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The pandemic was a challenge for most because they had to change the systems they were used to because of the new rules and requirements. One of the most significant changes that took place was the Government implementing changes that had many people staying indoors to reduce the spread of the virus. Companies that had rules and structures were now facing a list of changes that were taking place.
People could no longer meet in person for the most part and had to lean on the internet and other changes that were taking place. Companies started allowing their staff to work from home or remotely to stay safe from the virus. They also changed the way they coordinated and started working with everything over the internet. People had their internal meetings virtually and were even using the internet when coordinating with clients. More than 25% of companies got rid of their offices and were now functioning remotely. Furthermore, there were some companies that were hiring on a long term remote contract and people were working with companies that were in other states or countries. Companies were now hiring the best that they could find across the board and did not not have to pick from those staying as close to the office as possible.
Gathering information about the pandemic
The pandemic was nothing like anyone had seen before. There were changes taking place, and they were unsure about how they were going to adapt. Even the measures coming about to protect people from the Coronavirus were challenging because no one knew how to adapt. Everyone was acting based on the information that they were receiving at the time. After informing everyone about wearing masks and maintaining social distance, the exact specifics were unknown, whether it was a requirement or not, and changes were not always fully established. They were learning and updating their information regularly with details about the number of people infected and the effects on other countries.
However, there was an impact, and less than a month later, the WHO declared it a global pandemic. The rush was on to find a cure in what would later be the fastest vaccine ever created.
A year later, there were a few companies around the world who created a vaccine. Now the authorities were working on getting the world population vaccinated to contain the spread of the virus.
The news when reporting the pandemic
Everyone wanted to be the first to pass on any information about the virus. Whether it was breaking news or Whatsapp groups talking about their understanding of the virus. Going through news about Coronavirus or the functioning of newsrooms was challenging and overall quite depressing because they were spending as much time as possible focusing on the negatives of the virus. Most channels had a giant ticket that would display the number of people infected with the virus or who passed away from the virus. They would update the number every day which although informative was quite negative, and the audience was looking for a chance.
Not to mention that most people could not leave their homes or socialize with one another. The changes they were going through were quite harsh, and they could not interact with their therapists or anyone else. As social beings, it was important for people to have the ability to talk to one another, and the fact that they could not meet one another was quite challenging for mental health across the board. Overall, websites, platforms, and various organizations provided them with information and allowed them to talk and communicate if they needed assistance.
People were spending their time interacting with one another remotely. They coordinated with their friends and workmates across the board and could only handle this online instead of in person. Additionally, online streaming was becoming a lot more popular than it ever was. YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon had more shows than ever before, and they were working with these to keep their audience engaged.
The changes to company processes
Companies were unsure about how they were going to get through processes that were second nature to them. For the longest time, they had worked on creating structure and getting their teams to be the most efficient, but now they were unsure how they would work with those because they had to reinvent the wheel. Unfortunately, some of the changes meant that people could no longer maintain a work-life balance because they were working from home, and there were always challenges. There would be errands and other difficulties that were popping up when they were at home. People were now scheduling their meetings at odd hours, including a lot later in the day.
They created a lot of processes that were uncommon in the past. With the easing up of restrictions, companies wanted to make sure they were bringing in people who would not spread the virus and could be safe to work with. In many countries, if someone was fully vaccinated, they no longer had to follow many of the rules they were following through the pandemic. Companies were working on the same rules and had their staff vaccinated so that they did not have to wear masks in the office. People applying for a new position in a company had to provide a vaccination certificate before beginning working for a company.
Additionally, there were other requirements they had to get through, with another important one providing a background check, needed to make sure they did not have a criminal record. Background checks were a company requirement when hiring people. They had to make sure they knew their staff and that they were safe to work with. Depending on the job requirements, they had to provide a more detailed report and criminal record check. There were various third-party websites and platforms they had to get through to receive one. These would coordinate with departments to make sure they provided the best, in detail report with all the information. There wasn’t a mandatory requirement to get through the background check but there were studies that showed that it would increase the chances of someone getting hired at a company.
