{"id":9982,"date":"2021-08-18T11:36:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T10:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=9982"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:38:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:38:46","slug":"small-business-employers-lessons-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/small-business-employers-lessons-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"4 lessons small business employers can learn from the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrends & Insights<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t4 lessons small business employers can learn from the pandemic\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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As restrictions ease, many of us might find ourselves automatically returning to the routines of our pre-pandemic lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some of these habits and ways of thinking are welcome, others are ripe for change. It\u2019s important to recognise that we don\u2019t have to pick up exactly where we left off before coronavirus. The pandemic taught employers many lessons about work and it\u2019s important not to forget them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four of these lessons, which we cover in this article, are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on results, not the schedule<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are more than our work<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay flexible<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology can improve your workplace wellbeing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free guide, 7 ways to take control of your business, and take steps now to master your business admin <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Focus on results, not the schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the pre-pandemic work world, it sometimes seemed that more focus was placed on presence in the office and looking busy versus results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many workplaces, those in upper management were treated like grown-ups. But trust in an employee\u2019s ability to work without oversight diminished with each step down the organisation chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her recent presentation for TED Salon<\/a>, Patty McCord, the former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, says that if the great home-working experiment taught us anything, it\u2019s that many workers can be productive even without the boss constantly looking over their shoulders. Everyone in a company is an adult, not just upper management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is great news for managers and employees alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managers no longer have to monitor people by walking by their desks to see who is working. Instead, they can put the focus where it should be, on results. This change in attitude can reduce anxiety for the employer and employee alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an employer, you can have more confidence in your employees, who in turn feel better about their jobs because they are trusted. They can stop trying to look busy and instead focus on completing their tasks in the most effective way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are more than our work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the pandemic you probably saw numerous live interviews carried out over videoconferencing tools such as Zoom or Teams where the interviewee was suddenly interrupted by their child bursting into the room<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you\u2019ve experienced something similar, though on a less public scale, during your own video meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one Sky news reporter said: “That\u2019s what happens during lockdown.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These disruptions, though inconvenient and a bit embarrassing, have served to make you aware that your employees have lives outside of work that you were not always aware of when you only saw them in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video meetings that helped keep businesses running during the pandemic have also humanised us and make us realise that there is more to our employees than work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going forward, try to remain empathetic with and understanding of them by remembering these four tips:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n