Accelerating change in the workplace

The pandemic has forced businesses to adapt to a new work environment and altered perceptions toward organisational change, according to Ruth Kremer, Head of Bank Project Portfolio Management at Banque Internationale à Luxembourg.

Modern communication tools are changing the way companies communicate with their clients and sell their services. How have you coped with these changes during the pandemic? The pandemic forced many companies to adapt to a new way of working. BIL is not immune. The abrupt switch to teleworking in early 2020 highlighted the importance of modern communication tools across all aspects of the business. For example, before the pandemic struck last year, I was recruiting people to join my team. Thanks to tools like Webex, we were able to continue this process unimpeded by carrying out interviews and assessments online. Instant messaging apps have also helped colleagues coordinate their work and stay in close contact.

But embracing technology is not always a smooth process. Teleworking was not something new to me. But for many colleagues, being away from the office was a big change. Contrary to popular belief, being young does not necessarily make you more amenable to teleworking. Succeeding in this new work environment is a question of mindset, not age.

Will an increase in modern communication tools lead to broader organisational changes? The pandemic has accelerated some largescale changes that were already underway before the crisis. For example, in 2019, we started a pilot that would allow 100 people to work remotely, with the intention of eventually rolling it out globally. Confronted with the new reality, we were able to break down barriers and find new solutions to give everyone the opportunity to work from home. It has also changed people’s perceptions toward change and demonstrated that anything is possible with a can-do attitude.

The pandemic has forced us to become more agile and future-proof. Adopting technology is not a process that begins and ends. It is a continuous adjustment. When we see things don’t work, we need to change them or modify them. This concept of continuous improvement is relatively new in today’s business world.

How have you personally adapted to the new situation? Since we switched to teleworking, I have been using my time more efficiently. The time I usually spend commuting to work is now time spent working on projects. I also feel more autonomous. For example, when I am in the office, I meet my team and interact with colleagues. But when I need somewhere quiet to strategise or prepare presentations, I can do this in a more conducive environment at home. This flexibility makes me more effective and happier.

“The pandemic has accelerated some large-scale changes that were already underway before the crisis.”