Executive Vice President, Americas at Invest Northern Ireland, the economic development agency for Northern Ireland.
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by Peta Conn
With remote working evolving from a perk to a necessity, it’s now just as important to recruit for flexibility in the face of change. We’ve witnessed multiple examples of resilient workforces thriving in Northern Ireland in 2020.
At the beginning of each week, think about two or three people you would like to reach out to, Mallick said. It doesn't have to be a video meeting if you have screen fatigue — you can send someone a text or a brief email to say hello. If you see an article that reminds you of that person, send it to them or consider sharing it and tagging them on LinkedIn, she said.
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quest for greater social justice in 2020 has fueled companies to reexamine their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, and they might take a page from Aflac’s commitment to a diverse workforce. In 2019, Aflac U.S. hired 729 new employees who were 58% ethnic minorities and 65% women — an increase of 20% and 16%, respectively, in comparison to 2018. Sixty-four percent of Aflac’s board members are ethnic minorities or women.
(Bpt) - During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are more willing than business executives to impose short-term economic pain for long-term gain, as trust in the government’s ability to make the world a better place has taken a plunge, as has environmental concerns.
Employers may have started offering telemedicine in recent years to keep the cost of care down, and the pandemic has helped drive employees toward remote medical treatment.
Indeed, 43% of employers polled by Aflac say they now offer telemedicine to their workers, up from 29% last year. The insurer polled 1,200 benefits decision-makers from June 12 through June 30.
If you wait until a crisis to build great culture, you'll be too late. Only time and consistency reveal genuine care and concern for employees—and they will, in turn, step up during hard times.
The public health crisis, economic downturn, a surge of racial tensions…2020 has been crisis upon crisis. Nothing this year is going according to last year’s expectations. It’s been a year of virtual meetings, agility and resilience and it’s times like these when you truly understand how brand strength is born of corporate culture.
At insurance company Aflac, CFO Max Broden says productivity went up initially. “Not having to commute meant people gained some time,” he explains. “We also probably have more water cooler talk in the office than is sometimes necessary from a productivity standpoint, and that went away.”
Business leaders today gain real-time insights from the core strategies of successful pioneers. Yet they might be surprised to learn that the most critical components include attention to company culture and positive citizenship, even from the earliest business phases.
Aflac, for example, is one company that proves these building blocks ensure people and companies not only weather the storm but also thrive when crisis hits.
Rich Gilbert, chief digital information officer, on how COVID-19 is allowing IT at the insurer to move full steam ahead on its innovation roadmap.
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Before COVID-19 became a reality, Aflac, the $23 billion insurance company, had embarked on a digital transformation. Launched in early 2019, “One Digital Aflac” would use technology to make it easier for customers to buy insurance, for the sales teams to sell into the marketplace, and for employees to deliver. “We built a whole portfolio around looking at our business from the customer lens,” says Rich Gilbert, senior vice president and chief digital information officer, who joined Aflac in January of last year.
Columbus-based insurer Aflac is the latest recipient of the goBeyondProfit Champion Award, which is awarded by a network of Georgia business leaders with the aim of spurring corporate giving and good acts.
The company’s primary philanthropic cause since 1995 has been fighting childhood cancer. Since that year, according to the company, Aflac and its independent sales agents have contributed more than $146 million to treatment and research for cures.
