We really focused on how to communicate during the pandemic. It has brought us closer and allowed us to use the tools we have even more efficiently. All our meetings and trainings moved virtual. We hold the same weekly meetings we would have in the office, and it’s good to see each other weekly and hear how people are doing. I’m thankful for how we were set up before the pandemic with our internal technology; it made the transition smoother and allowed us to keep up with one another and our clients well. It was a change of pace, but that soon became the new norm.

– Jake Thaxton, Director of Client Services at SIS

Although many of our weekly touchpoints were virtual before COVID, the change pushed us to be more efficient with planning and time management. We adapted to prepare even earlier for presentations and discussions since we can no longer walk to each other’s offices for quick insights before a client conversation.

The retail segment was hit especially hard by the pandemic. Our team has worked closely with our in-house CRM and marketing departments to ensure we’re doing everything we can to build valuable relationships with top prospects. Through continual database refreshment and content creation, we have been able to get traction with some of the country’s largest retailers on behalf of our clients.

– Emily Osborne, Market Segment Manager at NuGrowth

We were well prepared for the switch to virtual. Before the pandemic hit, we switched to a new VoIP that allowed each employee to have their own license to such software. We did need to adapt to communicate early and often. Without the ability to see one another regularly, proactive communication has been crucial.

In interacting with clients and prospects, paying attention to industry-specific news was crucial for our success. Different markets were affected in varying ways, and having this intel aided our targeting and messaging. We also relied more on marketing automation to drive additional inbound emails. And, we modified our call to actions to a “softer” approach (i.e., “Can I get you out more information?” rather than asking for time to talk).

– Phil Dumas, Director of Operations at NuGrowth

My role has changed quite a bit since the pandemic. As a recruiter, I was often meeting with candidates in person, but now all interviews are virtual. It’s taken adaptability from everyone on each team to come together to complete our interviews and identify the best candidates through the process. The change required us to communicate more often and trust each other more

Communication is not always easy, even when you’re able to speak in person, so we continue to refine the channels and avenues we use to communicate.
We are now in the midst of changing our Recruiting CRM (applicant tracking system) and this is a good time for us to do it – it will again require working together, though apart, and getting out of our comfort zone, even within the new “comfort zone” we have gotten used to over the past seven months.

-Sarah Walsh Massaro, Recruiting Specialist at NuGrowth