, Better World Books.
And our favorite came as a poem:
People are important.
Health is important.
Take time for yourself.
– Denise Mangano, HR & Compliance Manager, Soundview Transportation
