Nordic Life Science 1
the world has been turned upside down and our wor
k practices have also been turned upside down. The virus has affected how we conduct meetings, how we discuss things with colleagues, how we network, absorb new knowledge – it has basically affected our daily work tasks, which are a huge part of our lives. According to Fredrik Anjou, CEO of consulting and recruitment advisory company PharmaRelations, there are variations in how the life sciences community has experienced the change in work practices, but he emphasizes the importance of gathering facts about the impacts. “To ignore the opinions of employees, especially given we already have a skill shortage in this industry, is potentially risky both from a retention perspective but also from the employer value proposition to the external market,” he says. “Companies must take the time to assess the impacts of remote work and how their employees really feel about the experience, and perhaps more importantly their expectations post-Corona. We envisage that many companies will adopt a hybrid model. It will be key to find the balance between the upsides of remote work whilst mitigating against risks associated with a loss of organization culture by offering opportunities for relationship-building at the office.” Slowly but surely, after the first shock of quickly shutting down offices, temporary workstations at dinner tables at home has become the new normal. This has led to a fast breakthrough of collaborative, digital tools. A global survey of executives by McKinsey (“How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point – and transformed business forever”) shows for example that the share of digital or digitally enabled products has accelerated by as much as seven years! The executives also stated that funding for digital initiatives has increased more than anything else – more than increases in costs, the number of people in technology roles, and the number of customers. The report summarizes that respondents recognize technology’s strategic importance as a critical component of the business, not just a source of cost efficiencies. When the respondents were asked why their organizations didn’t implement these changes before the crisis, just over half said that this wasn’t a top business priority. The crisis removed this barrier.