HOW many conversations have you had with friends, family and colleagues in recent months where someone has said “I’m done with 2020” or “I just need to get to Christmas”?
Whatever line of work you’re in or stage of life you’re at, most of us can generally agree that 2020 has been a bit of a grind, a slow frustrating year of restrictions that has collectively worn us all down. Everyone hoped it would be over by now, but after navigating a full nine months of pandemic life, we could all use some room to breathe.
I’m fortunate to work in a business and a sector that has been able to keep growing through the crisis, with a team of people who have shown a fantastic attitude and capacity to adapt when faced with enforced hybrid or remote working.
But while our team has accepted the new environment and coped brilliantly, as a new year approaches, I’m conscious that we can’t just dive into 2021 doing more of the same.
In the first months of lockdown we focused on communicating with and looking after our people, which was the right thing to do. But now we need to inspire, enthuse and re-energise them for the year ahead.
To do that, I think we need to put big, aspirational goals back on the table again. To set new challenges and give our team the opportunity to put their hands up to make choices and decisions that influence our direction of travel. To be ambitious again!
This year, every business has been caught up in the day-to-day, rarely able to look too far ahead. Especially in hard hit sectors like hospitality or retail, who I know still face huge uncertainty and pressures. We’ve not been immune to the challenges, but the tech sector is in a position of relative strength and we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about growth.
I want to keep growing Bazaarvoice team in Belfast, but as an industry our aspirations also need to include doing more to actively help the wider community we’re part of.
One area we could focus on, is making a direct contribution to the reskilling needs of the local economy by providing opportunities for people whose place in the workforce is no longer as secure as it was in the past.
Many Northern Ireland employers are already supporting training schemes or academies to create new pathways into the industry, which is fantastic. I believe there’s potential to be more explicit about the skills we need and to create a regional academy to supply the industry, if employers are prepared to do it together, leaving the brand at the door. Employers of all sizes have experienced the squeeze on talent and such a scheme would be hugely beneficial to everyone in the current economic situation.
Ten years of unfettered growth mean the tech industry here is in a privileged position and our people are very well paid because their skills have been in such high demand. But as a consequence, there’s a risk that our knowledge workers could become a bit disconnected from the reality, where lots of people are losing their jobs. Getting out and practically contributing to society beyond the day job using the skills you have, gives people a new perspective and a clearer sense purpose.
And that’s really important to the young people now coming into tech who want to reach their potential in every sense. For the new generation it’s not just about the salaries and the gym memberships, the free food and the other perks. They care about an employer’s purpose. They want something bigger to get out of bed for in the morning.
If we’re going to do that, as we head into a new year, with all its challenges, we will all need to start thinking big again.
:: Seamus Cushley is Belfast site lead at Bazaarvoice
