3 minute read
HR in a COVID world – email for all
With over one-third of its 1,000 employees not having New Zealand Automobile Association (NZAA) email accounts nor access to company computers, NZAA found itself without a universal method of communicating to each employee directly at the time of the 2020 COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. Human Resources magazine looks at what the organisation did to turn this around.
NZAA is an incorporated society that provides various services to its members, including breakdown services, vehicle repairs, driver licensing, insurance and finance. The organisation has over 1,000 employees country-wide, across several different sectors.
When New Zealand went into lockdown last year, the NZAA encountered a unique dilemma, it found itself without a universal method of communicating directly to its employees.
In response to this unique situation, the People Experience (PX) team created new technology initiatives to respond to legislative requirements, organisational processes, employee engagement activities and communication needs, all under significant time constraints.
Implementation
As New Zealand moved through the different COVID-19 response levels, the need to stay connected in realtime on health, safety, wellbeing, pay, employment and remote working issues was essential. Government requirements around the Wage Subsidy Claim and Safe Working Declarations also required verifiable information, acknowledgment and consent from each employee. Furthermore, the annual performance review, scheduled to start during lockdown, was hosted on technology that required access to the NZAA’s network: the usual process and system was not going to be a viable option.
Working remotely, the PX project team and wider PX group collaborated to create different solutions based on need: from design to testing, piloting through to execution. They sought support and feedback from other relevant stakeholders around the business, including the Communications and Health and Safety teams. The organisation formed a COVID response committee early in 2020, and members played a collaborative role in implementing the solutions.
The PX project team used the existing onboarding system Enboarder, re-engineering it to account for each new process and its requirements. This involved the manipulation of workflows, data, logic, communications and sequences. Three separate workflows were created, which enabled real-time communication to be sent to relevant people as and when required.
The design basis was a timeline methodology, and content focused on remote working, use of technology, learning, wellbeing and keeping in contact. The design allowed NZAA to reach all of its people either via AA emails or personal emails with relevant, timely and essential information.
The design also included an automated process where managers and the PX project team could follow up with all people. The main design element was that everyone needed access to information, to execute and validate processes, be it remotely or onsite.
The PX project team compiled a comprehensive list of email addresses (personal and NZAA) from various sources to create a workable distribution list. The data was extrapolated into different categories and bulk uploaded into Enboarder. Once this was triggered, NZAA’s people would receive messages on a daily, weekly or ad hoc basis unique to their workflow.
The content was fluid and adaptable, and timelines shifted if required. Tailored communications were sent to different divisions, managers, employees, remote workers and essential workers.
Impact
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, NZAA did not have a system in place to reach its 1,000-plus employees. This new method tailored communications to specific employees (remote workers, essential workers and managers), keeping them up to date on relevant topics. NZAA’s COVID-19 Pulse Check showed the effectiveness of the system designs and initiatives. Ninety per cent of NZAA’s people stated they were aware of the health and safety requirements, showing how effective the re-engineered communication process was.
The PX project team took Enboarder to a new level by using the system for annual reviews, a first for Enboarder in any company. The review process shifted from being manual to an automated exercise. Everyone completed their review on the same tool and received prompts and information from Enboarder along the way. Furthermore, the new process meant a centralised system for managers and employees to use.
Feedback from managers on this exercise and other initiatives during lockdown was positive, and the team is proud of what it has achieved in such a short timeframe and while working remotely.
