The overall theme of the conference was Re-Imagine, Re-Position, and Re-Create, with the focus on turning ideas into real action.
Below are the top three takeaways from this year’s event.
1. The talent war is everywhere. Throughout the conference there was discussion of finding and attracting talent, including how to compete with the Big Four and what we do at the university level. As the pandemic continues, firms are also grappling with new ways of engaging. In a recent McKinsey study, over 50 percent of respondents stated that they’d like to work from home at least three days per week. These preferences have huge implications not only for office culture but also for the ways we recruit new talent. The way we work is changing, and firms need to address those changes proactively to secure the talent they need to thrive in the post-pandemic world.
Similarly, allorganizations should be discussing resilience and mental health. Even the strongest firms have team members who live alone or feel stressed, burned out, and unsure of what the future will bring. While this issue is universal across all countries, McKinsey’s recent survey indicated that organizations with clearer communication are seeing positive impacts on employee well-being and productivity. Taking time to clearly articulate policies and communicate about the future can do a world of good for the well-being of your staff.
2. Opportunities abound. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, there is a variety of new opportunities. It’s encouraging to see some firms continuing to look for ways to grow.
And to catch opportunities, and keep growing, Re-Imagine, Re-Position, Re-Create is exactly what GSiA’s Management decided in 2020, while the pandemic was troubling the entire world, by creating Shine Global as a subsidiary with another positioning on the market.
3. The firm of 2019 will NOT be the firm of 2022. We’ve been in a two-year pause. Over the last year, we’ve been saying that the firms who have stayed on top of their 3 Ps (Process, Product, People) have managed through the pandemic very well, while those who haven’t kept up on technology are still providing manual compliance services and struggling to figure out work-from-home strategies. But the reality is, all firms have had to manage through the pandemic.
Even as we plan for the future, some firms have partners talking about going back to the old ways. The old ways are gone. Working from home and integrated hybrid relationships are here to stay. Those firms who embrace that change will thrive. Those who fight it will struggle. The pandemic has taught us a ton, and we need to turn those lessons into opportunities.
Thanks for reading!