COVID-19 has irrevocably changed and affected our lives. Nothing will ever be the same again. There will always be a "before" and "after" coronavirus.
Whether it’s in our interactions with our loved ones or with strangers we are starting to be wary off, the way we occupy our time, our children and our pets who are not used to seeing us at home all the time, through our shopping and spending habits (toilet paper, anyone?), everyone must adapt to the ramifications of this global pandemic.
Faced with unprecedented challenges, but also because of government instructions, many companies have been forced to slow down, or even to completely shut down their activities - temporarily or perhaps even permanently, unfortunately, for many – resulting in many consequences for executives and their employees. While some are dealing with the reality of having their regular sources of income taken away, others are struggling to adjust to the sudden transition to isolated and remote work.
At Cognibox, we are among the privileged ones where the leaders quickly put a plan and measures in place to continue operations while ensuring the health and safety of its employees. It was important for management to maintain its activities in order to offer services not only to its clients, hiring organizations and contractors, but also to all companies needing support to cope with this health crisis. As an employee, one can only admire all the efforts made to help all the businesses and the community, without asking for financial compensation. We have put human well-being ahead of profit.
As if that were not enough, in addition to enjoying financial and work stability in these times of great stress, Cognibox leaders are doing everything in their power to keep their teams motivated, engaged and productive. They show a genuine concern for their employees by looking out for their best interests. Thus, since the beginning of the confinement, several actions have been taken allowing for constant communication with them. With the help of our internal Teams tool and the Zoom platform, we stay in touch and have been able to benefit from several opportunities to communicate, among others by:
- Weekly company update meetings every Wednesday
- A virtual beer every Friday afternoon to catch up with employees
- Daily exercise challenges launched by our CEO
- Web conferences presenting the different departments and their current and future projects
- Professional development opportunities through various online training courses
- Gift of five local maple products delivered to employees
- Secure delivery of IT hardware and office furniture
- Prevention and safety tips on COVID-19
- An internal Hackathon on COVID-19
- Humorous videos by our conference speaker François-Eugène Grégoire
- Lunch'n fly lunches where an employee presents one of his/her travel experiences
Admittedly, employees who work remotely are more likely to be distracted. From crying children to social media, to doing a small load of laundry, with no one watching what you do during the day, it is easy to become disengaged and distracted from work. Through recognition, trust and tokens of appreciation offered by the leaders of Cognibox, we can only feel pampered and want to do more for such a great company.
Furthermore, what great pride we have of a CEO who represents us so well and honours us with his leadership, his kindness, his generosity, and his great wisdom!
