Companies across the world have been faced with the challenge of adapting to the precarious global situation, forced to modify their working methods. AKIN is no different. Over the past couple of months, we have made numerous changes to ensure the safety of our constituents without compromising our ability to deliver effective marketing strategies to our clients.
Implementing a fully WFH policy Flexibility in our company policies has allowed AKIN to respond quickly and effectively to the pandemic. This includes implementing a fully work from home (WFH) policy for all employees that will last until the end of 2020 while providing them with full technical support, such as additional periodic virtual check-ins (weekly standups, biweekly coaching sessions, monthly founder check-in, quarterly company reviews) and new tools for virtual meetings and scheduled social time to keep our team engaged and happy. We recognise that remote work is not just a short-term fix to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also is our commitment to increased employee autonomy.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Working from home affects every employee differently so we hold open conversations with each individual employee to offer a range of options for flexibility, including adjustment of work hours and the option to take time off during working hours to attend to their personal responsibilities. Additionally, we worked with two external HR consulting partners, TalentKraft and EngageRocket, to make sure that employee engagement and well-being are being measured during the COVID-19 period and adequate feedback channels are provided for employees to voice out potential concerns in these trying times.
Fostering transparency with employees At AKIN, we believe that investing in our people is the cornerstone of delivering true impact for our clients and their businesses. We launched a structured response to the pandemic and organised short-to-mid term planning town halls every 3 months. We are committed to fostering trust and communicating transparently to our employees, which is crucial to allaying employees’ fears and uncertainty. For example, we held a Town Hall in which we communicated the company’s financial health very openly. We’ve also pledged to keep all 21 of our staff working full hours at full pay without any layoffs during this period of COVID-19.
Engaging in collaborative efforts to drive positive change We are also dedicated to supporting other businesses during this time. We launched Plugs & Sockets, a not-for-profit barter-exchange initiative led by the team at AKIN. It is a community comprising SMEs requiring help with business issues (The “Plugs”), and those with resources to assist other SMEs in need (The “Sockets”). We are devoted to providing one meaningful connection to each SME that signs up.
As an SME tiding through these trying times, we know how hard it can be to continue growing your business and increasing visibility. To combat this, we’ve leveraged Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews platform to set ourselves apart. We’ve also been featured on The Manifest, a business how-to blog where buyers can look through business projects . We also know that engaging different stakeholders within a dynamic ecosystem is the best way to co-create for good and solve pressing problems. We understand the importance of building meaningful connections and believe that every organisation has something valuable to offer to the community.
Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash AKIN also aims to tap into the different business partners in our arsenal, including private-government-NGO/NPO leaders from Mckinsey, SAP, and Grab to ensure the needs of every SME that signs up is met. We received 5 signups in the first 10 hours across a varied number of industries. Tapping on our expertise as an integrated marketing agency, we also carried out a few pro-bono projects for other businesses.
Whether you need a marketing partner or a digital strategy expert, AKIN is the partner that will get you and your business through these unprecedented circumstances. We hold true to our company's values of bringing real impact by partnering with you, get started by dropping us a mail at oh@helloakin.com.
Written by Miranda Yeo
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